I think back to maternity leave as the most peaceful time of my life. I had just experienced a miracle, and although I was tired, it was incredibly beautiful. All of my priorities rearranged overnight and I was able to focus the majority of my time on my sweet boy.
Fast forward 14 weeks, and I was preparing to jump back into the working world as a full-time engineering supervisor. Talk about a wake-up call! The change was so abrupt that I can only compare it to one of those polar bear plunges. It was a challenge to get all of my work done while fitting in pumping (I breastfed), and then rushing back to pick up my son from daycare right before they closed. I felt like a terrible mom and a terrible employee. That’s me in the picture – trying to rush so quickly in the pumping room at work that I spilled milk all over myself…
Although I ultimately made the decision to change to a job share in order to work part-time, I had found some products that made my life a bit easier during the interim. Hopefully some of these can help others get through what can sometimes be a hectic season. See the following must-have products for new working moms!
1.) Play Mat
For those days where you are working from home or if you need to finish something up once you get, home, a good play mat is a must. You can use a play mat for tummy time or for laying on their back playing with the toys hanging above. My favorite kick mat is the Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym because the piano adds more for your child to explore.
2.) Dishwasher Basket for Bottle Parts
My husband and I spent so much time hand-washing all of the pump and bottle parts for our son, until we bought this basket. We still ended up hand-washing some, but this saved us a lot of effort. There are many different brands that offer these, but the one that we happen to have is the OXO Tot Dishwasher Basket for Bottle Parts & Accessories. My son is now 2 and we use it to wash parts of his sippy cups and some of his silverware that is top rack only.
3.) Counter Top Bottle Sanitizer
We were trying all sorts of methods to sanitize our bottle and pump parts – boiling them, microwave sanitizer, disposable sanitizing bags, etc. Then, while at a friend’s house, we noticed an interesting looking appliance on their counter top. They told us it was a sanitizer. I hadn’t even realized they made them. We decided to buy a Wabi Baby Sanitizer that also dried the parts and although it was a bit pricey, we did not regret the purchase once.
4.) A Good Pumping Bra
This one is specific to those who decide to breastfeed and need to pump at work. This was a game changer for me. The Ollie Gray pumping bra is one you can wear all day (although it is a bit more like a sports bra than a regular bra). It has simple clips for you pull the cup down and insert the flanges for pumping. This enabled me to be quicker about my pumping sessions and also work while pumping when I had to. Just to be clear, I don’t recommend working while pumping (watching videos of your little one is much better for milk production), but situations aren’t always perfect.
5.) Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook
I had never heard of baby-led weaning until our pediatrician mentioned it during an appointment. Baby-led weaning is basically where you start your baby on solids when they meet the readiness criteria and completely skip the purees. Why is this good for working moms? You can avoid making separate food for your baby. You can basically make a full meal for the rest of your family and your baby will eat that as well. The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook explains some of the philosophy and details about the process and also provides good family recipes. There is also a very good Facebook Group on the topic if you are interested in trying it. We still eat the Moroccan Chicken recipe on a fairly regular basis. Our son is two and has only had a small period of pickiness. Otherwise he eats a huge variety and is very skilled at eating with utensils.
6.) Bibs with a Food Catcher
When your child first starts trying solids, it can be a very messy time. We spent the first month or two scrubbing down clothes and regular bibs after each meal until enough was enough. We started feeding our son in his diaper (assuming it was warm enough) and we bought some better bibs. There are multiple kinds with a catcher. There are some that are all silicone which can be nice because they dry quickly. However, our favorites are the OXO Tot Waterproof Silicone Roll Up Bib with Comfort-Fit Fabric Neck. The fabric in the neck area really helped to keep my son’s clothes clean underneath compared to the silicone ones where food would sometimes slip behind the bib. These are easy to clean with a soapy wash cloth after a meal and hang up to dry.
7.) Norwex Baby Cloths
A few years ago, I was invited to a Norwex party. I went to support a friend, but ended up really being interested in the products. They have sustainable cleaning products that honestly make it quicker and easier to clean my house. As a busy mom, that is so important to me. Even better, they help me reduce the waste I normally create when cleaning (we go through way less paper towels now).
In addition to the cleaning products, they have some personal care products as well. My mother-in-law had bought us some Norwex baby cloths because my son gets severe eczema. These cloths remove oil and dirt with no soap. Not only does this speed up the bath process, but not using soap for every bath really helps my son’s skin issues. I’ve recently become a Norwex Independent Consultant, so please comment or reach out to me at gracefullybusy@gmail.com if you have any interest in the products.
8.) A Good Water Bottle
Let’s face it – most new moms are not focusing on self care. There is so much to do and a tiny little human to focus on, that sometimes we forget ourselves. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to stay hydrated. Especially if you are breastfeeding… Seriously, have you ever felt so thirsty in your life?! This water bottle (Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle) makes it easy, even on the go. It has a built-in filter so you can feel a bit better about refilling with that questionable drinking fountain water at work…
9.) Baby Activity Center
This one is similar to the play mat but for when baby gets a bit older. My son would entertain himself happy in the Skip Hop Baby Activity Center while I finished up some work from home. This specific one also turns into an activity table for when your child gets a bit older. They have matching chairs you can get for about $40.
10. Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
I know many people use a pressure cooker and swear by it, but I can’t vouch for that as I haven’t used one. My go-to is simply a slow cooker. My family has this Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker. This is great for a working new mom because it will automatically switch to warm once your set cooking time is up.
I’m always looking for good slow cooker recipes, so please comment with any of your favorites below. There are two different types that I typically use: a.) Meals for if I’m already at home, but don’t want to be super busy cooking around meal time and b.) Freezer meals that I make ahead of time and pull out the day before when I know it’ll be a hectic work day. Please see below for some of my favorites in each category:
a.) Slow Cooker meals for when you aren’t away from the house for a full work day:
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken by Dinner, then Dessert -> I typically use well drained canned pineapple and an extra red pepper in this recipe. Also, I typically brown the chicken thighs in a separate pan (instead of the insert) unless I’m running really short on time.
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup by Tabs & Tidbits
- Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken by The Recipe Critic -> I serve this with a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables.
Your advice is perfect for young, new moms. Even moms who have babies much later than the first baby, and have to do it all over again. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us all!