If you were a work from home baddie before getting pregnant, or wanna do a career shift to be able to work from home after having a baby, this episode is for you. Today, we are talking about tips and tricks to working from home while being a full-time parent, and ways to have it all, the career, the kids, and your sanity.

Thanks for joining us. This is Newbies. Welcome to Newbies. My name is Kaile Garcia, and I'll be your host today. If you haven't already, be sure to visit our website at newmomymedia.com. There, you can find more information about the episodes we release each week, blog posts pertaining to the episodes, and bios for our experts.

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Mouthful, we revamped everything. We have a great expert today, like I mentioned earlier. We are talking about working from home, so Ashley Harris is here with me. Yay. Thanks for joining us. Please tell us where you are located- Yes ... and who's part of your family. So hi, everyone. My name is Ashley. I am located just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, in Indian Land, South Carolina.

And I am a single mom, and my family is just me and my daughter, Sophia. She's eight years old. Yay. I'm so excited to have you on. We will dive all into today's topics, but first, let's take a quick break. Welcome back. We are discussing working from home tips for the new mom. So first, you have a little bit of an older daughter.

Love that. My kids are three and just turned one, so I'm still in the trenches, and working from home. It's a lot. Dad's here- Mm-hmm ... watching them right now, which is so helpful. But how was your journey to become a parent? I wanna hear about your pregnancy, your birth, and then eventually working from home, you know?

How was that?

Yeah, so pregnancy ch- like, the whole journey was completely unexpected. So I had actually recently been diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma, which impaired my fertility, so to speak. So my body actually thought it was pregnant. So I had irregular periods. I was lactating. I was, you know, just going through all of these symptoms and trying to figure out what was going on.

And so by the time I was diagnosed, they were like, "Yep, you'll have problems getting pregnant. You'll need to be on medication. You'll probably have to be treated for several years." And honestly, I got pregnant within months of that diagnosis. So it was definitely quite,, the surprise. So it was a huge learning curve for me, trying to navigate not only this new diagnosis, but also being an unexpected new parent.

I had postpartum depression after she was born. I was navigating being a working mom in the emergency room, working 12-hour shifts, morning, night, evenings. It was really all over the place. So it was definitely a transition for me. But eight years later, and she's still definitely the biggest thing that I am proud of.

Oh, I love that so much. That's such a... I mean, motherhood's wild, and I feel like ev- we're in a new generation, right? The mothers who were mo- like, our parents, totally different parenting. And so I love that the women now can basically almost do it all. So what made you switch? You said you were working in the ER.

What made you switch to eventually becoming a work-from-home parent? Yes. So I think m- a lot of people can attest to this. It was COVID. I started working in home... Yes, COVID. It was life-changing, altering for a lot of people. But around that time, I actually left the emergency room for obvious reasons. Working those crazy shifts just did not work for me as a mom to a, a young child.

So I started this, , home health, position, and 2020 was just so unpredictable. I was going in and out of patients' homes, you know, all day in a N95, just trying to keep people out of the ER because the ER was also quite, y- you know, the dangerous place to be in with so many people dying from COVID. And after a while, I just said, "You know what?

My daughter is very young. Daycares are closing. There's not a lot of options for us parents at this time." So I took the first opportunity that there was to work remotely and do a telehealth position within my company. So that opportunity presented itself. I jumped at it. You know, I initially was like, "I don't know if this is going to be long term.

I'm doing this now just out of safety and stability during COVID." I had no idea that I would stay working from home as long as I did all these years later, but honestly, I wouldn't change a thing. I so agree, and COVID changed so much. So I worked in news for like, like local news, for eight years, and then I got pregnant.

