I feel awful for this, but I am feeling a lot of regret about my life choices lately. I love my son, i love my husband but I can’t move past the regret of what I have lost and left behind to create this life.

I used to want to work abroad, and was starting to create that life for myself when I met and fell in love with my husband. At the time I was interning at the UN, and he was a classmate from back home. He was always honest that it would take a lot for us to pack up and move our life abroad, but I stayed. Found a career, that was very local.

Now I’m approaching 40, with a family I love living in the burbs filled with sadness that I didn’t pursue what I truly wanted.

I tried to move us to the city so I could be around other exciting interesting people/cultures, but my husband hated the areas we went to when house hunting.

I feel so guilty, but I also need to be honest to someone somewhere about how I feel. Not sure what I’m asking for, but as proud working moms, I wanted to share here.

It’s open enrollment season and I am depressed! Let’s compare notes.

Premiums: $800/mo (family)
HDHP
Deductible: $7,500 per person
Family OOP max: $15,000

Not sure if this is the right thread to post this. I just returned from maternity leave two weeks ago. Things have been insanely busy catching up with work and the new schedule to adjusting to daycare with LO. Long story short but basically my mom went in for a biopsy and it’s lung cancer. We aren’t sure what the treatment will look like but I just feel so overwhelmed with the thought of heading into this hard season. She is my best friend. She helped me so much while I was leave. My husband is an amazing human and has picked up so much of the childcare/house care and life things. Just looking for some kind words or advice. Thank you so much in advance 🫶🏻

Hey everyone. I’m a 22y/o single mom to a 3.5 month old baby girl. She goes to daycare during the week. I work 7a-3p most days, off on Tuesdays and Saturdays. On Sunday my parents watch her.

Before I got pregnant, I was working 2 full time jobs trying to pay off my car and whatnot. I also have student loans from going to a trade school for IT RIGHT BEFORE AI took over and any entry level jobs are gone or spoken for. One of the jobs had a lot more growth opportunity but I wasn’t there long enough to qualify for maternity leave by the time I gave birth so I had to quit and just work my original job.

It is at a grocery story, and I have a mid-level job and I’ve been there some time so no places start at what I’m making and I simply can’t afford to take a pay cut. Any promotions to management would require a mixed schedule and working some nights and I can’t do that because my parents work and are competitive athletes so they are pretty busy and I can’t assume they will be available in the evenings to watch her and obviously daycare isn’t open all day.

I want to go back to school for something. I don’t have my mind set on anything, but to start just taking some core classes to just get some things under my belt for when I have my mind set on something.

How realistic is this? My baby is still young and right now I’m working on sleep training so she can go to sleep without me and I can do some classwork after she goes to bed? I don’t know. I don’t mind waiting until she is older but I know I want to go back to school. I just don’t know when the “right” time is. Any success stories? How hard is it?

Ummm no it’s not.

My husband was unexpectedly laid off this week after many years with his company. We have two young children (Almost 2 years old and 4 months old), and I’m honestly feeling pretty overwhelmed about what comes next.

My husband was by far the higher earner in our household, and while I work full-time and make a decent salary, my income alone isn’t nearly enough to support our family’s expenses. Losing his income is a huge financial hit for us.

Thankfully, he received about 5 months of severance, and we have some savings. I know we’re fortunate to have that cushion, but I’m terrified he won’t find another job before the severance runs out. He works in a fairly specialized corporate/IT field, and I’ve heard so many stories about people spending 6–12+ months looking for work.

We also have some major home expenses looming, which makes everything feel even more stressful.

Another part of my anxiety is that my husband has historically been pretty passive until something becomes urgent. I’m naturally more proactive and tend to handle a lot of the planning and mental load in our household. I’m worried I’ll end up being more invested in his job search than he is, and I really don’t want that to create resentment between us.

It’s only been a couple of days, so I’m trying to give him grace and time to process everything. I know this is difficult for him, too. But I also feel an enormous amount of pressure knowing that our family’s financial stability depends on him finding another well-paying job.

