Working for the Weekend

So I did it. I joined the 63% of moms with small children who work outside of the home. I found this stat online which was last updated in 2000, so I'm sure this percentage has grown. But it comforts me in knowing that I am not alone out there. Heck, I know I'm not alone seeing as how every mom I know does work...bosses, colleagues, friends, sister-in-laws, aunts....I can seriously only think of one mom that I know that doesn't work. In 2003, 14.2% of moms breastfeed their little ones exclusively until the age of 6 months. I read an article online saying that the work environment and flexibility of the job are the one of the largest factors on whether a working mom decides to breastfeed or not. Luckily, I am able to have to the privacy of pumping at work, but after doing it for almost 2 weeks, I can't imagine continuing for very much longer if conditions were different. The article talks of women having to pump in bathroom stalls or closets at work. Ummm....HELL NO! It is even difficult for me to imagine pumping once school picks up again where scheduled lunch times can be scarce, students are randomly entering your office, and IMs and emails are on the fritz.

However, I am doing it! And I know a few blogs ago it may have appeared that I was ready to give up breastfeeding all together...and I was. But low and behold, my other breastfeeding moms out there were right...it DOES get better. A lot better! Returning to work has made it slightly difficult again, but definitely not as bad as it was at the 5 week mark. Now that I am gone all day, it seems like all Trey wants to do is nurse whenever he is around me, but I think we're getting in a good groove and he (we) seem to be getting on a pretty good schedule now.

Luckily (again) Deo gets to stay home with Trey until August. Have I ever mentioned that he has a kick-ass job that allows him to work 99.9% from home through the summer? So Trey will not have to begin full-time day care until he is 4 months old...which I feel very greatful for. Also, I think it's nice that he gets special time with daddy since so much of his initial life was spent bonding with me. I do, however, get jealous when I come home and he tells me all of the cool, new things he did (grabbing his toys on his bouncer); but I also realize how cool it is that Deo gets to experience these. Although I did get the first official real laugh last night! Not to mention that I've had dinner waiting for me every day when I come home which has made Deo quite the chef as he explores new recipes from FoodNetwork.com.

Even though it's been extremely difficult to be back at work and not my ideal situation, we're making it work. I cherish the morning snuggle sessions, home-from-work smiles, and after dinner reading times more than I ever could imagine.