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Initially, I approached working momhood with a sort of naïve
optimism. I happily planned to have a baby and, buoyed by
maternal fulfillment, transition seamlessly back to my job—
combining work and family life with Zen-like grace. Or
something like that.

And those all-consuming first few weeks after the birth of my
son, the plan still felt right. I was both madly in love with him
and secretly thrilled I had a job to escape to after maternity
leave. I remember one night during a 3a.m. feeding actually
fantasizing about being back at work. The computer waiting
patiently on my desk. The meetings where nobody cried,
pooped, or spit-up. My colleagues (such an adult word!) milling
about the halls, chatting about world events and philosophy. (I
said it was a fantasy.) I was nostalgic for the safety of the
known career world.

But as my son grew more interactive and the every-2-hour
overnight feedings gradually improved, newborn chaos was
replaced by a new sense of coziness. I was getting the hang
of this new mom thing, resting enough to feel actual emotions,
and successfully leaving the house with baby-in-tow. My
glorious, newfound mom/life balance suddenly felt threatened
by an impending work schedule that would wildly disrupt our
peaceful world order.

So I did what any mature career gal with hard-hitting problem-
solving skills would do: completely panic. I laid awake at night
mentally debating work arrangements that would allow more
access to my son while still paying the bills. I considered
freelancing. I thought about asking to work from home. I
contemplated every variation of flextime and part-time
scheduling, from half-days to job sharing. I woke up at the
crack of dawn and scratched out the pros and cons of all my
potential options, devising plans for negotiating with my boss
and making mini-family-budgets along the edges of the paper.
I was a woman obsessed.

And that’s when the idea for this book was born. “You should
really write this stuff down,” a friend suggested as I described
the myriad work options I was considering. “Maybe you could
make a magazine article out of it.” Or a book, I thought in a
freakish moment of postpartum clarity. I sure couldn’t find one
to help navigate all the challenges of my new mom reality—from
transitioning back to work to finding quality childcare that didn’t
require taking out a second mortgage.

And despite my obligatory stockpile of parenting books, none
offered what I really wanted—those nuggets of wow-that-
makes-life-easier parenting wisdom without all the filler. Expert
tips for helping my son sleep through the night without the 300
pages on infant REM cycles. Practical help, like a
comprehensive life-with-baby shopping list. And maybe some
mom-tested advice more current than my Girlfriend Guide’s “real
fashion secret” for pregnancy: stirrup pants.

Ultimately, my company (an Internet start-up) downsized (there’
s a shocker) towards the end of my leave, eliminating any hope
for a flexible work arrangement and sending full-timers’
workloads into the stratosphere. So, I decided to do the
freelancing thing with gusto, over time give this book a shot,
and see where life led. I’d been managing a team that
developed parenting and other content for the Web, and after I
pushed an 8 pound 10 ounce person out of my body, a bigger
writing project began to seem doable.

I set out to create the resource I really needed (and answer
the wide range of questions I had) when my son was born,
using a concise, easy-to-execute format that is as fun to read
as it is useful. I talked to new moms in every work
arrangement imaginable, interviewed experts in fields from
newborn sleep to childcare logistics, and pulled from my own
wild and wacky—and probably very typical—experiences.

I also contacted Dr. Allison Nied, a great New York City
pediatrician and friend, and suggested a collaborative project.
She had the M.D.; I was living in the trenches of Babyville. Dr.
Nied loved the idea of a year one book for working moms, and
she provided detailed input on every chapter—even the career-
related ones (she’s a working mother herself). All infant care,
feeding, sleeping, health, development, and safety content
comes with her expert seal of approval, and many of Dr. Nied’s
quick tips are highlighted throughout the book.

And here we are. This book has been such a fun challenge to
write; I really hope your find it helpful. And after reading it, I
hope you feel even more supported and confident in your new
role.