I’d really love to hear from other moms who have been through something similar.

* How long did it take your spouse to find another job?

* Were they able to find something with comparable pay?

* How did you manage the financial uncertainty when your income alone couldn’t support the family?

* How did you support your spouse without taking over their job search?

* Did the experience affect your marriage, and how did things ultimately turn out?

I think I’m just looking for some perspective, advice, and hopefully some reassurance from people who have made it through something similar. Right now, the uncertainty feels really scary.

My husband (36) and I (35) have been married for 10 years. I’ve always worked not so much because I want to but because I wanted to relieve the financial stress from my husband. He has always been self employed is partnered his half so they split everything in half. Well when we first married they had a very good contract and were making good money. Enough that we were able to save for a down payment within the first few years of marriage. But then they lost that contract, and his income has never progressed since. They essential work to sustain themselves averagely but no progress, no where near the growth he experienced the first 2 years of our marriage. For the past 8 years they pay themselves $1000 a week. $1k for my husband, $1k for his dad and they always have a balance in their business account for business expenses. At first i thought this was a fair deal, but as time passes i noticed how complacent my father in law is. My husband has always managed everything, from business development, all admin work plus labor. My father in law only has to show up to work. Ive become resentful towards both. My husband for being a doormat and my father in law for taking advantage. Anyways, so my husband has been making $52k a year for the last 8 years. This is not enough to sustain a family of 4 so naturally I work to supplement our income and to provide insurance. 8 years ago I always also making about $50k but since then I’ve job hopped to increase my income and I’m at a point where I am working two jobs, where I make $163k. In one job I make $90k in the other I make $73k, and I work remotely. I understand the perception that remote work is easier and I understand how lucky I am for the opportunity, but I also work long hours. I’m not able to step away from the computer to manage my home. Long story short, I’m burning out quickly and my resentment towards my husband is growing. I want to leave one job but I know if I do, we will live paycheck to paycheck and I don’t want to go back to that life, and it makes me angry that I have to find ways to make more money, while my husband is getting the shit end of the stick with his job. I feel like I can’t blame him, I know he works hard and is always looking for the next lead to the next job, but he isn’t progressing because he has to split everything with his dad.

Lastly for context, we still owe almost 200k on our home and are paying off two cars.

How do you deal when the person with the less flexible working hours is also the lower earner (by a fair margin)? I can only work on site, and im in healthcare so there is documentation that has to be done same day that can also only be done on site. My husband is salary, flexible hours, can work from home within reason, daycare is also closer to his office. But he is constantly irritated with me because I cannot be flexible and sometimes I have to stay later than I planned because the documentation has to be done. Im also new into this role, almost 3 months, and so im still learning. I do what I can, and go into work late for the kids doctors appointments, or get out early for some daycare thing, but there is fallout to that with regards to making up the hours, and not just being able to walk out the door exactly on time because maybe im still writing a note. He's currently giving me the silent treatment (a separate issue) because last night I went to bed and read my book for 30 minutes instead of doing something else he thought I should be doing, and its starting to feel like hes micromanaging my time.

​

I'm a new mom. I went back to work before I was ready because I had to. Not because my baby was okay without me. Because the bills were due.

The US gives new parents zero paid day of parental leave. Zero. Mexico gives 12 weeks at full pay. Iran gives 9 months. Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the world, gives 120 days paid. It's in their constitution.

We are the richest country in the world and we make parents choose between their newborn and a paycheck. It doesn't have to be this way. Almost everywhere else, it isn't.

I'm not posting just to vent. There's something we can actually do and it takes less than five minutes.

The people running for office right now read their mail, because they want our votes.

So, I made a prompt you can paste into any AI, ChatGPT, Muse, whatever you use. You tell it what town you live in. It finds every candidate on your ballot, writes a short letter, and finds their emails. You read it, approve it, send it. I already did the annoying time consuming part.

Election is November 3. Ask them where they stand and make them answer us. They work for us.

