Cindy

Droog

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February 4, 2008

Gentlease Eases the Blow for Baby, But I’m Still Going Gently Into that Long Work Day

The dreaded week has come. And as I head back to work from maternity leave, I think I need a plan similar to the one my baby’s pediatrician recommended for his fussiness and intestinal trouble. She suggested we temporarily switch formulas to one called Gentlease. Apparently, it’s easier to digest.

When it comes to “lessening the blow” so to speak, I also think a Gentlease program should be a staple for new moms everywhere as they return to work. Thankfully, the baby’s troubles made perfect practice for me.

It all started with a phone call to the smart people. When my son’s gas was keeping him up all night, I called his doctor. I desperately needed her advice, as well as some sleep. I’ve had a baby before, but I only remembered the easy stuff. I forgot what to do with extreme intestinal issues.

Before going back to work, I also called my boss. You see, in the last 12 weeks, I’ve forgotten how to play corporate politics. I needed his advice. “How do I respond to this questionable e-mail from the legal department again? Oh yeah, right! Now I remember – they’re always right!” 

“What about the multiple – and progressively angrier – voicemails that have been on my phone for three months from a distributor who apparently didn’t listen to my outgoing message about being on maternity leave? Oh yeah, apologize! That’s the ticket!”

Before Gentlease came along, my son was also prone to twitching and clenching his fists in pain. Maybe he gets that from me, as I’ve been known to do that in unnecessarily long meetings. Somehow I doubt that a powdered, milk-based mix added to water will help me like it did him.

Instead, I’ll remember what I did all of those nights when I had to rock my son for hours to ease the pain. I wanted to cry. I wanted to close my eyes. Instead, I put on my “Mommy poker face,” also known as the big “it’s all going to be all right” smile. I can do that at work, too. I might be a little out of practice with my “meeting poker face,” but just like riding a bike, I should be able to perfect the skill again within a few weeks.

Now that my son is on his Gentlease program, he is also more relaxed. Somehow, now that I have two young children at home, I think being calmer at work will come a little more naturally to me, too. After all, home will be busier than work on most days. And let’s be honest. Work just went down another notch on the priority ladder, too. So he and I should both sleep better at night. 

Finally, before Gentlease, I got a ton of exercise walking back and forth between my bedroom and the nursery all night long. It’s a good thing. I’ll now be better prepared for work. Because I need a ton of energy for when I walk from my cubicle to a meeting, back to my cubicle, down to the vending machine, back to my cubicle, over to the next meeting, out to the car where I left my power cord, back to my cubicle, down to my boss’s office, back to my cubicle, then over to the late meeting.

There is just one problem that I don’t think any Gentlease program can solve for me like it did for my son. He no longer burps or has gas from eating his formula. But as a crazy busy mom, I still have to eat the food in our corporate cafeteria. So, no such luck for me.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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