When you get back to your job, it may feel like a bit of a shock to your system. Here you are, back in a familiar place with familiar faces all around you, and yet everything is different. You may find, to your delight, that everything ran like clockwork while you were gone. Of course, the opposite is also a possibility: Your co-workers simply dumped everything on your desk for weeks, figuring you'd return one day and put it all back in order.

Stay Connected While You're Away

Since the last thing you need is to be shocked by weeks or months of accumulated work when you return to the office, it's smart to retain a connection to work and your colleagues while you're away. Keeping in touch with your bosses and colleagues via e-mail, or a few visits to the office while on break can help you communicate your needs and make sure your former duties are being handled effectively while you're gone. Don't feel pressured to step in and take care of every little problem that comes up, but being available to assist and answer questions now and then can make your transition back to the office easier.

Set Up a System

When you first go back to work, take some time to put together a time-management and organization system that works for you. If you weren't very organized before you had your baby, you may see now how important a good system is to keeping on top of the many demands you will face at once now that you have a career and a child.

And while it's important to have an organized system for handling work responsibilities, you should also have a plan in place should your baby need you during the workday. What will you do if your baby is sick or your nanny goes on vacation? Do you have a backup plan for child care — a friend, relative, or service that provides in-home care for sick kids? Maybe there's somebody at work whom you can trust to take over if you have to miss a day. Figuring this out ahead of time can make you feel less anxious.

Stay Connected to Your Baby, Too

Keep a photo of your baby on your desk, and don't be shy about calling your child-care provider to check in on him during the day. Some day-care centers even allow you to check in on your baby using Web-cam services that allow parents to view their children by visiting a Web site. The site is password protected, making it a safe and fun way to see what your baby's up to throughout the day.

Leave Work at Work

Once you're home, leave work behind and focus on your family. A special routine in the evening can help both you and your baby feel better about your separation during the day. Some working moms find that holding their babies close in the evening and sleeping with or near them at night can help them to re-create the important connection that is temporarily broken during the workday.

Take It Slowly

Allow yourself a gentle re-entry. Your first day back at work will probably be emotional, and you may find yourself crying at your desk. Allow yourself a few short workdays to ease back in to the workplace, and spend the first few days just re-acclimating yourself to your job.

Also, even if you were a “yes” employee before having your baby, now is a great time to learn to say “no.” Now that you're balancing work and a baby, you'll probably feel tapped out a lot of the time. Don't take on any extra obligations unless they give you back more energy and joy than they take away.

Finally, keep an open mind and flexibility about your work situation. You always have the option to change your work schedule, find new child-care arrangements, or even quit your job if things aren't working out. Take things one day at a time, and make the decisions that feel best for you and your family now, regardless of what well-meaning friends and co-workers might have to say about it.