Not An April Fool’s Day Joke

Something I haven’t had the chance to share here (until now) is that starting today, I’ve got a new job. Yeah, I know, I didn’t really mention anything before today, but that was mostly because I wanted to make sure it was a done deal before shouting it to the heavens.

It’s not that I disliked my other job, because the truth is I really do like mother/infant nursing. I was less comfortable with labors, but I think I rocked the mother/infant part of my job. But it was an hour-long drive. And the 12 hour shifts left me feeling drained, so that even on my days off I felt like sleeping all the time.

More importantly, we’re working to get Cordy involved in more activities and social skills classes. Which requires a lot of after-school time. And money. In my old job, I had to leave for work soon after Cordy got off the bus, leaving no time for these extra activities. Aaron would then take over care of the girls in the evening. It’s hard to take Cordy to therapy when Mira doesn’t appreciate being dragged along.

So it was a hard choice, but an opportunity presented itself that I couldn’t refuse. My new position is here in Columbus and is a short drive from my house. It’s eight-hour days. And it pays much better. In all, it provides everything we need at this time. If I’m going to work full-time, then I might as well make sure it’s the perfect fit for me and my family, right?

I’ll also still be working with moms and babies, only in a less hands-on manner. I’m going to be one of several nurses working on a support hotline for new parents, where parents can call or e-mail with any infant feeding questions, be it breastfeeding, formula feeding, or solids. I’ll know more after my first day of orientation today, but so far everything about this new initiative sounds awesome, and I’m hoping it’ll be a huge success.

Sure, I’ll miss the hands-on care I enjoyed in a hospital setting, and I’m planning to find some occasional work on a mother/infant unit to keep my clinical skills from getting too rusty. But I don’t feel bad about this job change – it was necessary for my family and for me, and everything fell into place so quickly that it felt like it was meant to be.

Wish me luck on my first day!

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Comments

  1. Good luck today!

  2. Congratulations! Good luck!

  3. Congrats and good luck!

  4. Meg @sleepynewmommy says

    That’s wonderful news! I hope that you have a great day today and that it all works out well for your family. Congrats!

  5. Anonymous says

    I want to know how you scored that job! And please promote breastfeeding. And discourage bottle propping. And putting anything besides baby milk (breast milk or artificial baby milk) in the bottle. Who are these people I see giving their kids Pepsi in bottles?

  6. Anonymous says

    Congratulations! It sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you and your family! Way to go!

    lisajay99

  7. Best wishes on your new adventure!

  8. MN RN Mom says

    Congratulations! I’m still struggling balancing the nurse gig with the kid and the needed $, working evenings on a TCU and looking for a hospital job. It’s steady work for the last year, but it’s been tough on the marriage and the $$ have not been great. I did phone work for 10 years before I became a nurse – not going back -although your new job sounds fun! Best of luck!

  9. girlie you know I am excited and wish you well.

    you will rock!!

  10. Just b/c you won’t be seeing people in person does not mean you won’t make a difference. I used the booby hotlines with both my kids. Have just recently contemplated using them again with my four month old since she weighs in at the 25th percentile. Yes, she breastfeeds, no we don’t suppplement, etc etc. I’m all about the sympathy and wisdom available on the babyfeedingline! So yay for you and yay for the opportunity to do what is right for your family!

  11. I’ve called those hotlines to talk about drugs I might take while breastfeeding and things like that, and they were important assets in decision making when I was feeling insecure. It may not be clinical work but it is still important, and your mommy work is more important, so rest easy! You are doing the right thing!

  12. It sounds like a good change for you guys. Good luck! I hope it all works out the way you need it to!

  13. It sounds like it will be a good change for you and your family. Sometimes it’s hard to make the choice between these things but more time with the family is always good! Congratulations and I hope it went well!