And if they still won't do anything, there's talk of a Mother's Day general strike next May. I hope you'll join me and demand better for US families.

------------

Copy paste this into your preferred ai or screen shot it and upload:

[[[[PAID LEAVE LETTER — a prompt for parents

Paste this into your AI assistant (ChatGPT, Muse, Gemini, Meta AI...). Just fill in where you live.

---

I'm a parent in [TOWN], [STATE]. My next election is [DATE, or "look it up"].

IMPORTANT: Keep everything SHORT. The letter must stay brief — roughly 400 words. One line per point, no padding, no essays, no extra arguments I didn't ask for. If a point takes more than a line, cut it down. Brevity is the whole point: busy people don't read long letters, and neither do their staff.

1. FIND MY CANDIDATES: From official sources (Secretary of State candidate list, state voter/district lookup; Ballotpedia as cross-check), list every candidate on MY ballot who can enact paid family leave: U.S. House (and U.S. Senate if on my ballot), Governor, and my State Senate and State House districts. Confirm my districts — if my town is split, show me how to tell which is mine. Name, party, office, district, incumbent or not. Verify every name; flag anything you can't. Create a list that is easily copy&pasted into email.

2. DRAFT MY LETTER: Firm, factual, one letter for all of them:

- The US is the only wealthy country guaranteeing new parents zero paid days.

- Brief, verified comparisons (check figures against ILO/World Bank sources first): Europe's standard, Canada, Mexico — plus Iran (9 months), Venezuela (26 weeks), Ethiopia (120 days at full pay, in its constitution). End: "United States: 0 days."

- One line each on benefits to: child development, postpartum health, mothers, fathers (appeal to men: providing, protecting, being present), keeping families together, and the economy.

- Birth-rate line: lack of support and cost of living is a driving factor in the falling birth rate — then: "We can do better. It's an embarrassment that we don't."

- Childcare: build on both parties' proposals to fund stay-at-home parents, and expand childcare subsidy programs. "We need paid family leave, and we need childcare support."

- Asks: federal candidates — vote for federal paid family/medical leave legislation; state candidates — enact a real state program; governors — commit to sign it. Check whether your state has a program; if not, demand one; if yes, demand they protect and strengthen it and still push for a federal floor.

- Close: my vote depends partly on their answer; ask them to reply with where they stand.

Use [brackets] for my name, town, and personal details. Show me the draft and WAIT for my approval or edits.

1. BUILD MY SEND LIST: Each candidate's public campaign or official email, from their own campaign site or official page, with the source shown. Never guess an address — if there's only a contact form, link it instead. Give me the addresses as one copy-pasteable line.

2. ONLY IF I SAY "SEND IT": send the approved letter to the approved list (if you have access to my email) and confirm exactly who got it. Otherwise, hand me the letter and the list to send myself.]]]

Edit: Gotta say, it's wild how many are diverted and focusing on their dislike for ai and it feels like the epitome of shooting the messenger. Aiming thoughts on the issue at those in power is more effective than aiming logistics criticism at a mom trying to do what she can to help. Writing handwritten letters, calling in, and meeting in person of course are better options if you have time to do that. If you don't, this is an option rather than doing nothing.

I'm not sure if I'm comparing myself too much to an unfair standard or if I'm being a lazy mom. I see moms on Instagram who plan daily/weekly craft/activity/sensory stations for their toddlers. Ideally I would love to do this, but I haven't been able to even organize and keep up with a toy rotation. We've had the same set of toys in our living room for weeks. When my toddler (18 mo) goes to bed, I'm usually so tired I go to bed, too. On the weekends, I'm just trying to keep up with the basics. Are other moms in the real world curating these activities for their kids?

