Now that you have your baby in your arms, you may be asking yourself how you will be able to separate from her to go back to work or to go on a necessary trip. Many mothers experience this separation anxiety and there are some steps they can take to counteract it.  

Who will take care of your baby?

You may have decided you want to go back to work; either for professional reasons or out of financial need. Depending on the type of maternity leave you have, you may be able to spend more or less time with your baby, but after around 12 weeks, you will have to go back to work. The sooner you start to think of who is going to take care of your baby, the better you will feel afterwards. 

The ideal solution for many moms is to have a family member who, either for a long period of time or regularly because she lives near, to take care of the baby. The grandparents on either side usually take on this role.  Although this also has its challenges it is an option that will be a lot less anxiety-ridden when you have to leave the house.

Another option is to leave your baby in a daycare center that you are comfortable with. If you are able to shop around and choose the one that best suits your needs, you will also feel more at ease when you have to return to work.  

Lastly, you can hire a nanny to take care of your baby. Besides asking for references, you should hire her on a per-hour basis as soon as you can. This way you can see how she handles your baby and you have time to change nannies if need be. Your baby will also have time to get used to the nanny.

Make a decision and relax

Work hard to find the best option to take care of your baby, but once you’ve found it, try to relax. The first days of separation may be difficult for you, but if you are confident that your baby is in good hands, try to relax. Anxiety will not benefit you or your baby, who will most likely feel your tension when you part ways.

If you find it very difficult to spend so many hours away from your baby, consider hiring a babysitting or daycare service in which parents can check on their babies via the Internet. If your baby is at home, install a Webcam so that your nanny or granny can show you the baby once in a while throughout the day.  

A new lifestyle

If your separation anxiety doesn’t subside as the days go by, you may be able to consider another work scenario that enables you to spend more time with your baby, from working part-time, working at home or just come in to the office a few days during the week. Only you and your partner know what is best for you and your family and what factors to take into account.  

Speak with other new parents to find out how they dealt with this dilemma and with those whose kids are grown up. Ask them what they would have changed about their kids´ childcare when they were babies.