So I worked through the pandemic. Mm-hmm. And then I always thought I would go back, and then once you have your baby, it's just, it changes you defini- and especially for the people, 'cause I know a lot of like first responders, and I forget the term even. But anyway, like the people who had to go to work, for them, life didn't change that much besides- Mm-hmm

like safety regulations, right? But for the people like me, who was able to work- Mm-hmm ... from home from my couch, or I'm in my bedroom right now recording, like in jammies, it really shapes you differently. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And so I, yes, once you get a taste of it, it's kinda hard to go back too, honestly. And so I'm curious- Absolutely

'cause I have a fr- a high school friend who went to nursing school and, again, sa- similar story, had kids and wanted to stay home. There's a lot of work from home options in the medical field, which I was shocked about. Would you mind telling our listeners just a little bit about, I guess, what you do and different options for people in the medical field- Mm-hmm

to be at home? Yes, absolutely. So like I said before, I'm a nurse practitioner, so I have my master's degree. I'm a f- a family, certified nurse practitioner. And, for me, because I provide care to patients similar to medical doctors, there are opportunities to do primary care, urgent care, weight management, mental health, chronic disease management, and other specialties working from home providing care.

There are places literally popping up left and right, , for roles like that. But one thing I think people are sometimes surprised by is just how many work from home opportunities exist in nursing now. Even for our registered nurses who do not have an advanced degree, there are remote opportunities for telephone triage, which is a huge part of my job because I do virtual urgent care.

So we have nurses who will kind of get questions from patients before they hand them off to the provider, but they can do, , clinical documentation reviews, case management, utilization reviews. There are just so many opportunities out there. So depending on your education and experience, there's actually quite a few ways to use your nursing background from home.

That is so amazing. I love that, honestly. I love how things are shifting more online and even more family-based. And so when you took this position, right, and you were like, "Yep, committing, working from home," was there an adjustment period with you working from home? And I'll say I had a young baby when I started working from home.

She was six months old, uh, when I stopped maternity leave and said to my boss, "I'm not coming back." Anyway, there was an adjustment for me. Like, I am not a messy person, and I'm also... I wouldn't say I'm, like, a super clean freak either, but I also just don't like dishes in the sink, and I like the floor to be swept.

And when you have, you know, a meeting at- Mm-hmm ... you know, whatever it is, noon, sometimes those things have to be put on the back burner. And so for me, , that was kind of hard because you're working in a house that you live in. And, and as I'm trying to like- Mm-hmm ... you know, do a blog post or I switched to podcasting but, you know, or schedule some meetings, I'm thinking of the dishes in my sink that I have to do right as soon as the call ends, right?

And so that was an adjustment for me. There was no escape from the house. What about for you? When you started working from home, what was the adjustment period like? Yeah, so there was a huge adjustment period for me because I was a clinical provider. When patients called, I had to answer. So I was really tethered- Mm

to my computer. It didn't matter if my daughter was crying in the background, calling for mommy, I was still at work. Our calls were recorded, and there were honestly- ... times when I thought, "They are not going to keep me." "I'm going to lose my job." So I had to get really creative with my time. Sometimes my lunch break was when I would put her down for a nap, made lunch, or sometimes even, like, started, you know, dinner.

Just really depended on my schedule. And, you know, for us, our family had to adjust, too. At the time, um, her and, her, m- you know, her dad were still together, but he worked third shift, and so he would sleep a lot during the day. Mm. So, you know, we really had to kinda figure out the best routine. And, you know, sometimes he would look at me and say, "Well, you're home."

And I'd have to say, "Yes, but I'm home working." I think that was one of the biggest lessons for all of us, was just being at home does not mean you're available. But we eventually found a good rhythm. I d- didn't lose my job, and actually, I was able to continue to grow and advance within the company, so.

That is so uplifting. And yes, I don't know what it is about I even see reels recently, I think, um, the algorithm knew I was gonna talk to you, but about people bugging the work from home pe- you know, women, and it's like, "Yes, I'm working." Mm-hmm. "I'm sending emails. It looks like I'm just doing nothing," but I, I totally get that.

So I guess, what are some other fun benefits from working from home? Obviously, the biggest one, this is a mom podcast, is getting to spend more time with your baby, right? I think that's amazing. So what other- Mm-hmm ... pluses and pros do you, you know, think would be awesome for a mom to maybe do a career shift to work from home?

Yeah. I tell people all the time, I am the most unserious person. So all of the things I love about working from home are unserious ones. Like, I love not sharing bathrooms. Yes. I love that I can walk around in my sock all day. If I wanna change my clothes, I can do so. Like, I really appreciate just those li- little freedoms.

