Even if you were very career-focused before you got pregnant, having a baby can really cause you to reevaluate your priorities and goals. Just as your body has changed, so might your mindset. For some women, their career now takes a backseat to raising their child. For those who either don’t have this luxury or still feel drawn to the professional world, going back to work can be a difficult process to come to terms with. So to help ensure that you and your family are able to make this transition as easily as possible, here are three tips for going back to work after having a baby.

Find A New Routine

In the time you’ve taken off to have your baby, you’ve probably fallen into some type of routine around your house. But once you start going back to work, that routine likely won’t work anymore. But despite this, your baby still wants and needs a little routine in his or her life to truly thrive. Knowing this, Amy Capetta, a contributor to Parents.com, recommends that you try to come up with a new routine before you head back to work and then practice it a bit before you actually start following it completely. By doing this, you’ll be able to see if this new routine will work and can see any areas that you might need to tweak or improve for your family’s well being.

Cut Yourself Some Slack With Other Responsibilities

Being a parent and a professional is hard work. Even doing those things exclusively is hard work, let alone trying to do both at the same time. And because both of these things are probably going to be the main priorities in your life right now, Joanna Zambas, a contributor to Career Addict, recommends that you cut yourself some slack with any of your other responsibilities at this moment. If you’re not used to saying “no” to things, you might want to start practicing that now. With all the time you’ll be spending at work, you don’t want to have to stress about fulfilling other, less important, responsibilities when you have a little one at home that you’ve been missing all day long.

All Your Emotions Are Normal

Being postpartum is a very emotional time. But when you throw having to leave your baby to go to work into the mix, you might just find that you’re feeling a weird mix of emotions that you’ve not sure are normal or how to cope with. Rest assured, Heidi Murkoff, a contributor to WhatToExpect.com, shares that all your emotions are normal, even if they might not be ideal. If you’re struggling with anything in particular, try to find someone to talk to, be it a friend or a mental health professional, so you can try to work through feelings you’re not comfortable with.

If you’ll soon be heading back to work after having a baby, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you meet this new obstacle head-on.