after writing post the other day about balancing work and home, it got me thinking about how exactly i am going to do it. you know, the actual day-to-day logistics. i teach in granbury, which is about a 30-35 minute drive from my house. i commute with my best friend taylor, which is wonderful not only for the company that it provides, but also because it saves us a ton of money on gas each month. we have to be at school at 7:30 every morning, meaning we have typically left fort worth around 6:50. because we will now be dropping baird off at my dad's house in granbury on our way to work, we will now need to leave granbury around 6:30 or so. yeah i know, super early.
so my tentative schedule is...
{5:00 - 5:15} alarm goes off, hop in the shower
{5:15 - 5:50} get ready
{5:50 - 6:20} breastfeed
{6:30} leave for granbury
{7:15} drop baird off at my dad's house
{7:30} arrive at work
{7:30 - 4:45} teach, pump, teach, lunch, pump, teach, pump
{5:00} pick baird up at my dad's house
{5:45} arrive home
yeah, pretty scary i know. my early morning schedule will vary depending on when baird wakes up for his feeding. if he wakes up at 4:30, i will feed him then, and will not feed him again before i leave for work. the goal is to feed him sometime between 5:00 and 6:30 though. for this schedule to run smoothly, i know it is going to require lots of preparation. i am going to try to pick out my clothes the night before and have baird's diaper bag packed the night before as well. i will most likely put his clothes for the day in his diaper bag and drive him to granbury in his pajamas to save time.
as far as nursing/pumping, i plan on nursing him when we are together and pumping when we are not. i think i will have to pump three times when i am at work to make enough milk for baird. the milk i pump when i am at school will most likely be the milk that he drink the next day when he is away from me and i will drop it off when i pick him up at my dad's each day. this is the part that i am most nervous about. finding time to pump at work, and hoping that my milk supply remains strong. i've read that when you are exclusively or primarily pumping, your milk supply can decrease significantly. i am hoping this is not the case and for preventative measures, have already started taking fenugreek, a natural supplement that is supposed to increase your milk supply. i've already noticed an increase in mine after only a few days.
for those of you who are curious who baird will be staying with during the day, here are a few more details: my dad has a housekeeper who has worked for him for the past 7 years and who is absolutely wonderful. she has cared for my 7 year old sister micah since she was born and even has two little girls of her own, alejandra who is 8 and validia who is 4. not only is she a wonderful mother/caregiver, but she is also hispanic, meaning she will teach baird spanish!! my sister micah was fluent in both english and spanish by the time she was 3! we are super excited and feel super blessed to be able to have her take care of baird while i am at work.
while most of you probably found this post boring, it was mainly for myself. i needed to get it in writing to verify that i will actually be able to do it.
happy monday :)
love,
maggie
6 comments:
not boring...very informative. I know people who have pumped and breastfed because of their work schedule and have always had enough. I wouldn't be too worried about it.
Definitely not boring. You are going to be one busy bee! The best time to learn a foreign language is when you are super young. Baird is very lucky! sounds like you have a great plan!
I know exactly how you feel to get something off you chest! I worry all the time about things and sometimes just need to talk about it! I am sure you will do great at this schedule. I teach with a girl that has a routine similar to yours and she does great with it!
Hi Maggie! I'm Jennifer and don't even remember how I found your blog. I'm a Baylor grad, mom, and teacher. I just wanted to encourage you as you go back to work - I did the same thing with both of my babies. It's great that you are thinking about your schedule and planning ahead for your little man. I read your post about being a working mom and I completely agree. I firmly believe that God called me to be a mom AND a teacher! Good luck to you!
I think it's AWESOME that Baird will be learning Spanish so early! That is truly the best way for him to learn it! (I'm certified to teach French and Spanish.)
And I have one suggestion, but of course you'll have to see how it goes for you two. When I went back to work, I was determined to nurse and pump. I put Adam in bed with me shortly before 5 and let him nurse while I slowly woke up. Then, he slept with hubby while I showered and got ready. He and hubby got up, hubby got him ready, and then I nursed again RIGHT before I left. That way, he already had two feedings (about 2 hours apart) before I even left. If I had a long drive like you, I'd probably nurse around 4:45-5ish, and then again when I got to "Dads." It will mean leaving earlier, but then you can get in one more feeding.
Also, I pumped 2 or 3 times a day at work. I used this "hands free pumping method" with some really sophisticated rubber bands. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/hands-free-pumping.html
And, when I was really desperate, I used the hands free pumping method while I drove to or from work.
I truly hope that helps! Keep it in mind especially if you have trouble keeping up with his demands! In my experience, his milk consumption spiked months 4-5, but you'll be home for the summer then, right?
Sounds like you'll be busy and that Baird will be in good hands!
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