There’s nothing more exciting than the prospect of 9 months off work!!! 9 whole months to get to know your brand new baby, and go to a café whenever you want during the working week. However, throughout the whole 9 months you can’t help but do a count down. All of a sudden that 9 months turns into 5 months and then 2 months and within a blink of an eye, you’re back at work.

I have to be honest, I was that person who was dreading the return to work. 9 months of being off work, with a dependant and busy little baby. Then all of a sudden your thrown into the reality of being a working mum. In my case, sat behind a desk staring at a bright screen with 8 hours of work to fill. Trust me when I say, its unbelievably hard to focus when you’re powering through with just a couple hours of broken sleep from the previous night because of a teething baby. If you’re about to suggest coffee….It doesn’t work anymore.

Although the above may sound negative, coming back to work has truly been the making of me since giving birth. I had previous conversations with other mums who had already gone back to work and were enjoying the time away from their little creation. But I just didn’t seem to understand why they’d want to be away from their tyke.

I NOW UNDERSTAND!!!

Little did I know that going to the toilet by myself would ever feel so glorious. Walking to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee without a screaming baby nagging to be picked up all the time. Best of it all, I can actually drink my coffee whilst its hot! That’s a luxury I’d completely forgotten about. However, these are very small additions to the reason I’m enjoying being back at work. I finally get to be Hannah again. Hannah is a bright, ambitious and confident human. Somehow babies manage to strip the confidence from you without even realising. Your energy and time focuses on your little human to ensure they have the best start to life. You just forget about yourself. For the time I come to work I can be that “ambitious, bright and confident” Hannah without a little badger crawling and moaning around my feet.

Reflecting now on my 9 months off work, I wish I hadn’t of worried about coming back. I wish I hadn’t of done the countdown, because there actually wasn’t anything to worry about at all. I don’t dread coming into the office anymore, because I actually have time for myself.

So this is a message to all those mums out there who are looking to go back to work….Listen to those other mums who tell you that its great. Because I promise they’re not joking. You’ll get YOU back.