I head back to work next week and I feel very sad to be away from baby and leave her with other caregivers. How do I get past the working mums guilt? (And separation anxiety). And yes, I have already installed a baby monitor. :)

Firstly, well done on installing the baby monitor! What you're feeling is completely normal. Separation is an important part of attachment. It’s healthy for your baby to be taken care of by multiple caregivers. As humans evolved, we parented in communities, passing our kids around and sharing the responsibilities. Allowing kids to trust and be cared for by other people only boosts their feeling of community and sense that the world is a safe place. My husband took two weeks off after I went back to work. I highly recommend this, because while I was getting used to the new routine, at least I didn't have to worry about the baby being in a new environment. Then, after two weeks at work, I was better able to transition into dropping her off at daycare. I think it is also very important to choose a daycare center close enough to your office so you can visit during lunch. If you can find a caregiver who will send you photos and texts during the day, it’s amazing how much better you’ll feel about leaving your child. The picture of your baby smiling in the park will do wonders to relieve any feelings of worry you have about how your child is coping in someone else’s care. All the best on your return to work. Remember to have fun, keep checking on baby (it's okay to), and give yourself some time to adjust. Hope this helps!

My best friend is a first time mommy and her maternity leave ended early March, She sent her son to infant care because both her parents and in laws are working. I asked her how she felt about the whole situation and naturally, she's a bit sad and feels guilty having to leave her son in the care of strangers at such a young age. But sad or not, she understands the reality of being a mother in this day and age, and channels her emotions into powering through the day. She says her time management skills have improved significantly because she wants to get home on time every day to be with her son. Also, she is relieved that her infant son is too young to understand separation anxiety and only she has to go through it. I always thought that maternity leave in Singapore is too short compared to countries like Sweden where moms get up to a year and dads get about 6 months of parental leave. I always assume that separation anxiety had to do with the amount of time parents have with their child. But I've seen my friends who are parents here in Sweden feeling the same blues despite spending much more time with their babies. They say the same thing too, they power through their work days and relish the thought of spending time with their children after work :)