Luxembourg is an amazing place to start a family. You get long parental leave to spend quality time with your baby, plus thorough medical check-ups and generous family and birth allowances. When you’re ready to go back to work, you’ll have two 45-minute breaks each day to breastfeed or pump. And to top it off, there’s financial support for childcare, making the return to work much easier.
We fell pregnant in February 2023, I am lucky enough to have a supporting team at work who were not only excited for us but were involved in each exciting step of the journey.
Each month, after every medical appointment (and in Luxembourg, there are a lot of checkups), I would return to the office and shout, “We’re having a baby!” Everyone would cheer and laugh, making it such a joyous moment to share. I also made sure to send a picture of the scans in our group chat for those who weren’t in the office so they could share our happiness.
In Luxembourg, we are fortunate to have 5 months of maternity leave – 2 months before the due date and 3 months after. Then there are a few options for parental leave. I decided to take the full 6 months of parental leave, making it a total of 11 months out of the office.
Darren and I had a heartfelt conversation about this, and he showed genuine care and understanding. He gently encouraged me to take the full leave, saying, “I want what’s best for you. I’d much rather you take the full 11 months to focus on your family and come back refreshed and ready to dive in, than struggle to balance work and home life too soon.” His empathy really touched me – Darren has a gift for seeing the bigger picture and putting people first.
During these 11 months I kept in touch with the team through our group chat. Someone once suggested I put the chat on silent during my absence, but I genuinely didn’t want to miss out. I wanted to stay involved with the team on both a business and personal level, and I’m so grateful we use our chat daily. It really helped me feel part of the team! Every month, I would send a picture of our baby so the team could see him grow and change, keeping them involved in our lives as well.
Then, the big day arrived—my first day back at work. It felt like the first day of school after summer holidays. I treated myself to a new notebook and pencil case, and I had butterflies in my tummy from the excitement of seeing my colleagues again. My biggest worry was, “How is my brain going to manage?” (Baby brain is very REAL!) But, as it turns out, it’s just like riding a bike. I may not be as sharp as I was pre-pregnancy, but I am definitely more eager to get the work done.
Here’s some wise advice I’d like to share: Don’t cut yourself off from your colleagues. Even if you have just one person you get along well with, that connection can make your return to work easier. 11 months is a long time, and the work world keeps turning even when you’re not there. Also, go easy on yourself. Sleep deprivation and baby brain are tough, so manage expectations and be honest with your team. You’re not the same person you were before, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.