A myriad of conflicting emotions can overwhelm moms who are going back to work at the end of maternity leave.

As scary as it may feel, understanding that separation anxiety, stress and worry are all normal reactions to returning to work.

Studies show that returning to work for moms is a tough period and moms need all the support they can get to help with the transition.

At least a week before you go back, schedule a trial run where you sort out all the logistics necessary so you know what to expect when you start working again. Wake up as if you were going to work, take a shower, prepare yourself and go through the notions of preparing your nanny or driving to the day care centre where your child would be dropped off.

At the time you usually knock off at work, drive out again, this will put your mind at ease as you understand what your day will begin to look like as a working mom.

Bring your baby to work on a quiet day so that your colleagues know how your life has changed. They may be more understanding as you settle into your old work routine again.

Arrange to start in the middle of the week. This way you can time during the weekend to recharge and rearrange your routine if you have to. Ask if you can work at home on some days so you can ease into your new schedule and make any changes where necessary.

Find support in an online group of working moms. Communicating with women going through similar experiences will help you grow through this phase and you will get to vent out your frustrations among people who can relate.

Tips for staying on track

• Make a to-do-list which will help you prioritise what’s important and what can be left for later
• List what you may need to make your job easier
• Celebrate small successes such as getting to work early
• Set aside a time to respond to emails
• Be patient and don’t be hard on yourself. You have gone through a drastic life change, so it won’t help being overly critical.
• Reward yourself at the end of the week with a spa day or pampering session at home.

At least a month before you go back to work, begin expressing your breast milk into a bottle so that you can become familiar with the process.

This will get you mentally and physically prepared to begin pumping breastmilk while at work. Your body will need some time to get into the flow of pumping, so the sooner you start the easier it will be when the time comes for you to head back to work.

Two weeks before work, make sure your baby is growing accustomed to the bottle. This will ease any worries or anxiety you may have that your baby isn’t eating or hasn’t taken to the bottle. Once your baby becomes comfortable using their bottle, schedule a trial run one week before returning to work to see how your child copes.

This is also the best time to see how your nanny handles the transition and if there is a need for any additional routines or mechanisms to make the process easier for your baby.

Speak to your boss upon your return to work. Honesty will help you settle in to being back at work as you seek to get your boss to understand that you may need to take a few moments away from your desk to express milk.

Create a strategy where you nurse your baby as often as you can to increase your milk supply. This can be done by nursing before heading out to work and as soon as you get home.

Get the right equipment to pump milk while at work. Choose a pump that will be comfortable, easy to use and simple to work. Find a private place where you can settle in for your pumping sessions which ideally, should take place every three hours.

Remember to follow a healthy diet and to stay hydrated so that the quality of your breast milk doesn’t change.

Separation anxiety is a term used to describe the collective group of emotion and behaviour experienced by both mother and child, usually after they have spent a considerable amount of time together.

For some moms, separation anxiety can happen straight after maternity leave. Spending four months together every single day and then having this reduced to a few hours can have an impact on mom and baby as they try to cope with being apart.

In some instances, separation anxiety can strike when your child has to head off to day care and the adjustment that needs to take place can be tough as the child begins to cope with a new environment and not seeing their parents all the time.

The good news is that separation anxiety is temporary and doesn’t last forever. Moms and children can learn how to cope with the transition period of being apart and soon it will become easier and eventually normal for the whole family.

Stick to routine

Keep a steady routine and morning schedule so your child can have a stable structure to support the transition of not being with you all the time. This also helps to ease stress, tension and anxiety that may arise so your baby can look forward to a routine that isn’t destabilise.

Have a goodbye ritual

Create a special ritual of your own where you say a few reassuring words to each other, make a unique sign that only the two of you understand and say goodbye with a promise to see each other later. After awhile your baby will grow so accustomed to your special ritual that the anxiety he may felt at the beginning will melt away and become a thing of the past.

Keep a positive attitude

Though it may be difficult seeing your baby less and less and eventually not spending the whole day with them, the feeling can become worse if you keep dwelling on how far apart you are from them. Also, children can sense when their parents are unhappy so aim for a positive attitude, or at least save your own tears for when you are alone. Around your toddler, keep a smile and soon enough they will adopt your positive attitude and infectious good energy.

Don’t prolong the process

Keep those moments where you say goodbye as short as possible so those feelings of sadness and isolation don’t build in your child.

Identify and avoid anxiety triggers

At the start of the week it may be more complicated to separate because of the weekend. Look at  giving more attention and care to your child by waking up earlier to spend time with them before school or knocking of early so you can pick them up and have some bonding time.