Working from home...with a baby?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-12-2013
Working from home...with a baby?
Thu, 07-25-2013 - 12:02pm

Hi everyone!

I'm currently expecting my first child and my work has (very) graciously offered me the opportunity to work from home once my baby has arrived (and after my maternity leave).  I'm so excited to be able to do this, but if I'm perfectly honest, I'm also scared to death! Has anyone here ever worked from home while caring for a young baby?  If so, what tips/suggestions could you give me to make this experience as stress free as possible?  

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-1999
Fri, 07-26-2013 - 2:55pm

Actualy working from home with a young baby really isn't that bad as long as you are free to make your own hours--it might be difficult if you had scheduled phone appts. for ex and the baby started crying to be fed at that point.  Babies sleep a lot and even when they are awake, they are basically lying around.  lol  The difficult time to work at home w/ kids is when they are walking & talking--then it kind of becomes impossible when they are awake.  I am a lawyer and worked out of my home for a while.  I had a room that was an office with a separate entrance from the outside.  I absolutely had to get a babysitter to get any work done and I actually resorted to leaving from the front door and going in the office door so they would think I was gone.

Avatar for mahopac
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-1997
Fri, 07-26-2013 - 4:41pm

It won't be stress-free no matter what.  Just saying. ;)

There's nothing to be scared of with working at home, but much to get used to.  As Musiclover said, you will need someone to take care of the baby.  Forget any ideas you have about holding the baby while you work - you won't get anything done. 

Not to sound like the voice of doom here - but if this is your first, you have no idea what you're going to get, so try to avoid any expectations.  My first baby catnapped for 10 minutes at a time and then would wake up - he never, ever took a 2-hour nap, and even at night he only slept for a few hours until he was several months old.  He stopped napping entirely at 18 mos, and at age 21 he still sleeps less than anyone he knows.  He had colic until he was 4-5 mos old.  He constantly wanted to nurse (not suck on a pacifier).  He was incredibly alert and unbelievably exhausting  On the bright side, he turned out to be highly gifted, but he was a heck of an introduction to parenting!  (I did learn that he wasn't a "normal" baby when I had my second child, who slept through the night within a month and spent the rest of her time drifting in & out of naps and burbling charmingly while awake.  She was a dream baby!)

Avatar for Cmmelissa
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2008
Fri, 07-26-2013 - 5:25pm
That's awesome of them to give you this opportunity! What type of work do you do, and what types of hours are they expecting? I think a lot depends on the circumstances and your own personality. It would be easier to do when they are younger because they sleep more and are happy to be lying around (at least for the most part). Once they become mobile, it's a bit more challenging.

Avatar for lizmvr
Community Leader
Registered: 06-06-2001
Fri, 07-26-2013 - 5:26pm

I don't have children, but I do have dogs and at times leave the house just to not be bothered by them :) I love my dogs, but sometimes they are quite needy, forcing their heads under my hands as I'm trying to type in order to make me pet them or crowding around me while I'm trying to get to a ringing phone. I can't imagine what I would do with a child--obviously I couldn't just leave a baby :)

On the bright side, it's great that your company is seemingly willing to work with you to balance your growing family with your job!

Good luck!


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