This past January, my husband and I introduced our first baby girl, Georgia, into the world. I worked right up until my due date and planned to use the 8 weeks of paid parental leave that the agency offers following her birth. The time postpartum was challenging and beautiful, and by the time my leave ended I was mostly ready to return to work.
A unique benefit that SARA offers is the Infant-at-Work Policy. This allows parents to bring their new baby into work for the first 6 months of life. The policy outlines the necessity of planning out an attendance schedule, signing a hold harmless agreement, and instructs the parent to appoint colleagues willing to be an alternate care provider in the office if the parent needs to make a phone call or attend a meeting. Having never heard of a policy like this, I was excited to try it out and was surprised to find that I was the first SARA employee to take advantage of this benefit.
Georgia was scheduled to be in the office every other week for 2 days. This felt manageable since my role relies heavily on in-person meetings and frequent phone calls. I was nervous to begin bringing her to the workspace. This work is tough. Hearing heavy stories or responding to crisis situations can be dysregulating. For those reasons, we strive for a peaceful office setting with comfortable lighting, soothing sound machines, and an overall respect for other’s work environments. I wasn’t sure if a crying baby would mesh well into the day-to-day at the office.
Most of the time, having Georgia with me was comforting. The thought of sending our 2-month-old to be cared for by strangers was hard for my husband and I to consider. I was often able to input data and catch up on emails during the days she was in the office. My colleagues enjoyed seeing her and I think it brightened their days when she was in the office.
One of the greatest benefits of this policy was the reduction in stress that my husband and I experienced by knowing that she was well taken care of. We did not have to navigate transportation logistics of day care and were able to save money during the times when finances felt stretched. I was able to bond with her and get to know her more fully with the time spent caring for her.
I know my postpartum experience is unique and quite rare. I felt fully supported in my recovery and adjustment to becoming a parent by many people in my life. The lack of stress in returning to work provided me with the confidence that I can and will be successful in my professional life while balancing parenthood and allowed space for me to navigate the changes in schedules, the minimal sleep, and physical recovery. As a parent in this country, I think it is necessary to plan and advocate for the type of experience that you want as a parent, which is an unfortunate reality that only adds to the multitude of shifts in life once a child enters the world. There is no hand holding or built-in “village.” Those things must be asked for and intentionally organized.
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