I can't speak from experience. I've never brought my son to work.

I know that from about 8 weeks to 1, I could work from home with him there (he was a great napper and I could count on scheduling some things at some times). I'd have to put in some after bed hours, but it worked for when we had childcare issues.

Now that he is 2, it wouldn't work.

The New York Times has featured a few articles on the subject over the years:

A Bit of Burping Is Allowed, If It Keeps Parents on the Job

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/04/us/a-bit-of-burping-is-allowed-if-it-keeps-parents-on-the-job.html?scp=5&sq=bring+baby+to+work&st=nyt

Maternity-Leave Alternative: Bring the Baby to Work

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/jobs/04babies.html?scp=1&sq=bring+baby+to+work&st=nyt

Motherlode: Bringing Your Baby to Work

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/bringing-your-baby-to-work/?scp=2&sq=bring+baby+to+work&st=nyt

I've worked at home since my son (now 4) was born, and even with that, I don't recommend bringing your child to work. Although we're all a blend of home and work, keeping the two separated as you can helps to bring a bit of balance to family life. When you're at work, you're there, head there, focus there. When you're at home, you turn that part off and focus on family. Yes, of course, the two intersect, but to try and keep that divided helps everyone understand the boundaries that we have. Also, if your'e working in an office and starting out, it might be an odd starting point to have you come in with the baby. Finding childcare is rough for sure, but hopefully you can find something that works. I just know that babies do not understand conference calls or the need to be quiet during times when your undivided attention is needed. Congrats on both work and family, and good luck!

I don't think it's a good idea. I worked from home part-time when my daughter was born. I would work like crazy when she napped and then play with her while she's awake, and then work like crazy when she napped. The issue is the "awake time" - babies cry, need interaction, need to be fed/changed etc... None of that is really compatible with working in an office setting. I know people who've been in offices NEXT to babies and they found it incredibly disruptive.

Very rarely would I bring my daughter to work, but it was always just for nap time. She would nap in her stroller and then we would leave. I tried to bring her to a meeting once and it was a disaster - she fussed and cried for attention the whole time. A male colleague brought a baby to a meeting once and it was also a disaster - the baby pooped and needed to be changed. It was all just pretty unprofessional.

My coworker brought his newborn to work for a few weeks. The baby was under 4 months old and so slept a lot. He just had a little bassinet by his desk. The baby would just eat then sleep the whole time. People were more than happy to hold the baby too for a little bit when the baby was up.

I personally stayed home until my child was 2 but wore him in a pouch almost all the time while a cleaned, grocery shopped ect. I could imagine wearing him in the ergo on my back while sitting at my desk working. Taking breaks to nurse or putting a blanket on the floor for tummy time /awake time. I think if your baby doesn't fuss and cry a lot this could be a fine temporary solution.

But eventually your baby will need more interaction and play and by then it would probably be more difficult to give him the interaction he needs while being productive at work.

I suggest bringing him to works at first and use the time to find a more suitable long term solution. Best of luck juggling work and motherhood!

I work full time from home, so I can't relate to bringing a baby to the office, but I can say that it does Not work for me to do work and childcare at the same time. I can sometimes get in a few minutes of work, but nothing substantial, and there is nothing more stressful to me than having my baby cry, my coworkers trying to reach me, and all efforts suffering because I'm caught between too many. I have had success finding childcare (even on short notice) using an online service. (Can I say here, sittercity.com?)

I was a graduate student in a very demanding MBA program. My duaghter slept in class. Most people didn't know she was there. But once they start rolling over, that really isn't an option because they stop sleeping so much. Beware of disrupting your co-workers productivity. Consider whether or not a unique arrangement can be made with a part-time care-giver that comes to your office a few times a day to take the baby on strolls, etc. Also, I would recommend purell, disinfectant etc...people come to work in allsorts of conditions. Good luck and congratulations!

I have taken my baby to work and it is a mixed experience.

Pros: getting to be with your little one, no expense for day care, easier when they are babies because they sleep mostly

Cons: hard to get work done in between caring for them, you have to deal with co-workers who may not like having kids there, it can get noisy, you have to be prepared with every item to care for and entertain baby and that can be hard if space is limited, lots of germs and sickness in the office

I think it llargely depends on what kind of industry you work in and how the office feels about kids. Some people will be jerky to you and/or your kid because they don't have kids and don't get it.

Now my child is in a great daycare and I know that it's a much better, safer and developmentally stimulating environment than the office. I don't know if there is a "right" answer. We all have to do what we can to balance work and being a mom. Just keep adjusting as you figure out what works for you. Good luck!

