by Laura Reynolds

Created on: September 30, 2008   Last Updated: October 07, 2008

Can working moms have it all? In other words, can you have a happy, fulfilled family life and still have a successful career outside the home? Stop laughing. No, really. Stop laughing!

New moms find it extremely difficult to cut the ties of motherhood after their first children are born. The oh-so-sweet smell of a new baby is still lingering in their noses when reality sinks in, and money stipulates its back-to-work time. Yes, it's awful. Yes, it's painful. But going to work after having a baby can be and is rewarding.

Here are a few of the high notes:

You get to have a shower every morning. Tell your husband or significant other that it's important to not only be clean in the morning, but to be awake enough in the morning to put on matching shoes.
Being a new mother gives you free reign of showing off your new family addition to anyone who will look. Take pictures all the time, and stick them anywhere you can. Your office, your computer, your phone, your car are all opportunities to see your baby. These are also wonderful welcoming invitations to have others ask about your little one.
Get back into the swing of things at work for a few months. Don't quit, in hopes of finding something or someway to work at home. Look into other avenues if you are able, but odds are you will be better off staying with your current employer at least until you get your next prescription of Zoloft. If you need it, of course!
Call your daycare at least once a day. Many daycares these days have a video camera in your child's room so you can keep an eye on the people watching your baby. Watch it as often as you need to. Call as much as you want. Tuition for these places is high you should get your money's worth.
Coming home. Yes, the highest satisfaction a new mother can get is being able to see your baby's face light up at the sight of you. He or she missed you! Believe it or not, absence does make the heart grow fonder. Even in small doses for babies.

Relax. Pretty soon you will get the hang of it, and you'll be juggling dinner, soccer games, and more babies in stride. It takes time to get there, but you will get there. Cherish every moment you get with your family, and relish in the knowledge that you'll get to have that shower in the morning.

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