u/HiChantelle

I returned from my first mat leave about six months ago. Since then I’ve felt a slow sinking feeling that there’s no way for me to work full time, be a mom, and maintain mental stability. Props to everyone who can do it. I don’t think I can. Add to that that it has been a particularly tough time for everyone at my workplace for the past six months.

Due to that I recently asked to reduce my hours to 30 per week and to take a pay cut accordingly. This would allow me to retain my benefits and give me a little more work life balance.

It seemed like it was going to happen but basically I found out today that my manager and HR have been giving me the run around and now it’s unsure. I’ve made it clear that this is something I need and it wouldn’t make much of a difference for the team in terms of workload so I’m genuinely confused why they would be willing to lose me over something so trivial to them and important to me.

I would really like to stay where I’m at and reduce to part time while I figure out where I go from here but I just don’t know if that will be an option for me anymore.

Hi all,

I’m thinking of making a career change to becoming a postpartum doula and I’m in very beginning stages. I’d really love to do a couple of informational interviews with doulas who have been in this field for a while. Would especially love to chat with folks for whom this was a career change!

I’m in California but can chat over Zoom or phone if that’s easiest. Shouldn’t take more than 20-30 minutes and I would be so grateful for your time!

I am interested in pursuing a career as a CFP and could use some perspective/ opinions from people in the field about whether this is feasible.

I currently work full time in fundraising at a national organization. I became a new mom this year and that change has brought me to the conclusion that I don’t want to continue in fundraising long term. So my goals are twofold with this potential career change: work part-time for the next few years while my child is young and go back to full time work when I can but on a more flexible schedule.

So all that being said, I’m currently working on studying for and passing the Series 65 on my own but am dealing with some self-doubt as to whether this is doable. The alternative might be pivoting into nonprofit accounting work, but that definitely wouldn’t be my first choice.

Basically the title. I’m considering because even with my very flexible full time job right now I’m struggling hard.

Curious to know if anyone else made this move and how it worked out for you!

So I have been working at my dream job for over 2 years now and I returned from my first maternity leave about 4 months ago.

Long story short, I did not want to go back to working full time leading up to the end of mat leave but financially I had no choice. This has been a pretty jarring change because I worked so hard to get this job, the organization has a great mission, and I love the people I work with. I also have a great set-up in that I can work from home most of the time. That being said, it has gotten easier over the last few months but it is still difficult and I have a work trip coming up in a few months that I’m dreading because I don’t want to be away from my baby.

I may have an opportunity soon to move into part time work instead and I do think that would allow me to have more balance but it would be a job and career change (which long term I think I would want anyway). But I want to make sure I’m not jumping the gun.

Was there an amount of time after returning to work that things clicked for you and it got easier?