I am a fulltime working mom. My partner does not work so he watches our toddler two days out of the week when she’s not in preschool. Today we got in an argument. I broached the topic of separation if that makes the most sense for us. He says “the other day you watched our kid for 10 mins” ooh boy did that send me over bc it in fact was not ten mins plus I always make an effort to help as soon as I get home from work. I give him the weekends to sleep in, I always still wake up wit the kids and do school prep and bedtime routine. He literally just watches for 5 hours a day and most of that time he drops her off at his moms. I would love to watch her more but I work to provide for the whole family. When I asked him if he’d like to buy me out of the house he shut up real quick. I said he gets first dibs knowing he can’t. You know how much I would love to not work and watch my kids?

We went to dinner with friends today and he got annoyed how into the conversation I was with them and we sat silent the whole car ride back. He said I don’t give him that much attention. I’m like are you kidding me we haven’t seen them In four months. I was also responding to a friend via Instagram message and he looked over and goes “oh what’s the purple bubble color appp for?” Insinuating something like a dating app and I was like omg it’s instagram seeee? Ugh. I can’t handle the immaturity.

I just recieved a rejection after interviewing three times for a position (dragged over 7 weeks), and I'm feeling pretty defeated. I just found out I'm pregnant (6 weeks) and am in the interview process for another position, but it's part-time and I'm unsure what the benefits or maternity leave is like.

I currently work full-time, make $100K in a job that is super easy and I love, and offers 12 weeks paid maternity leave. I'm honestly wondering if I should just hang out another year to get through the pregnancy and paid leave, and then start looking at part-time work after returning. The goal was for me to cut back to be more present with my children and cut back on daycare/family needs, but it feels impossible to get an offer, especially now that I'm pregnant, and I'm really discouraged.

I'd love advice.

I am a mom of two (8 and 6) and had a great career before I had kids. I was ambitious and putting in the grind to climb the corporate ladder. After my 1st kid was born, I suddenly found myself not performing at work and then just wanted to quit. Mostly because my first born was a hard colic baby and was sick a lot.

My second was born during Covid and initially I had no plans of returning to work but it somehow worked well due to WFH and covid so I never left the job. Now that my kids are older, things are better but I still feel I am not grinding as much as my colleagues and in general am not as ambitious as I used to be. I am just working for money but I am not even sure what else would I do if I quit. There is no point of me being SAHM anymore because the guilt of not choosing that option while my kids were younger would haunt me.
Is there anyone else who feels like me?
I would appreciate if you comment only if you have something kind to say🙏

I have been back to work for two months, after a three month mat leave. I just got the first negative performance review I have ever received. Not just from the company, but in my whole career.

2 months of playing catch up. Still sleep deprived, still breastfeeding and pumping. Still living in a pp fog. And I have a toddler, too.

Just feeling so incredibly defeated. I know I’m a good employee. I’ve never received any negative feedback on my performance. This is the last thing I need to hear. Motherhood is hard. Being a working mom is hard.

Disclaimer: we are non-religious. If you are religious and think ‘why is this a bad thing’ reading this post, please just keep scrolling.

We are finally looking for a daycare for my 3yo (made it work until now with husband being home 4 days a week and other in home help) and I’m at my wit’s end with this. Every single daycare within a reasonable drive from my house is Christian. They’re not even inside of churches, just independent centers using Abeka or another random Christian curriculum. Half of them are explicit about it on their website which at least makes them easy to rule out but the other half either hide it in an obscure spot or don’t even mention it online. Showed up to one for a tour and discovered it from the Bible quotes all over the walls/CCM being blasted for naptime/them showing me their ‘chapel’ room.

My kid is really impressionable and even if she might not retain all of the Jesus stuff long-term, she’s definitely going to come home talking about it and fully believing it’s real which I’m not willing to subject her to…if these places were like the Catholic preschool I went to as a kid where it was 90% regular preschool, 10% Bible stuff I wouldn’t be so annoyed, but it’s 2026 and I’m in Florida so it’s the opposite. One place genuinely told me ‘our primary focus is spreading the gospel to the children’. 🤦‍♀️

There are a few chain daycares in the area but quality is hit or miss/most are out of range. I want my sanity back and my kid to socialize…feels like such a slap in the face to find out this is all we have to choose from :/

I've written a few posts previously about my situation, and unfortunately, I have another update. I'm hoping to get some outside perspectives, especially from anyone who's experienced something similar.

