So, I will be back in the office on May 2nd — next Friday. I’m feeling ready. But also not. It’s going to be really sad to leave A&C, and the pampered/relaxed lifestyle I am currently leading (seriously, it has been wonderful. I will post a day-in-the-life post tomorrow so you can see what I mean).
A few things related to the transition that I’ve been thinking about:
Pumping plans. I’ve built up about 160 oz in the freezer (okay, let’s be honest, I know it’s 157 oz exactly) over the past 2 months of pumping. If I remember correctly, this is a bit more of a cushion than I had with Annabel, but it’s not the 1000 oz that some women are able to accumulate. I am hoping to be able exceed demand for a month or two like I did with A, and then all bets are off.
I’m hoping to pump 3x at work (though some may have to be quickies) in my office, likely at ~9am, ~12pm, and ~3pm. I also hope to pump BEFORE leaving for work, and once at night after C goes to bed. We’ll see if I am able to keep this up. Unlike last time, I am ready to relax my plans without guilt if this proves unsustainable.
Clothes. Yesterday, my SIL asked if I was back in my pre-preg work clothes. I had to think about that, but the answer is: I don’t have very many pre-preg work clothes, really. I did a major closet cleanout before moving, and was already pregnant by the time I started work here. As a result, I’m starting almost from scratch. I know I need to shop, because I don’t want the stress of frantically facing an empty closet each morning. But, at the same time, I’m still not back to my ‘normal’ size — I’m probably one size up in pants, and I need chest-accomodating tops, and so I don’t want to invest in a ton of stuff.
(I’m about 5 vanity pounds above my ‘happy’ weight, and I know I could lose these quickly if I made a conscious effort to stop eating like a truck driver. However, I’m not willing to do that until after PumpFest 2014 is over.)
Routines. I’m trying to figure out how the morning will work. I need to pump before I leave. I’d also love to fit in a ~30 minute workout on a couple of weekday mornings. I’m hoping that Josh will able to be ‘in charge’ of A&C for a bit in the early AM on his clinic days so that this can happen. The only hiccup here is that Mr. C is not going to bed early enough for me to get enough sleep with an early wakeup. I tried just staying up after his 4:30 am feeding on Monday and easily fit in a pump, a run, and had time to spare. BUT then I ended up crashing on the couch by 10 — not an option at work! So, this will be a work in progress for quite some time, I am guessing.
Work projects: Since I’ve had some time to think/catch my breath over the past few weeks, I have a few interesting (well, I hope . . . ) ideas for work projects. In particular, I’m interested in trying some applied positive psychology techniques in the type 1 diabetes population. I’m also excited about developing the med student curriculum (we’re going to have 4th years coming for electives!). At the same time, I know just keeping up with my clinical workload while pumping is going to be a challenge. Hopefully I’ll figure out a way to manage my schedule and not go crazy.
I’m looking forward to: seeing my patients, getting into the ‘flow’ of clinic, adult interaction, feeling productive, having slighlty more control over my moment-to-moment existence.
Not excited about: missing A&C, pumping, being buried in documentation (though I do kind of like figuring out ways to make this as efficient as possible), call (wakeups from C + the phone = ouch)
8 days left. Time to make the most of them . . .
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