Need to work from hiome RIGHT after the birth! Is this crazy?

Myra - posted on 10/09/2012

Hi Natalie,

Thanks for the comments- I run a sustainable timber flooring business- It is a construction trade (we do a lot of commercial work), and it is all custom- not just products sold off the shelf, but rather custom sourced, custom milled, and installed into various different settings- and I pretty much handle everything except the actual labour of installing, though I oversee it. Between the knowledge of the species, suppliers etc.., and then the site assessments, scheduling, quoting/invoicing- it's a lot to teach someone. I can't/couldn't afford to train someone for as long as would be required in order for them to fill in just while I am unavailable (perhaps I would have to train them for 3 months so that they could work for me for 1 month). But I think it will still work out ok- I live in New Zealand and they are pretty relaxed here so if I operate slowly for a few weeks, it may not be a big deal. Again, thanks for the post.

It would be nice if my midwife were more firm on my due date, but there's not much I can do about that. :)

Regards,

Myra

Sarah Mae - posted on 10/02/2012

Absolutely not! I did the exact same thing. I had a C-section and 2 days later as soon as I got home I started working. Of course everything took longer to do (what with moving to grab a file here, set up the laptop there...)and definitely very tiring but a few days later the pace started to pick up and my body started to heal and adjust. A few weeks later I felt good as new. It also helps a lot if you have someone to help with the baby, like your husband and maybe your or his mom.

Marie - posted on 09/04/2012

I also am self employed. I had clients go out of town roughly 10 days before my due date. On the day they got on the plane to depart I went into labour, and bub came along 9 days early.



Literally 7 hours after he was born I was receiving calls on behalf of my client and passing on messages to the licensed person who was handling sales while they were away. As a virtual assistant, business can't always take a break.



I don't know that your tucas can handle being at a desk right after giving birth - a big puffy cushion might be a help, but phone work can be done from almost anywhere, especially if your office is somewhat portable.



Good luck! I've been a semi-work at home for 4 years and my boy starts JK on Thursday.



(my hubby is also self employed - we take turns staying home with our boy at 2.5 days per week, and work from home when it's our childcare days).

Raquel - posted on 09/04/2012

It took me 6 weeks to recover from my c-section, but after my natural birth I was working again the next day. I breastfed between clients, and was often on the phone with a baby at breast. I also pumped after the first month or so, and had a nanny at home with me watching the baby while I worked. If I was too tied up to nurse, there was always breastmilk in the fridge or freezer available. It worked very well for me until my 2 girls were making too much noise for me to see clients at my home office.

Mildred - posted on 09/02/2012

It all depends on what the "work" part involves. If its basically making calls, sending emails, etc then certainly there is no reason you couldn't do that for short periods here and there. If its more physical than that, you may have to take a little time. My business is mostly calls and I have partners who have literally worked during labour, and were right back doing business the next day. It just all depends on how you feel and how dedicated you are to your business! As for your husband, bless him for being willing to help and accept his efforts with gratitude. There will be plenty of time later to clean the house and make fancier/better meals!

(Personally, I would suggest taking a few days off, just to enjoy your baby and get into the swing of being a mom! Its worth every moment!)



Mildred Carroll

I Refuse to Participate in the Poor Economy -

I Love My Life!

www.Mom2Six.com

Sharleen - posted on 09/02/2012

Sorry not sure where you are ! But in England you can be out of hospital in 6 hours after birth! I had my second baby at 4am and was hanging out washing at 9am!

The only answer is get a cleaner/cook for two hours a day or every other day for a week get her to do bathrooms and prep a meal or even cook it .....



Good Luck

Sarah - posted on 08/29/2012

2-4 days? Hospitals here discharge you after 1, and you're free to check out (as long as all has gone well), within a few hours.

As for working, I have many colleagues that went back to teaching figure skating within 3-4 days post partum. I took a bit more time off than many (a few weeks), but was up grocery shopping by 2-4 days with both (by choice - they were family outings - I was going stir-crazy).