But seriously, uh, as a mom, it's the flexibility. I, I think that has been the biggest benefit. When I was working face-to-face with patients, if my daughter got sick, I couldn't just stay home because that affected my patients, my coworkers, and ultimately my attendance. So working from home doesn't mean, like, I never need childcare or never have to call out, but it does give me more options.

So if she's home sick but comfortable, I may still be able to work. Sometimes I'll use my lunch break for virtual appointments with her as well, so I don't have to, like, go out and make a doctor's appointment. We just do it right from the couch. So for me, it's really the combination of those little everyday comforts and the flexibility it gives me as a working mom.

Absolutely. I can so agree to that. I do love the midday showers, honestly. Those are the best. And so I like- Mm-hmm. Yes ... all of that, the unserious, the serious, staying home. And even for, I know some jobs, my job is very flexible, , so I don't need daycare. I choose my own hours. But for some, it's nice to maybe even have, like, an in-law- Mm-hmm

or, like, your mother come over for, like, three to four hours every day rather than pay for six to eight hours of daycare, right? Mm-hmm. If you have to do the commute and stuff. What are some cons, I guess, to working from home? Yes. And we kinda already shouted some out, but it's the husband coming home- Yes.

or partner coming home being like, "Hey, um, she's crying," or, "Hey, poop diaper. Where are the wipes?" It's like, "Uh, I'm working." You know? But what are some cons you wanna share? Yeah. I honestly, I think that is the biggest con. It is the boundary between work and home. It gets extremely blurry. When I first started working from home, I didn't have, like, a designated office.

I was like you. I was working in my bedroom. Even after I clocked out, though, my computer was still sitting there, and so I always felt like I was still at work. Like, I never could fully leave work. So there's also this perception that because, like, you're home, like we said, you're available. Your child, your partner, your family, they can see you, so naturally they wanna talk to you or ask you to do something, and sometimes you have to remind people, "I'm home, but I'm working."

And for me, it was, like, the house itself. You touched on it a little bit. You're working, but you're looking around thinking, "I need to wash those dishes. I need to vacuum. This house is a mess." So you're mentally carrying, like, two loads. It's your job, and then it's also your household at the same time.

That's why for me, having separation between my workspace and the rest of my home became really important for me. So my office is on the first floor, which is away from my living area, my kitchen. I don't have to see things. Even if, you know, the house is burning down, my office is peaceful. It's the cleanest room in my home.

Yes, the separation is very important. I never record, , these episodes in the living room because I have two amazing kids who like to be near me. So it's nice to go to a separate room- Mm-hmm ... and, like, zoom into work mode. Entering into my next question, for the moms who have little support, right?

And that's kind of me. I'm a military wife. My husband works insane amount of hours at this duty station, and so I rely heavily on him when he is home. Like, you get the kids. Mm-hmm. I need to work. What are some tips for you, and especially even, like, the solo parents, right, for finding the right community- Mm-hmm

to help with littles while mom is working? Yeah, I think finding the right support system is going to look different for every family. Sophia was my first child, and I was extremely overprotective, probably even more so because I started working from home during COVID. So initially we didn't- need as much childcare, similar to you.

Dad's home, he's got her. But once I really got into my role, I realized very quickly, like, yeah, no, I s- I still need childcare. So we relied on family, cousins, the teenagers who want extra money. So I was able to kinda tap into some of those resources and able to kinda just start building my own, you know, childcare tribe, so to speak.

So they would help for a few hours here and there, and then eventually, as we kinda got more comfortable and things started to slow down, finding the right childcare center was important for us. I toured several because I really wanted to feel comfortable with where I was leaving her. You know, there was a childcare center right across the street, and I walked in and was like, "Nope."

So even convenience wasn't enough for me. Eventually, we found a center that worked for our budget, but more importantly, the staff felt warm and caring, and Sophia loved being there. So for me, that was what really mattered. But I have friends, friends that you make through your children are a great benefit.

I've just started learning that. Like, some days my schedule's too tight and I can't pick her up early, so I've gotta tap into those other moms that I've met just, you know, in the PTO meetings or at the l- you know, pickup car line. You start to make friends that way, and I feel like, you know, just kinda being a little bit more open to accepting that support from others is, is really important.

