I have worked as a Project Manager / Construction Consultant for the past 8 years, within the past 2 years I moved from my old job as a Consultant to a Project Manager in a Housing Association. I love my job and I have always had my own goals when it comes to career, lifestyle and finances.

Becoming a mother does not affect my ability to set Goals and to try and achieve them. It has however changed my ways of working and my actual goals for the future. A few years ago I wanted to work my way up in my company, work as hard as I can and become a Partner. Whereas now I am happy being Project Manager working at my own pace, and setting my own long term goals. I am very fortunate now that my new job allows me to work from home. I used to work all hours of the day (and night!) but now work, life balance is the most important thing.

I went back to work 4 months after Serenity was born. I was very fortunate at my work place to be able to work from home and at this point I was working on a secondment so I could work more flexibly. At this time I was saving for a house so not going back to work wasn’t an option. At the start it was quite easy, Serenity pretty much slept all hours of the day and night, she couldn’t cry and wasn’t interacting with toys, so if she did wake, she would just sit and watch what I was doing.

The appointments are always challenging, some months she has up to 6. I try and get the consultants to do home visits where possible.

Meal times are tricky because I like Serenity to eat healthy home cooked balanced meals at every meal. I find bulk making some meals are easy. They can be froze and defrosted. If I have fell short I make sure we have some Ella’s Kitchen Pouches at home as these are quick and easy to do and they don’t have any extra added salts, sugars or fats. We ensure we have discipline around meal times. We try and always eat together, eat without distraction, avoid sauces (ketchup etc) as this makes Serenity and a lot of children picky with their food and always have at least one portion of vegetables with every meal. I also always make just enough for our meals so there are no second helpings.

I am lucky that I get to work from home, and it is quite flexible but sometimes it is difficult if I have long meetings and Serenity is at home with me. I always make sure she has toys around her, but to be honest most of the time she just wants company so I will have my camera off on teams meetings and she will just sit on my lap, or she likes to play right next to my office chair. My partner does help where he can when I have commitments like this. It’s okay to ask for help, now work has become more demanding I ask Nursrey or grand parents if they can look after Serenity if I am stuck. This doesn’t happen often but I know the option is there if I need it. Now Serenity is of the NG tube and she doesn’t struggle with food or drink, I am more comfortable with her being looked after by family. Before this, I wouldn’t leave her.

Everyday is different depending on what I have on at work, I try and take regular breaks so we can play and so she has the interaction. Meal times aren’t always the same everyday but they are within their own time slot. I try to keep a time slot for meals to create discipline around meal times.

I think support from your Employer is one of the most important things. At my old job, I don’t think I would of had the support I needed and understanding sometimes. I do feel overwhelmed a few times – this impairs my ability to focus and get stuff done therefore I feel more stressed. But planning and writing things down help me get over this. I try not to keep things in my head to remember. Every time someone calls me for an appointment it gets written down and put in my work calendar so I know not to book meetings in. Every small task I have to do gets written down so I remember to do it. Planning daily, I create a list which includes: site visits, meetings, quick actions, large tasks, other & home and meals. This really helps me to plan my time out and maintain my stress levels.

Finally, I am working on creating my own nutrition business, I have been working on this since February and I pretty much get work done and learning done on the evening when Serenity is asleep. I love this work so its not a hassle for me to do it late and I do look forward to it.

TIPS:

• Get consultants to do home visits if they can – this is much easier
• Plan your days out. I plan my weeks out every Friday. This way I know the following week, I have this many appointments, I have these work tasks to do, home tasks and site visits.
• Break your tasks down on a list into large and small tasks. So you know if you have a block of time, you can focus on the large & in between you can get all the quick actions done.
• I always have a spreadsheet open which includes my work and home tasks. This is so whenever I remember something, I write it down straight away. Holding to do lists in your head can get very stressful, its important to get things out!
• Nursery: when you feel confident to send them it does help. Serenity goes to nursery 2 days a week and these days I use for my meetings and site visits. Obviously this doesn’t always work but most of the time it does. Nursrey is so good for the social aspect and development too. Nursrey benefits the child more than the adult.
• Prepare meals in advance, or make a list so you always know what to cook. I plan all my meals on a Sunday and do a list so food shopping is easier and takes less time.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Don’t be afraid to tell your consultants you are struggling – they can group up their visits too so its not so overwhelming. They can also refer you to some extra support for your mental health if it’s required.
• Discuss things with people at work, even colleagues not just bosses. This can help them get more of an understanding