Working at Home with a Newborn

Those first weeks after the birth, you are just worn out and tired and it can be pretty difficult to get anything done. If you run your own home business, though, you will probably find that you have to get things done anyway. Here are a few tips to make it work.

• Sleep when the baby does. Yes, even if you have a big pile of work. Since newborns don’t sleep for long periods of time, you need to get your rest when you can. A worn out mommy isn’t good for working or parenting.

• Wear your baby. Using a normal baby carrier is best if you work at the computer, since a sling can get in the way. Or wear your baby in a sling on your back. This keeps the baby nice and content while you can continue to work.

• Get a swing or bouncy seat . . . or better yet, both! Movement calms fussy babies and if you find yourself up against a deadline with a colicky infant, that bouncy chair will become your new best friend! Swings are even better, just make sure it’s one that lies down since a newborn can’t sit up in a swing designed for older babies.

• Accept help. If someone offers to take the baby for an hour, let them. Even if it’s your mother-in-law. I wouldn’t do this all the time, but the truth is, it isn’t possible to work and care for a newborn without a bit of help. You can use the free time to either work or sleep . . . you decide.

• Write everything down. Those post-pregnancy hormones combined with lack of sleep can drain your brain. To avoid forgetting things, keep a notepad handy and write down deadlines, ideas and projects on it. It can also help to plan your day out ahead of time.

• Be prepared for major changes. If you worked at home before the baby, you’ll want to jump right back in, but it doesn’t work that way. Just accept that you will be running at a much lower capacity for a while and decide that it´s ok. After all, the important thing is to be with your baby. Make sure you schedule time to just play and spend time admiring those tiny toes, it can be too easy to miss things when you are frustrated about not being able to work when you want to.