Introducing Diana, a self employed Marketing Officer, working remotely from BubbaDesk at our St Leonards location. Diana is a mother to a 12 month old.
Can you share some specific ways in which BubbaDesk has supported you in your transition into motherhood over the past year?
BubbaDesk enabled me to return to work as early as 5 months post-partum, without having to give up any of the things that were really important to me and my being the mom I wanted to be to Gracie – like continuing to breastfeed, and being involved in her day-to-day routine. While I had a desire to return to work to find a little bit of my old self again, I still wanted to be there for all her milestones, both the celebratory type, like her first step, as well as the challenging ones where the new world she woke up to suddenly felt overwhelming because of a big development. BubbaDesk gave me the best of both worlds.
How has having access to a team of nannies through BubbaDesk impacted your ability to balance returning to work while still providing the care you wanted for Gracie?
I had started thinking about returning to work when Gracie was about 4 months, but couldn’t figure out how it could practically look. Being from South Africa and not having any immediate family close by, we didn’t have the support system that some may have and I didn’t want to send Gracie to regular day-care at such a young age. So, while I had considered starting to work again, it didn’t feel like it was a possibility. Then one day, a mom in my mother’s group mentioned BubbaDesk – I booked a tour for the very next day and a week later we were doing a trial day and then consistently coming from then on. It was the perfect answer to me being able to do a few hours work each week and still be there for Gracie, every minute of the day that she needed me.
In what ways do you feel BubbaDesk has helped you maintain your sanity during the challenges of early motherhood?
I didn’t find the transition into a motherhood an easy one. And being at home on my own with a baby all day, was not something that came naturally to me. I mourned my life pre-mom – one that had a career and was filled with hobbies and freedom to do what I wanted, when I wanted. I felt the weight of my baby girl’s complete reliance on me heavily. And while Gracie and I are blessed with the best, hands-on husband and natural dad, there’s still a level of responsibility that just hits differently when you’re the mom. BubbaDesk took a little bit of the day-to-day load off my shoulders so that I could take a breath, do something for myself and then in turn actually be a better mom to Gracie during the times where it was just her and I. The nannies at BubbaDesk became what felt like our extended family helping us along.
Could you elaborate on how you’ve managed to incorporate breastfeeding and hands-on parenting while utilising the services provided by BubbaDesk?
I’ve been able to continue breastfeeding Gracie as I would have if I’d stayed home and not returned to work – how fortunate! Having the opportunity to give the nannies Gracie’s schedule for the day when we arrive, enabled them to mirror what I usually do at home and then they would just send me a message via the app after she woke from her naps so I could go up and feed her. In the early days, I would pop up multiple times a day and spend a bit of quality time with Gracie in the beautiful play area. It was so wonderful to be able to be up there and see her interacting with the other kiddies, the nannies and all the fun activities she got to experience that were different from what we have at home. As my work became busier and Gracie older, I would go up less often as I found it could sometimes disrupt her in a bad way, but I would still often pop up and spy on her through the glass…it was a great way to take a quick break between meetings. 😉
Reflecting on your experience with BubbaDesk, what advice or insights would you offer to other mothers who may be facing similar struggles or challenges in their journey into motherhood?
Use the help that’s available to you! You’ll be a better mom for it. BubbaDesk has literally been the perfect complement to my and Gracie’s journey. I couldn’t imagine that it wouldn’t be for anyone else, but the great thing is that you can give it a try and if it doesn’t give you what you’re looking for, at least you tried. It’s the most incredible concept and has been lifechanging for Gracie and I.
As you transition away from your regular BubbaDesk schedule due to your husband’s parental leave, what aspects of your routine or support system do you anticipate missing the most?
Just like I mourned my pre-mom life when Gracie was born, I know that I will mourn this phase too. As they say, you’ll have many “firsts” as a mom and many “lasts” and both are equally as difficult. I feel quite emotional thinking about the fact that this week, as I write this, will be one of those “lasts” as we say goodbye to our regular BubbaDesk routine. I will miss:
- Gracie’s display of excitement with kicking legs, smiles and squeals as we walk through the car park into the pram parking as she realises where we are…the squeals increasing with every step we take up to the play area.
- The look on her face when we go around the corner and her eyes lighting up when she sees the nannies and the little friends she’s made. And then the nannies saying that they heard her coming up the stairs. 🥰
- The ability to pop in and spend a few minutes with her at any time of day – or watch her sleeping sweetly on the camera from the work area downstairs.
- The moment at the end of the day when she sees me, takes a few steps of excitement towards me and then turns around and heads in the opposite direction as if she’s torn between coming home with me and staying in this magical space with friendly faces and endless fun.
- The wisdom and insights I got from the incredible nannies while spending time with Gracie and them in the play area.
PS – my husband is definitely planning to spend some time at BubbaDesk while he’s on parental leave too! 😊 He came a few times in my place when I had offsite work commitments and loves being here too.
Looking back on your journey with BubbaDesk, are there any memorable moments or experiences that stand out to you as particularly impactful or transformative?
When Gracie was 8 months old, we went back to South Africa for a month and upon returning, she was a very different baby to what she had been before – solids were a big part of her routine by then and suddenly there was an element of separation anxiety that we hadn’t experienced before.
The first week we were back, I remember walking home from BubbaDesk and calling my husband and saying, “I don’t think BubbaDesk is going to work anymore”. I was distraught. I couldn’t picture my life without it, but it didn’t feel like it was working anymore.
Gracie, who was always a great fan of solids, didn’t want to eat when the nannies tried to feed her and each time I left the play area, she would get so upset. It broke my heart. I felt like I was spending more time up there with her, trying to get her to eat and trying to get her to settle, than I was at my desk.
Then through a few conversations with the nannies (who are way more experienced at any of this than I am) and thinking things through, I just let go of trying to fix it all. I left her to figure it out with the nannies and literally within a couple days, she was eating as usual. The nannies also helped me to understand the best way to leave the play area to get her used to me leaving and coming back, and within a few days, I would leave, wave goodbye and she’d be completely fine.
She’s been through many milestones during the time that we’ve been at BubbaDesk and each time, there may have been a little bump in the road where we needed to find our new normal again, but with the help and guidance of the nannies, we’d always figure it out and find our happy balance again. A pre-curser to all the changes and adaptions we’ll have to make going forward, as things continue to change, but as I’m slowly learning, that’s parenthood. I just wish I could pocket the nannies and lean on them for things in the future! 😊
In what ways do you think BubbaDesk has contributed to your overall well-being, both as a mother and as an individual?
I know this may sound extreme, but I wouldn’t be where I am today if it hadn’t been for BubbaDesk. Something would have had to give – either my mental health or my hands-on approach with Gracie. I will be forever thankful that in the end neither of those had to give, because BubbaDesk gave. It gave me space and capacity and support. Support that I needed to keep giving Gracie what I wanted to give her, while looking after myself and my mental health too.
If you were to sum up your experience with BubbaDesk in a few words or a sentence, what would you say?
In April 2023, two people were born, my precious daughter, Gracie, and Diana, mom of Gracie. The second person I was less prepared for. BubbaDesk gave me time and space to first just accept the fact that I was a mom and then it enabled me to be the mom I wanted to be.
While I have not experienced regular day-care yet, my guess is that I won’t feel as much part of Gracie’s life at day-care as I have felt here at BubbaDesk. It feels like the nannies know me really well too, and they know me and Gracie together, because they’ve spent a lot of time with us together. I’m so grateful to have had this experience, particularly as a first-time mom, second guessing myself every minute of every day.
