Senior editor Ariel Brewster and baby Cal. (Photo by Kate Warren Photography.)
A few months before my mat leave ended, I started feeling pretty overwhelmed. Summer was ending, fall was in the air and my office wanted to know my exact start date. Gulp. It was time to freak out about daycare waitlists, wonder whether I could even leave my son, Cal, with someone else all week, second-guess my plans to return to work full-time, worry about his ever-evolving sleep problems and routines, wonder about daytime weaning, fret about his ability to self-feed and?are you noticing a theme"?generally question everything. I remember peppering my mom friends for advice on the transition and googling, somewhat ridiculously, ?what are the advantages of going back to work.? In hindsight, I was obviously looking for reassurance during such an uncertain time. Well, I went back to work four months ago, and I don?t regret it at all. I?ve been keeping a list for my fellow fretful moms on why it?s been great, both for me and for my kid. Hopefully this will help.
1. Remember that it?s the best of both worlds

In Canada, when it comes to parental leave, we?re super lucky: I got to spend almost a year at home with my baby, being a full-time mom, and then I got to go back to my job and continue my career. If I?d had to go back to work at 12 weeks postpartum, like my American friends, or even at six months, I?m almost certain I would have decided to quit. I just wouldn?t have been able to wrap my...