I think also, yes, finding the right tribe, and I think it's so easy, I find it easy to make friends, like mom friends, when, like, your kids are young at the same-ish age, right? 'Cause we're all going through it together. Mm-hmm. And I feel like I'm always, like, the first to be like, "Oh yeah, I could totally help out, you know.

I get it, like, totally understand." Mm-hmm. And so I think that is so, so important. Gosh, you've been giving so many great tips. We got more questions coming up, but first let's take one of our last breaks. Welcome back to Newbies. We are continuing our topic. You've outlined so much helpful tips for new moms who wanna do a career shift, who wanna work from home, who even, like, they have that option at work, but they haven't yet.

So what's your advice for moms trying to do it all? If they're a little bit scared maybe to ask their boss to work from home, or if they're a little bit nervous to just go in and do it, start applying for the work from home jobs, right? What would be your tips for them?

Yeah, so my tips for, you know, trying to do it all is, I'm not gonna lie, it's that we can't always do it all. Yes. But we can find ways to really give and extend some grace. One of the things, honestly, that really worked for me when I was, um, working from home and wanting to transition into working from home was being honest.

I used my daughter as, you know, "Hey, I've got a young kid. If you want me to be productive, this is what I need." And I was able to really kind of tap into that as being a parent. I know sometimes for some jobs it can be looked down as a negative, but because I was a strong worker and people saw my work ethic, they were like, "Hey, we'll do whatever we need to do because we wanna keep you."

So when you're a really good employee, they don't wanna lose you, so sometimes they will be more flexible in working with you, even giving you more hybrid options. That was presented to me many times. So there are opportunities, but what I would say is that I think sometimes from the outside, moms can look like we're doing it all, even when internally we're drowning.

And I tell people all the time, I refuse to drown trying to maintain that appearance. It's, it's not worth it. I also don't want my daughter growing up thinking that's what motherhood is supposed to look like. So honestly, you have to do what's best for you. Take that time. Make sure you're making the decision that's best for you, your child, your family, and also give yourself time to reset, restore, making sure that you prioritize yourself when you need to.

And sometimes it's okay to say, "Listen, I just don't have the bandwidth. I need a little help. This is gonna be what's best to support me, and somebody else is just gonna have to pick up the slack." You are so wise. I am so excited to get this episode out. Holy cow. Have you done podcasts before? Amazing. No, this is a first.

Okay. This is amazing. And then for our listeners, , the audio might sound a little off 'cause we're recording on Zoom, and we normally don't. We had, like, technical issues, which is so funny for two work from home moms. Right. Um, I'm happy this episode is, is getting done. Amazing. So where can our listeners find you for more helpful tips, insight on mom life?

, Shout out your socials. Yes. So I'm on Instagram at ashleysophia_np. I share a little bit about everything, working from home as a nurse practitioner, motherhood, and also just life outside of those titles. So you'll see work and mom life, but you'll see all the traveling , we're doing. The restaurants, the hobbies, my humor, because again, I am so unserious.

But you'll be able to see what I'm getting into next. So- Yay ... please follow me again at ashleysophia_np. Oh, you are amazing. Yay. Well, thank you so much for being here and for joining me on this episode and this wild ride. I'm glad we got it done. For our listeners, be sure- ... to check out newmomymedia.com, where we have all of our podcast episodes, plus videos and more.

That wraps up our show for today. Thanks for listening. If you love Newbies as much as we do, please send us a DM on one of our socials, rate, review, tell us what type of episodes you would like to hear. I will say this was a very highly, requested episode for all the moms who wanna switch and work from home, so I'm glad we're getting this out.

And then for the future, we are getting into the ber months. We're recording this episode in September, so be on the lookout for some cozy baby-themed episodes chatting all about fall and winter. And if you wanna check out some of the other podcasts we produce, such as Preggie Pals, Parent Savers, Boob Group, and Twin Talks, then visit our website at newmomymedia.com.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for more information, giveaways, and more. Our handle is @newmomymedia. Thanks for listening to Newbies.