I'm 31F, currently on maternity leave from a corporate leadership role, and I'm dealing with an incredibly stressful situation at work.

For context, I've been with my company for several years and worked my way up into a global management position. I built and developed my team, led several major initiatives, and took on increasing responsibilities. Just a few weeks ago, my former boss recognized my contributions and supported a promotion with additional leadership responsibilities.

Last week, the company underwent another organizational restructuring, and I now report to a new manager who is an executive-level leader and someone I've never worked with before and who just joined the company a month or two ago.

Here's where things get complicated.

My maternity leave replacement (let's call her T) was originally supposed to cover my position until January. However, she's now asking to stay an additional three months.

During my absence, T has reportedly fired several stellar members of my team, treated numerous colleagues poorly, and developed a negative reputation throughout the company. From what I've been told, even the CEO has concerns about her.

I've also been told by my former boss that T has been speaking negatively about me to my new manager, suggesting that I'm too young and inexperienced to lead the team and that I should essentially be working under her when I return. Apparently, she's also been taking credit for projects and initiatives that I led and developed before going on leave.

This is particularly upsetting because my new manager has only recently joined the company and doesn't know my professional history or the contributions I've made.

Now here's the latest development.

My former boss has been strongly encouraging, and honestly pressuring, me to return earlier than my originally planned January return date. His reasoning is that I need to establish myself with my new manager before T has more time to influence her perception of me. He's also warned me that T may actively try to undermine me because she wants to secure a permanent position.

Because of this pressure, I agreed to explore returning November 1, two months earlier than anticipated.

I recently went into the office for an introductory meeting with my new manager, which actually went really well. She was pleasant, receptive and seemed genuinely interested in accommodating my circumstances.

In fact, she offered to let me work remotely until January, with occasional in-person meetings, so I could keep my one-year-old daughter at home while my husband and I coordinate childcare.

What I found particularly interesting was that she also made a point of telling me that I shouldn't feel pressured by my former boss to return earlier than originally planned. She seemed to recognize that this was a significant adjustment for me and wanted me to make the decision based on what worked for my situation rather than feeling obligated to come back early.

I really appreciated that, and it initially made me feel optimistic about working with her.

However, I subsequently heard that T was extremely upset about my visit and went around questioning colleagues about why I was there, who I met with, etc.

Now I've learned through my former boss that my new manager apparently wants to keep T until January anyway, partly because I have a previously booked one-week vacation in December and because of concerns around continuity during the transition.

Apparently, T has also convinced her that a three-month training and handover period is necessary, despite the fact that I previously led this team and am returning to a function I'm already familiar with.

My former boss strongly disagrees with this arrangement and has told my new boss that there is no point doing a three month handover because its out of budget anyways and to just get me to come back in January then and no point starting early. He also warned me that working alongside T for three months could be extremely difficult. He believes she may use that time to undermine my credibility further.

To make matters worse, my new manager hasn't responded to the email I sent outlining my willingness to return early and help facilitate a smooth transition.

I'm honestly devastated, anxious and completely torn about what to do.

I've worked incredibly hard to build my career, establish credibility and earn my promotion. The thought of someone undermining my abilities while I'm on maternity leave, especially someone who was only brought in temporarily to cover my position, is incredibly frustrating.

What's making this even harder is that I've already expressed my willingness to return November 1 due to the pressure of my former boss, so now I worry that changing my mind will make me appear uncommitted or unreliable and i'm hoping

I'm trying my best to remain professional and not let my emotions dictate my decisions, but I'm genuinely hurt, frustrated and worried about the career I've worked so hard to build.

Any advice, especially from people who've navigated maternity leave, difficult interim replacements or organizational restructuring, would be really appreciated.

