Motherhood and Work: How I Started Working a Month After Giving Birth

Hello! My name is Olena, and I am the brand manager of Kevuru Games. I want to share whether it is possible to combine motherhood and work, how to get out of maternity leave a month after the birth of a son, and how the company can help young mothers.

Non-stop Work

I started working in the second year of university, and since then, I have had a break between job changes for a maximum of several months. I am a journalist by education. First I worked in my specialty, and then, as many of my colleagues actually did, I switched to PR and communications. I love what I do, so I never wanted to take a break from work.

I have always been inspired by women who manage to combine career and motherhood, and I dreamed that I could do the same. Therefore, when I found out I was pregnant, I decided that I would work until the birth, and then I would try to return to work as soon as possible. Although I understood that my plan could break down at any moment, because stories about toxicosis and other "joys" of pregnancy did not really contribute to effective work. Fortunately, I felt great throughout my pregnancy, and besides, I had one very important bonus ? the remote work format, so nothing prevented me from working and fulfilling my duties.

When it was time to announce my condition officially, I was ready for any answer: from “ok, congratulations, we continue our cooperation”, to “unfortunately, we must find a replacement for you.” In no case would I be offended by the last reaction, realizing that business is business, and the company needs me as a professional who can effectively perform the assigned tasks. I announced the plans to my manager and we sincerely and openly spoke with her about all the issues that bothered her and me. My vision of the situation was as follows: I work until the very birth, then I take a vacation for a month and a half, and then I try to return to work. Of course, my lead asked me quite rational questions: who will be with the child when I work; can I physically endure everything; whether I will be in touch, and in general, whether I will be effective at work due to sleepless nights and other everyday things. I did not have a clear answer to all this, but I had two unconditional facts.

Firstly, my husband also worked remotely, which allowed him to help me; and secondly, my parents were ready to come and help with everything. So I wanted to at least try. My lead was sympathetic to this and said that she hoped that during the month of maternity leave, I would understand if I could work and after it ended, she would wait for my final decision.

I also had a separate conversation with the HR Lead, who, after welcoming me, said that for them, my case was the first in the last few years, so the HR department developed social support for employees who were expecting a child. In accordance with it, the employee is offered additional vacation days, which can be used immediately after the birth of the baby: for women ? an additional 30 days of paid leave; for men ? an additional 14 days of paid leave.

The company will also pay financial compensation during the first year of the child's life. It was a pleasant surprise for me and I am glad that I started such a tradition. And it was no less pleasant to hear that the company wants to show young mothers that it will support them as much as possible and that they should not worry about their workplace. Because why hide it, we understand modern realities and how difficult it is to find a job after the decree and what stereotypical judgments young mothers meet in interviews.

Such a loyal attitude of the company, I believe, is caused by many factors. And not least because our CEO also has a child, it often happens that he can go to a common call on Friday with his daughter. In general, the company takes care of the children of Kevuru employees ? for example, on New Year's holidays, everyone always receives gifts. Therefore, I think the maternity social package was only a matter of time.

“The Schedule of Tasks per Day and the Timing of Calls Discipline Me a Lot, and I Get More Done When I Work”

As I planned, I worked throughout my pregnancy. I remember how during the day I was still solving some work issues, and at 12 at night I was already on my way to the hospital. At the end of January, I became the mother of a wonderful boy and my maternity leave began, which was supposed to last until the beginning of March. Next, the arrival of the grandfather was planned, who would help with the baby. And everything changed on February 24th. Like most others, we ran away from Kyiv in the early morning. 16 hours on the road non-stop with a child who at that time was only three weeks old was another test. But I am proud of my son, he courageously endured the road. We moved to my parents, away from Kyiv.

For the first two weeks of the war, our company, like everyone else, was setting up processes and dealing with organizational issues. All employees were told that if someone could not work in March (still getting a job in a new place, or there was no technical possibility) they would still receive material compensation. That is, in principle, there was an option not to work for another month. However, I decided that I needed to do something, be morally strong and, if possible, support the country's economy. In addition, the work really distracted me from the constant news scrolling. My days were divided between a work laptop, feeding, and taking care of my son. My parents helped a lot. And the transitional stage in work, when no one yet fully understood how and what would happen next, allowed me to slowly merge into the working mode and adjust my schedule.

Now every month the workload is gradually increasing. The work processes within the company are already fine-tuned, we participate in many global conferences, projects are being released that need to be talked about, and many current tasks appear, because the team is constantly growing.

At some point, I even felt that I was really tired, because it’s very difficult, even with a lot of family help, to work and be a mother of a baby. I realized it was time to take a vacation and slow down a bit. Just be a mom. And those two weeks really helped a lot. I went back to work with renewed vigor. By the way, here I caught a little insight. For some reason, I thought that when I was on vacation, I would have more free time. Spoiler ? no. On the contrary, the schedule of tasks per day and the timing of calls discipline me a lot, and I have more time when I work. No matter how fantastic it may sound.

Work-Mom Balance

For girls considering a quick exit from maternity leave, I want to give some advice from my own experience. The following points helped me a lot in building work-mom balance.

• A desire to work.?This is an obvious fact, but it has a big impact on how things turn out. I have a lot of friends who really wanted to enjoy the maternity leave, give everything to the child, and forget about work for a year, two, or three. This is their choice, which I respect very much. And I also want my choice to be respected. I advise girls who are in solidarity with me not to pay attention to negative things like “You are a careerist, the work may be different, but you won’t return the first years of the child.” No, you are the best mother for your child and do what is comfortable for you and only you want. If you want to work, you have the opportunity for this ? that's great! Your child will be proud of you.
• Support and help.?You can't do without it. No matter how multi-tasking and super-organized you are, without the support of your husband, grandparents, and nannies, you cannot cope. Accept this fact and ask for their help. To prepare formula at night, lull the baby during colic, and walk with a stroller ? if you have someone to rely on, do not be afraid to entrust your baby to them. They are your right hand and only with them, you can also do your favorite work. I am very grateful to my parents, thanks to whom I do not worry about leaving my son during a work call, who will go for an afternoon walk with him.
• Flexible schedule, remote work format, and company loyalty.?These are very important company settings, thanks to which I built my schedule. Yes, I have to be in touch during working hours, but in our company, the main thing is the result and meeting deadlines. I admit that I could not work if I had to visit the office every day. It would be difficult for me to leave my son for the whole day, at least for the first six months for sure. As for the loyalty of the company, here I would like to say that no matter how the puzzles fit into a good picture of your work-moms balance plans, if your management does not share this, unfortunately, nothing will work. Kevuru is sharing this and it's really great.

Finally, I would like to say to all mothers: do not be afraid, it is really possible to start work a month after the decree. Yes, with many conditions. But I am incredibly happy that in such a difficult time, I have the opportunity to work and raise my son.