Yesterday i had my first shift back at work after 9 months on maternity leave.  I must say, everyone at home coped better than i expected- hubby coped, Imogen fed from her bottles and the kids behaved, there was even some washing and dishes done! Luckily for me, I had a shift that involved a lot of thinking and behaviour management (as I was caring for a teenager with post illness organic psychiatric disorder that required 2 staff to care for her) otherwise I would have been thinking about home all day.  I pumped milk in the handover room during morning tea and lunch break, it brought back memories of doing the same 3 1/2 years ago for Charlotte and Lachlan.  I brought my bottles of milk back to the staff room fridge and one of the girls put her hand over her coffee and we shared a joke- the funny things working mums have to do!