No!!! my maternity leave is nearly over

I remember thinking this time last year ,only so many weeks until I finish work to start my maternity leave. I had all these plans in my mind of what I was going to do whilst on maternity leave. Ultimately I was worried I would be bored and not know what to do with my time.

How wrong I was since I have been able to drive again we haven’t stopped . Be it seeing friends, going to classes or just going out to get some fresh air. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t take my maternity leave for granted. I think I have done pretty well , we have experienced new things together and also done things that I loved doing before being a mommy. This normally consists of meeting my friend Faye and her daughter and eating cheese and scones !.

When I talk to people about maternity leave they straight away ask me how long I am planning to have off. I have really mixed responses , some people completely agree with my having the full year off and sometime are jealous as they weren’t able to . Then others have the opinion that I’m going to find it really hard to go back to work , I’m just making it a lot harder on myself leaving it so long.

When it comes to going back to work I am excited about it. My employer has been amazing and I couldn’t have asked for more. I am looking forward to being Jess again and not just mommy . To using my brain to its full potential and pushing myself. Before having Ava I was quite carer minded I went from a nursery practitioner to a manager within 3 years of being with the company. I am looking forward to going back to work and being that part of me again . Don’t get me wrong I am going to miss Ava and Mommy days, but I know she will love nursery. She is such a sociable little thing and loves to be around people . If anything I will miss her more than she will miss me.

The other thing I’m getting quite a lot is people’s opinions about how many hours I should be going back to work for . This is still pretty much undecided . The way I think about it is the more I work the better things I can buy for Ava , or even take her on holiday to make more memories. Why would I sit at home with her when I could be at work and she could go to nursery and have the time of her life. Don’t get me wrong she wont be there all day everyday. This I know for sure wont happen .As I have had a baby to look after her myself, not for others to bring her up.

I know everyone says that it goes too fast make the most of it. It’s the truth one day you have a little baby. Then in a blink of an eye you have a child that is pulling herself up and trying to walk !. So make sure you use your maternity leave , If you can have the year off make the most of it.

What’s been the best thing about maternity leave for you ?.