If you can recline in a comfy chair, you'll have less discomfort, but try a pillow on the seat if that's not an option.



I think you should be fine. The stress of worrying about the work not being done could slow down your recovery more than doing it.

Aloted - posted on 08/28/2012

hi...i think you should see how it goes...have the baby first and assess your health...i think you will need time to rest but we are all different...rest as much as you can so you have the strength to work...



personally i think you should give yourself a break from work for sometime. i dont know the nature of your business but if you have clients let them know you will be away for a few days i am sure they will understand. having a baby is HARD work



all the best...

Torri - posted on 08/28/2012

You can request to be in and out of the hospital after one night there. As long as everything went complication free they should allow it. I did not have very much pain after giving birth (which I'm told is rare) but I was up walking around and doing things almost immediately. I sat at a desk an uploaded pictures to Facebook when my daughter was hours old. Good luck!

Hanoi - posted on 08/26/2012

I do not believe you can do any work the 1st two weeks. I have had two kids and the 1st month is so difficult... In my case, my boys ate every two hours and spent one hour eating, during the only one hour left free, was necessary to change diapers and do other baby activities. Yes, they sleep allot but you are very tired and you need to sleep also.

At the begging you have no time to do anything, you can not take a shower, time to eat or do any activity different than baby is a problem. I had help at home, a housekeeper and my mom and was difficult. I do not imagine do everything alone and work in addition to that.

I hope you can manage everything but is difficult.

Sally - posted on 08/25/2012

A hospital birth is a 2-4 day stay. Some moms are back in the groove within a day or two of coming home, but most take a couple weeks to be human again and recovering from a c-section can take over a month. Home birth moms and moms who were active and healthy pre-delivery tend to bounce back faster, but there are no guarantees. The average newborn NEEDS to nurse every 2-3 hours 24/7 and only you can do that. A carrier helps, but you and your baby will both need to learn how it all works and that can take a couple weeks to a couple months. Also, your body will be a raging mass of uncontrollable hormones that can give you impressive mood swings and probably will make you want to spend hours just staring at your new baby to the exclusion of all else. In the first couple weeks to couple months, most moms are lucky to shower and brush their teeth and the more you exhaust yourself the more you risk PPD.

Cooking and cleaning should not be a priority immediately post baby regardless of your work situation. Cook and freeze (or dry or can) as much as you can now and resign yourself to a dirty house and reheated meals for a while unless you can afford professional help. I would strongly suggest at least cutting your hours at least in half if not a few week maternity leave.

Good luck

Natalie - posted on 08/25/2012

i'm curious to know what kind of work you do that you cannot take even a few weeks off, not to be judgemental by any means, like one of the replies says...it's the easiest time when they are newborn, 'cause all they do is sleep! so i suppose this would make it easier to get some work done than when the baby is crawling everywhere! you are lucky your husband can take time off, so do whatever you need to do : )

Elizabeth - posted on 08/24/2012

Not crazy at all. If I were you I'd take four days to recover (well I had a C-Section... I have no clue how natural birth works). Last fall I had my baby the week school started (I'm in college) and I still had to do all my school work and do a little work for my job from home too. It is so easy when the baby is new born because all they want to do is sleep all day. You'd get bored if you weren't working from home!

Amy - posted on 08/23/2012

Are you delivering the baby at home? I know if you have a hospital delivery they like you to stay two nights after giving birth, so if you deliver at 1 in the morning they will probably want you to stay another two nights. With my first there was no way I would of been up for doing any work for a couple days at least just because I was tired, I had an easy labor so that had nothing to do with it. With my second I was ready to be up as soon as I had her and only spent one night in the hospital. I think I was much more prepared mentally with my second because she was my second.



As far as cooking and cleaning goes that was the furthest from my mind, my mother came to stay and she helped with it. Good luck.