I think it really depends on the baby. Some sleep all the time, others are fairly demanding. My son visits me at work, usually up to an hour at a time. I don't get much work done, just scheduling appts and phone calls, but I know that I can finish up when he's gone.

I personally have brought my son to work a couple of times, when my parents and in-laws, who usually watch him were unavailable. It was horrible! Yes, it's great to have him with me, but I think I must have sweat more than I ever have in my entire life. Constantly trying to keep him entertained and pay attention to my work, was extremely stressful. Also, the pressure of trying to keep him quiet so the entire office didn't wander over was a feat in itself. The times I have brought him ranged in age from 6 months- 13 months.

I was in a very similar situation when my youngest daughter was about 3 months. I started a new job at a small non-profit shortly after maternity leave at my old job. The main reason I took the new job was that I was able to bring my daughter to work with me until her first birthday. It was the hardest 8 months, but the most rewarding 8 months of my life. Was it an ideal environment? No, but neither is group child care. I am a firm believer that your baby's needs are best met when she is cared for by a parent. I had a very supportive work environment. I was able to successfully breastfeed for 13 months, and I hardly ever had to pump! My daughter always had a welcoming lap to go to if I needed to be on a conference call or in a meeting. She napped in a pack n' play right next to my desk, and the whole office did their best to keep quiet. When she got a little older, she'd stroll around in her walker and munch on Cheerios (we still find random O's whenever we move furniture). I'd talk to her and sing to her while I worked the day away. I'd even do work on the floor so she could crawl around and on me. I think that since I was at the office and NOT at home that I was able to focus on work. I was pretty efficient. Not every day was perfect. We had days where I didn't get a whole lot of work done thanks to a growth spurt, teething or some other developmental milestone, but at least I was with her to soothe her. As she got older and more mobile I'd arrange for alternate care one or two afternoons a week. I look back fondly on my "office baby" days. I highly recommend it!

Nope. This is an either/or situation. Bringing my child to work would be too big an imposition on my co-workers, and I would be unable to fill my responsibilities. I've tried it more than once. It's a no go. I imagine this isn't what you want to hear. Hope it all works out.

I took my baby to work for a couple of months (6 weeks through 3 months). It worked ok. He was a very chill baby and mostly slept. He was fine in staff meetings, etc. (Although having a cute baby around is a distraction for everyone else!).

I would say that it worked for me due to the nature of my work (I work in Operations at a small Center in a University) and the fact that I had established a relationship here before baby came along. I would think it would be very hard to start a new job with a baby (if I'm understanding your situation correctly).

It's pretty hard to keep it professional. Ultimately, I would find other care, but it *can* work if your baby's personality allows. No way I could have done this with my first baby who was much more awake and demanding.

I worked from home for most of my daughter's young life and it was terrific - and would have worked well in an office too. She was an easy baby and when she wasn't nursing she slept on a Boppy in my lap while I typed over top of her. At about 6 months I had to take her on a road trip with me for a week of store visits when my childcare fell through at the last minute and the trip was already planned. That was more stressful - but it was ok. I already had relationships with the folks at the stores, I wore her in a backpack while I worked and everyone understood it was an unusual situation.

Don't get me wrong. It can be hard and there will be bad days - but a lot depends on the office environment and the baby's temperament. And yours :-)

I've worked from home since my son was 6 months old. Looking back it was much easier at first since he was napping more often and could be content to lay on the floor and play with his gym. Now that he's a year old and RUNNING everywhere, it's a little bit more difficult. That being said, we manage and I treasure the fact that I get to be home with my son rather than paying someone to watch him.

A few things that have worked for me:
-make sure you have a safe play area for your child, especially once they are mobile
-try to nail down a consistent schedule of feedings, naps and play time. This may be impossible for the first little bit, we weren't on a schedule with our son until he was about 8 months old (he just refused to follow any sort of schedule before then)
-if baby is cranky, sick, teething etc. don't try and work but take care of your kid instead. If your child is crying or upset it is nearly impossible to be productive. At that point you are neither a good mom or a good employee.
-try and set up at least one day a week where you don't have to have your kid around when you are working. If that means one day a week day care, or a neighbour watches your child, set it up! My mom takes my son once a week and I find with that one day I can usually take care of things that I can't do when he is home (certain meetings with clients, errands for work, anything that requires a vast amount of concentration).
-finally, be prepared to alter your work methods. Your day will be a lot more broken up and you may find you need to work longer hours to get everything done

Hope that helps!