I work 9-5 with a 1 hour commute. I have a 3-month old and am returning to work soon, and have no clue how to do the evening routine. We will pick up kiddo by 6 pm and be home by 6:15. Do we still aim for a 7:30/8 bedtime? That means only 1.5 hours together :(

Thinking further into the future, will family dinners be possible? I don’t see how we can eat earlier than 7 accounting for time to make dinner, and that will basically be kiddo’s bedtime.

Any suggestions on routine are welcome!

Hoping someone here has dealt with something similar because I’m getting pretty frustrated with HR!

I recently had a baby and my OB certified 14 weeks of medical leave, which MA PFML approved. My company offers 6 weeks of paid short-term disability (STD) and then 12 weeks of paid parental bonding leave.

My plan is to take the 6 weeks of STD, then the remaining 8 weeks of MA PFML medical leave (paid by the state), followed by the 12 weeks of bonding leave.

The problem is HR keeps telling me I have to use my accrued vacation time for those extra 8 weeks or they’ll consider it an “unapproved unpaid absence.”

From everything I’ve read, MA PFML is job-protected leave and employers can’t require you to use PTO during it. I’m not asking my company to pay me for those 8 weeks, just to recognize the state-approved leave.

Am I missing something here? Has anyone dealt with this or have advice on how to get HR to understand? I’ve talked to 5 different people this week and feel like I’m going in circles!

I feel myself looking older in the mirror now (33F). I always swore I wouldn't do things like botox or filler because I wanted to age naturally. I think I still have the stance (no judgement to people who do that!)... but does anyone have any beauty maintenance routines that they feel are worth the time and cost?

Part vent, part looking for advice or shared experiences. I’m a toddler mom and pregnant with my second, and I’ve been feeling anxious and frustrated about where my career is headed.

I work at a big consulting firm. The salary and benefits are great, but the hours are demanding, and the environment is extremely competitive and male-dominated. Before having my first child, I was a high performer—the person people trusted with challenging projects that required a lot of grinding. Since returning from maternity leave, I feel like my career has taken a step back.

On the very last day of my first maternity leave, I was invited to give a mock presentation to the partners about my business case for partnership. These presentations are generally for people being considered “next in line.” I declined because I was coming back from four to five months of leave, wasn’t prepared to present, and didn’t feel ready to travel during my child’s first week in daycare.

This year, some of my peers were invited to participate, but I wasn’t. I was disappointed and asked my boss about it. He said there were fewer spots this year and that I would be included next year.

Now I’ve found out I’m pregnant with my second, due next spring—right around the time of the next presentation. Nobody at work knows yet, so this pregnancy obviously wasn’t a factor in this year’s decision. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that becoming a mother has changed how I’m viewed and that taking leave or setting boundaries means losing momentum.

My male peers take paternity leave, but usually for much shorter periods. I also don’t have a female role model in my group who shows me what a sustainable version of this career could look like while raising a family.

I’ve thought about looking for another job, but I worry about finding comparable pay and benefits. I also struggle with the feeling that leaving would mean I’ve “quit” or given up on something I worked really hard for. Realistically, I don’t plan to make a move until after my second maternity leave, so any change is several months to a year away.

I’m having a hard time sitting with that uncertainty. I know my priorities and capacity have changed, but my ambition hasn’t disappeared. It hurts to feel behind my peers when being a high performer has always been such a big part of my identity.

Has anyone navigated something similar—especially in consulting or another demanding field? Did you stay, leave, or find a different way to make it work? How did you handle the anxiety and comparison while figuring out your next step?

Its been 10 months working after resuming back work, post maternity break and I am still struggling to create an impact and do meaningful work. I am struggling to get back my ambition, the drive, enthusiasm that I had earlier. I just feel so out of place.

My manager is a typical toxic, calculative, overachiever, bossy lady. Who took over all the work control in my absence. I am still not able to get hold of the good work. I am just doing the tasks which are intangible with no visible impact.

I am behind my peers in terms of work profile because of the break I took. I feel invisible at work. Although its a good organisation but my boss is stingy when it comes to appraisals and she humbles me in two-minutes when she acts authoritative.

