Mommy Wars

I probably have nothing new to say about the divide that takes place between women who return to the workplace, after having children, and those who stay at home and raise them as their primary vocation. This isn't going to stop me from writing about it.

I returned to work 10 weeks past-partum and was fortunate to have a number of co-workers who had already been down the road that I traveled that morning: leaving my sweet innocent babies with someone who probably knows more about babies than I do and is seriously underpaid. While eating lunch and resisting the urge to bolt out of the office, throw our wonderful nanny out into the street, and take my babies into bed and cuddle with them, I answered for the millionth time the really difficult question of whether I was sorry to be back at work.

Truthfully? Yes and No. I was glad to return to work. I like what I do for a living. I like being out of the house and having a chance to miss my children. But having to return to work so soon is inhumane. Primarily because I had to get back into my work clothes already or buy new ones, which we cannot afford. (Putting my maternity clothes back on is out of the question).

I think that this is where the real divide starts between moms who return to the office and those who don't. Stay at home moms can stay in sweat pants until they fit into their work pants. At 11 weeks post partum, they never have to put on support underpants and then support hose and then a suit, which cuts into their lycra clad waistline, and heels and then go to court and argue a case. After which they sit huddled in their car in the parking lot and pump breast milk. And I hate them.