I think it depends on the nature of your work and also on the nature of your baby. I worked part time teaching music lessons, and brought my son to work with me at least one day a week, from 10 weeks until age 2. It worked beautifully for us, but he was a very calm baby/toddler who was usually happy as long as he could be near me, either in a carrier or sitting at my feet with some toys to play with. A friend who had his own architecture firm brought his kid to work until 6 months when his newfound mobility made it not a good fit anymore, at which point they switched to a home daycare. Why not try it, since your employer is supportive, and if it starts to not work out you will at least have more time to find a childcare solution. Good luck!

My son is in full time daycare and he is really happy there. He is allowed to be a kid and interact with other kids and not expected to mold his behavior to suit any adults or work environment. I can't imagine the stress of trying to work with him underfoot!

I think it completely depends on what kind of work you are doing, and the general office environment. I work two days a week as an attorney, and I cannot even imagine what a disaster it would be to try to work my son at the office. I have worked from home with him for a few hours per week on-and-off since he was born (he's now 22 months) -- it was okay when he was little, but now he is very verbal and completely opposed to me participating in long phone calls.

I agree with some of the previous posters that it is really nice to think about work when I am at work, and my son when I am at home. I do not have a lot of cross-over. That said, I might feel differently if I worked full-time at a baby-friendly office -- if my choice were between not seeing him much all week and dealing with the stress of bringing him to work, I might choose the latter. Maybe.

Just know that your boss might not remember what it's like to have a little one - she may think the idea of having a baby in the office sounds nice, but be pretty annoyed if the little munchkin regularly interrupts her meetings.

Depends on the nature of your work and the workplace. Once I had my first and a few times with my second, I've declared "take my baby to work days." Little bed and toys by my desk. I could nurse and work easily (easier than hiding out to pump). Baby slept a lot. But it can be hard when you have to divide attention. And the type of work I do involves a lot of calls and meetings, which is really tough.

I brought both my children to work with me until they were between 6-8 months old. While it was challenging, I found I became very efficient when they were napping and I probably wasted less time on facebook and other things because I knew work time was precious. I would do it again. It also made breastfeeding more feasible, because I did not have to pump for childcare until my children were starting solid foods. I had a very supportive and family centered staff too.

Wow. I live in Canada. We have a year paid maternity leave given to us by the government. If I didn't have that I'd be devastated. I would have missed so much. Babies need their mamas for the first little while. Not strangers. Bring him to work and if people have issues with that- screw them. It is so sad that America is so business oriented- there is definitely not enough emphasis on family and quality of life. It is so, so, so sad.

Unless the job is in a childcare center, I think it's not possible to bring a child to work and maintain your professionalism. Your baby's needs will (rightly) take precedence over your work demands, and that will be on display for your boss and co-workers.

I think you're better off trying to push your start date back by a week or so to allow you to find childcare you're comfortable with. And if you're not ready for a sitter/daycare, you may want to reconsider whether you're ready to go back to work.

It depends entirely on your job/ work situation. If you have a private office, I say why not, especially if your boss is all for it. At least to try. If it doesn't work, you can make other arrangements.

I work in a computer animation studio and we're very open to kids and family, and my husband works feet away from me, but I wouldn't just because due to the open nature of our desk layout, if he cried I would feel bad inconveniencing others I work with. But if we work late or on off days, sure I'll bring him.

I'll say that it depends on the baby and the job because it seems like some people have had a much different experience than I did, but I can't imagine having my baby with me at the office. Yes, there were stretches of time when she was sleeping that I could totally have gotten things done, but they were punctuated by times when she really demanded a lot of attention. I would not have wanted to have the added pressure of negotiating those times in a public space or in a job where my immediate availability impacts others (e.g., meetings with others disrupted by baby needing attention on potentially regular basis, vs something where you work more independently so 15 minutes feeding baby now are easily made up for by 15 minutes focused work later.

That being said, when I re-read your question, I saw that your baby is already a few months old, so you probably have a pretty good sense of what your baby's temperament is. You also have a good idea of what your own is, and whether starting a new job with the added stress of dealing with an infant is something you feel equipped to handle right now. Since you're even asking, it must not be out of the realm of possibility for you.

I'm not a labor lawyer, but I'd be surprised if there were any policies on the books regarding bringing an infant to work (though read up about accommodations for breastfeeding). It is a good sign that your boss is open to you bringing your baby in but you should try to hammer out as much detail as you can so you know what expectations are on both sides, and get it in writing.

And I would, in any event, consider it a short-term bridge while you try to secure childcare as quickly as possible, but that's just me.

I think it depends on the baby and the job. I've had a nanny, worked from home (with and without a nanny present) and have brought my baby to work. My conclusion - each scenario has challenges as well as advantages!

