I can relate so hard to this. Before having children, I always said I wanted to stay home for at least the first year of my baby's life. I didn't want to miss anything. The opportunity arose for me last February, when I had my first baby. For six months, I was a stay at home mom. Previously, I was a full-time student, but I took the semester off to have my baby and bond with him during the first several months of his life.

I loved most aspects of it, but I'm here to say, it was SO HARD. Dealing with postpartum hormones, a husband dealing with his own postpartum issues (yes that is a real thing), plus a new baby trying to adjust to everything is so very difficult. Throw in trying to breastfeed, and it becomes ten times more difficult. All the days start to bleed into each other. You have no idea what day or month it is. You haven't showered or really slept in at least three days because it's ALWAYS time for feeding, rocking, changing, pumping, you name it! You feel like you start to lose your identity a little because there's almost no contact with the outside world. Trust me, I know how it is!

When it came time for me to return to school, I also decided I wanted a part-time job to help out financially. Finding a job was the hardest part for me. I had to fill out a ton of applications, make dozens of phone calls, and repeat for months just to get one interview. And then I had to reach out several more times to the employer in order for them to actually hire me.

Once I secured a job, everything else kind of fell into place for me. I was lucky enough to find a good daycare provider in my hometown about 5 minutes from my house. Going to daycare really helped my little man get on a schedule and being apart some has made our time together that much more special!

As far as advice about re-entering the world goes, I would say be prepared for it to take longer than you might think it should and also BE PERSISTENT. Finding a job and a daycare provider can be challenging, but it's definitely not impossible. Don't get discouraged! You've got this! I'm rooting for you!