Returning To Work After Maternity Leave
I finally return to the workforce in two days after taking nearly 8 months of leave that was comprised of 28 weeks of disability plus 6 weeks of paid family leave. This couldn't be more different than my original plan of returning to my job after 8 weeks of delivering a baby. (What was I thinking?) To start, I had a rough and traumatic labor, 62 hours long to my first baby at 38 years old. I was lucky to have my (former) Mother in Law in the delivery room with me and she stated that my labor was by far the most difficult and scariest that she's witnessed and honestly didn't think I was going to survive. My recovery was just as difficult and challenging, both on a biological and emotional level. I was diagnosed with moderate/severe Postpartum Depression and this was so hard for me to understand. I had dreamed almost my entire life for a baby---so why do I feel so completely empty and lonely now? Here I have this absolute gorgeous and healthy girl in my arms and all I