I'd suggest you go ahead and give it a try but be prepared to be flexible. In my experience, employers who are flexible enough to let you consider these types of options are also flexible enough to work with you when you need to try something else, as long as you're open with them about it.

I was fortunate to work from home in the mornings when I first returned to work after maternity leave. Then, I would take my daughter to daycare for the afternoon and head into the office. It was a nice transition for me, but it only lasted about 3 months because I felt like I wasn't doing either job very well. My child's and my work's demands were too much to balance. I opted to take her to daycare fulltime and work from the office.

The benefit of my situation was that I didn't have to jump into fulltime daycare right away, and the transition was smoother since I could see first hand that working with the baby wasn't good for me, the baby, or my work. I was also able to get more comfortable with the daycare, so I knew them well when we went fulltime. Now, I visit my daughter on lunch breaks and see that she's happy and healthy, and that her teachers are great. Good luck!

I have an experience similar to KtA78. It wasn't easy and maybe not ideal, but I look back fondly on those days now that they are gone. My experience was largely positive. I loved having my baby at the office with me. I think it has a lot to do with the nature of the office - both the work you do and your coworkers - and the temperament of your baby. I think my girl was born knowing what she needed to do. She came to work with me every day from 6 weeks until 11 months, including meetings and conferences.

I should say that my occupation was very child friendly, as I was one of three (women) directors at a children's museum. Our business was children and families, so it seemed natural that children were welcome in the office. The three of us shared a single, open office. My boss/head director was the mother of five and the leader of the local La Leche League chapter, so it was a breastfeeding friendly office in addition to a child-friendly office. The other assistant director had young children, who would also spend time in the office when not in school. We had children in and out of the office constantly, with ages varying from my infant to teenagers. It was wonderful, but again, it was our business, and we were all comfortable working with interruptions. It was how we operated with or without children present as we were a very small full-time admin staff. We were all very grateful to not need to choose between our family lives and work, and appreciated our flexible schedules.

I agree that I felt more productive during the time I was working as I was very focused on work when my child was napping. My child spent a lot of time in a sling/baby carrier when she was little. It was comforting to her and allowed me to work at my computer or operate out on the museum floor or see to operations at the front desk/register. Having my child in the office made me very aware of our schedule - naps, feeding, etc. - and remarkably, by keeping notes on what was happening at what time, I noticed that she had her own rather strict schedule. It gave me a chance to know when I could expect to have productive times throughout the day and know that I could schedule my work around her schedule. I would plan for work that required me to be up and away from my computer right before her nap, I'd put her in a carrier, and essentially walk her to sleep. Then I'd return to my desk to work while she napped. Taking notes made me aware of when her schedule would change as well.

I'll admit, I was very conscious of my child's behavior, and occasionally someone's comments would get to me and I would question the decision to bring her. I was lucky to have supportive coworkers, especially the ones that count (my boss).

I think you should try it out if it is something you are interested in. It could work out very well for you, it just depends greatly on your situation and your attitude in approaching it. I think it you are willing to make it work, it is possible to do so and have a good experience (aside from forces you cannot control like coworkers, which I can see how that would greatly interfere).

Equipment I'd recommend keeping at the office:
• A pack n play
• An exersaucer when your child is old enough (I had one that folded up out of the way to save space when not in use)
• A nursing cover if you are breastfeeding
• A baby carrier
• Diaper changing pad (I had a great bag that folded out into a station that held all my diapering needs and sat on my desk - http://www.lillygold.com/products/nap-sac.html - but wow, mine was not that expensive at the time) I would change pee diapers quickly in the office, and seek out a restroom for more serious matters.

I also kept a second of everything I'd use daily at the house at the office as well - blankets, pacifiers, burp rags, a few toys, sippy cups, spare outfit, diapers/wipes/cream, snacks/food, etc. to avoid hauling things back and forth all the time.

I hope this helps and I wish you a wonderful experience in working with your child!

My two cents - this isn't a decision I recommend asking for advice on. It's one of the tough ones that requires a 'strong mother' moment where you toss out all the details (like the specific job, the quality of your childcare choices, etc) and put your finger on the big underlying question. Which is probably something like 'what is my hope for my son and I this year?' or 'what is it I'm wanting from a job?'. Once you toil your way to an answer, you can come from a solid place where you are crystal clear on your own direction.

I have been in this position myself and it was a painstaking business feeling my way to what 'fit' for me. Good luck to you!

I started back at work when my daughter turned 6 months and I have been working the past 5 months with bringing her to work with me, So from 5 months of experience so far I would say it works for me personally.