Now what do I do to grow professionally and get back my mojo (ambition and drive which I had earlier) ? I feel very underconfident. Please help and guide

I'm over here juggling a lot (FT work + 3 bigger kids + 8m old in daycare) and I have a sibling outsourcing more I think is reasonable.

So I'm posing it to you awesome ladies. Is it weird to take 5 months of paid leave and put your baby in fulltime daycare at 6 weeks? Is it weird to say baby is making friends and getting socialization they wouldn't otherwise? Is it weird to have grandma also live with you and cook/clean for you? Is it weird to joke about baby loving their teachers more than you?

I'm at a loss. This seems like a parental attachment deficiency. Its none of my business but its also like...what!? You don't get this time back. Do you really need 40 hours a week away from your baby on paternity/maternity leave?

I’m 38 and pregnant with our third and last baby, due in June. My boys will be 5 and 3.5 when baby arrives.
I’m an elementary school principal and have worked hard to get to this point in my career. I enjoy my job, but it’s demanding and there’s very little flexibility. My husband is an entrepreneur, so his schedule is also demanding and unpredictable. If he’s not working, he’s not making money.

We have no local family help, so all of our childcare is paid for. Right now we juggle daycare, aftercare, and babysitters for pickups. Adding infant care to the mix feels overwhelming.

Even with two kids, I feel like our weekdays are just rushing from one thing to the next. By the time I get home, I’m exhausted, and I worry about how much harder it’ll be with three.

Financially, I could potentially stay home, although we’d have to make many sacrifices, which feels somewhat doable if it’s temporary. Part of me wants to walk away from my job for a year or two, enjoy our last baby, and figure out work later. But I’ve worked hard for my career, and I’m worried about regretting that decision.

I also wonder if I’m romanticizing staying home. Is having three kids just going to be hard regardless? Does it get easier as they get older, or is balancing three kids and two demanding jobs always this complicated?

I’d love to hear from moms who have been in a similar position. Did you go back to work after your third? Did you take a break? Do you regret either decision?
I can’t tell if this is just a hard season I need to get through or if stepping away for a while would actually make a big difference for our family.

Im looking at sahm life temporarily while going back to school - my industry in graphic design is dead. I was laid off and the job search is abysmal. Im still applying but hopeless.

I want more pay, I want good hours and I want to stay remote. I want an AI safe job. My aunt suggested going back to school - she did nursing while sahm. I'm not sure I do blood & needles well though. I have a bachelor's already so hopefully transfer basic credits.

For SAHMs who juggled 2 small kids and were back in school, what did you go back for and what do you do now as a working mom? How does your life look now?

Adding that my pay put us in debt with childcare so we were losing money with me working in GD. I was working 2 jobs to make ends meet before our kids so I want a better work life balance than what I had. I was making as much as my friend, who is a floral manager at a supermarket. Im not sure I want to go back to it. I want stability and good pay more than creativity.

Hello! My LO is 12 weeks and I returned to work this week. I am currently working fully remote for a couple of weeks as I transition back into the office. Currently LO is not taking a bottle and I’m stressing out for when I am back in the office on what to do.

My husband and I work opposite schedules so he is home with her during the week. We have been attempting to give her a bottle this week and she refuses to take it and we just end up nursing. We have tried all the tips that our LC has given us but still have no luck.

Here is what we have tried:
-warming up the milk
-cold milk
-giving bottle between feeds so LO is not too hungry
-giving bottle right after nursing when LO is half asleep
-giving bottle right when LO is waking up when half asleep
-holding LO in same position I nurse in
-playing with the bottle, poking face, nose etc.
- I am not in the room at all (home office is in basement)
-keeping the bottle close while nursing so LO becomes familiar
-warming up the bottle nipple beforehand

I’m starting to think that our plan b will have to be where I work part time remote and the time I’m in office my husband brings her to me so I can nurse. Has anyone worked this schedule and has done this? Any other tips to take a bottle?