You would absolutely love to spend every waking hour with your baby. Unfortunately, obligations necessitate the need for you to go back to work outside the home.  Or you may have a career you’ve worked hard for and want to balance mother-hood and career.

Here are a few options you can consider if you feel unprepared to return to work:

If you have the option of returning to your former employer inquire about working part time or telecommuting.  With telecommuting you could work out of your home doing the same or similar position you did prior to your maternity leave.  Of course if you were a server in a restaurant telecommuting would not work.

Perhaps you can change your hours to work around a spouse’s schedule.  Some employers may allow you to work four ten-hour shifts.  You won’t know if they are willing to work with you unless you ask.

Start looking for child care as soon as you know you will be returning to work.  Ask friends with young children for referrals. While price and location are considerations they should not be top priority. You are hiring someone to care for your baby; therefore you will need to conduct in-home interviews to find the best provider.

Once you return home from your job outside the home your second shift begins – caring for baby, spouse and the house.  That alone is a full time job.  Add outside employment to the mix and you will begin to wonder if you will ever get an eight hour night of sleep again!

Don’t try to be Super Mom. Accept offers of help. If someone says “let me know if there is anything I can do” – then let them know. Have them come over for 2-3 hours so you can take a nap or a bath.  Let them cut the grass, shovel the snow or take older children to events.

Balancing a career and a family can be quite an undertaking.  However if you learn to pace yourself and accept aid from others, you will be much better off to parent your child.

Teething normally occurs in babies between the ages of six and nine months. Some common symptoms of teething include cranky moods, swollen gums, drooling, fever, and excessive biting on objects.

You should expect your baby to be fussy, as her gums are in an extremely tender state during the teething process. She might even refuse to eat or take her bottle if she is uncomfortable or in pain.

Here are some common baby teething remedies that will help ease your baby’s discomfort:

* Rub his gums with your finger. Remember to wash your hands before doing so.

* Soak one end of a clean bath cloth in water. Place the wet cloth in a refrigerator. Once chilled, let your baby bite or suck on the cold cloth.

* Chill a teething ring or teething toy in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Let your baby chew on the cold toy.

* Offer your baby a frozen banana (with adult supervision). Be sure to freeze the banana thoroughly before giving it to your baby. Cut the banana in half to make it easier for your baby to hold.

* Use an OTC (over the counter) teething gel. These gels are specially formulated to be safe for your baby. Read and follow the instructions on the package carefully before applying the gel to your baby’s gums.

* Administer Tylenol or Motrin, for pain and fever as recommended by your pediatrician. If your baby has trouble sleeping at night, consider giving them a dose of pain medication just before bedtime.  If you’re unsure of what pain medications to give your baby, make sure to check with your pediatrician first.