Going back to work: how did you cope?

My DD is 3 weeks old and the thought of leaving her to go back to work has me bawling my eyes out. I'm a first time mom and I literally have no idea how to prepare myself for this. Is there anything you could suggest doing to prepare myself to actually leave her? Any suggestions would help, I just don't want to go back to work and end up having seperation anxiety or something.

I can only imagine how you feel my daughter isnt even born yet and I am already freaking out at the thought of having to leave her to go back to work

i started going back PT instead of FT, if that is possible for you? Then when i got back into the 8 hour shifts, SO would bring her in on my lunch so i could feed her. Honestly, it's tough the first few times but it gets easier.

I just did it, hah. I knew there would be no possible way to give her the life she deserved if I stayed home. That got me through some days.

when i had to go back after having my kids, i was a mess.
i called constantly to see how they were doing.
and i did cry the first two days.
but i kept reminding them i was doing this for them.

now i am freaking out like crazy because i am leaving with dh for 4 days and leaving my LOs behind and man i have been crying this whole week. lol

Make sure you're comfortable with the daycare you are taking her to...do drop in visits to make sure they're doing their job. See if you can start back to work for half days at the end of the first week you go back and just ease back into full time. Leave her with SO for an hour and do something by yourself. It's hard, but you gotta do what you have to. I went back part time 10 weeks after my daughter was born...it was hard. Make sure you have enough support for yourself. It's okay to cry on your first day back, I did. My coworkers were really supportive. Good luck mama!  

Theres no easy way, I dried the first time I dropped both kids

I'm not going to lie,it is agony.At least for me,and i have 4 kids! You would think after the first or second it would be easier,but no.It still killed me to leave them,and i was fortunate to have 'family' daycare,so,even leaving them with dad or grandma didn't lessen the pain.All i can say is,yes,it's hard,but only the first couple of days seem to be the worst.By the second week,you should be fine.It just takes a few days to get used to being unattached to them,after being so since they were conceiv.I agree with the poster that said,if possible,you should try to go back part time at first,that should be a little easier than trying to go back full blown 40 hour weeks.

Hey girl, I just started going back yesterday and I BAWLED my eyes out in front of the daycare provider AND the other kids, lol. Snot and all! The provider was very sympathetic though and gave me a big hug and told me that my tears were the tears of a good mom because I cared about my baby. It WILL be hard at first and you will probably cry but it is ok!!! I'm not really sure there is a way to ease into into. I think your best friend in this case will be time... just give yourself time and know that it's ok to feel this way. You have been with your baby attached to you and inside you for a very long time! At your six week follow up with the doctor see if they will help give you meds to deal with your separation anxiety, mine did! Good luck mama. I'm here if you need to swap stories  

Find a way to do something on your own for a few hours working up to you going back. I just went back last week. I didnt have a really hard time but she was in a nicu for almost 2 weeks and i went back in the hospital a month after she was born for a week. Had to have my gallbladder out. Those things prepared me for going to work. because no matter how long my smurffs are i know they wont be as long as ive been away from her before. but the nicu stay and my hospital stay was extreamly hard for me. I cried the whole time unles she was in my arms, like when i went to see her or my boyfriend brought her up to see me. it will get easier i promise

Try leaving her to go to the store, leave for an hour, then next time leave for two hours and so on, just work yourself up to it, best advice i can give, hope it helps  

Well due to being the only one in the house that pays our bills I had to go back early. My first day back was on the fourth and I must say it has been hell. I constantly end up crying because I miss her so badly. My DH constantly calls me because my DD wants nothing to do with the bottles of breastmilk. I was afraid she'd decide bottles were easier and stop taking the breast, but no instead she absolutely hates bottles because they just aren't me. The only time she calms down while I'm at work is when DH brings her to visit me on my lunch break. Everytime he calls me or I call him you can hear her screaming in the background and it breaks my heart.  

Aww i'm really sorry that must be really hard