I find myself very fortunate to bring her with me, although there are a few down sides to it as well as plus sides.
- I get to spend all my time with my daughter 24/7.
- I am able to continue breastfeeding her without having the trouble of expressing.
- I save on nursery fees etc...

down falls are that I feel some of the other employees where I work don't agree with me bringing my daughter to work with me and I feel uncomfortable when I need to deal with my daughter when I 'should be working' in their eyes.
I am also struggling with postnatal depression at the moment and being able to take my daughter to work with me is helping me cope tonnes as I have anxiety attacks at the thought of leaving her.

I think that it depends on what is right for you?
Personally I couldn't Imagine missing some of those Firsts.

I hope you make the right decision :-)

Good Luck!

p.s It gets harder when they become mobile though lol I bring a walker to work with me even though she can Crawl and cruise furniture :-)

It sounds like you should be considering this as a temporary solution until you're able to identify other childcare options. If you think you can be productive and professional while she's with you at work, then it sounds like a great opportunity. You might also bring up the possibility of starting off at a part-time status (like you had originally planned) until you can make childcare arrangements.

Since your new boss opened the door to the possibility, I think you should plan a few follow-up discussions with her to determine exactly how the two of you will manage the situation, should you decide to do it. Just off the top of my head, there are quite a few things to discuss: crying baby noise, distractions to coworkers, nursing/feeding, scheduling meetings/appointments, accounting for your time (i.e. how do you account for times when you're caring for your son instead of working), etc. Whatever you do, be sure that you both are on the same page before you start - this isn't a situation where you'd want to misinterpret things and get off to a bad start on a new job.

Please check out parentingatwork.org and babiesatwork.org - they are also on Facebook. They have lots of information of how different moms and companies have made babies at work work! It's a nonprofit started by a guy who runs an engineering company that started a babies at work program and noticed the positive effects it had on everyone.

I now work from home with my toddler and not in an office environment but before I had my daughter I worked in a great family friendly office - almost everyone brought their babies in on Fridays and even older kids and sometimes during the rest of the week. It always brightened my day when I saw them there even though I didn't have a child of my own at the time. Almost everyone loved it and I think it boosted morale of the parents and the nonparents alike with the exception maybe of a few people who like to complain about everything anyway.

I work in an office that is 90% women, many are mothers with young kids (including our boss!). Occasionally, someone brings the kids/babies in, and it is totally awesome. We all take time holding the babies, playing and talking with the kids, etc.

I think it's ok as a temporary situation, like if you are interviewing sitters and need a week or so, or your sitter calls in sick last minute or childcare is closed for a holiday, etc...

I would also like to add that my office situation is pretty casual, family-owned business, however we are really REALLY busy most of the time. And the sort of situation you are describing would just not fly in my workplace as an everyday thing. It's really too much to retain a professional atmosphere and unfair and limiting to yourself.

I have brought my son to work with me since he was three months old, he is now almost two. It is not always easy, especially when I have to make a call, but we have made it work. I should add that I work short days for a family business. It is what has worked best for us. I would suggest trying it, if it doesn't work you'll know you gave it a shot. Good luck, and congrats!

What a great boss! I was in a similar situation and ended up finding an amazing home daycare for my son, so never got to bring him along. I definitely wanted to, though. I know from some of the other women in the office that it is important to know what the expectations of your boss and co-workers are. Can this be a long term solution or was it a temporary suggestion because your skills are so needed?

It's tough to start a new job and even tougher to leave your little one for the work day. I myself would give it a try. Especially if you don't have to attend a lot of in person meetings. It is amazing what you can get away with on the phone. And no matter what you are making, those childcar bills are a conspicuous dent. At the end of the day, you will know what the right decision is for you.

If you find you need external childcare, ask around. Other moms are a great resource and many are looking for or know someone willing to nanny-share. The most important thing to remember is that you don't have to do it all. Good luck and congrats!

Well, if the job is too good to pass up, and your boss is for it, it sounds like you should at least try it, and if it doesn't work out you can start looking for childcare or whatever you need to do. I think a lot people are offering opinions that are too strong without knowing what kind of a job it is. I agree with those who say it really depends on the nature of the work--if it is a place where noise and/or families are already welcome (like some retail settings, or the music lessons one person mentioned, etc.), and your work does not require a lot of undivided concentration, then I think it could be totally fine. For instance, I know of someone who does this as a manager of an independent bookstore. On the other hand, if your work consists of lots of reading, writing, focus, meetings or conference calls, attempting to look professional, etc.--it will be a challenge, both for you to get your work done well, and for the baby to be properly stimulated. I say this with some experience, as I'm sometimes forced to work from home with one or both of my kids there, and it is very stressful for me even when they are being as good and cooperative as anyone could ever hope a 3 and 1 year old to be.

I work at home. I can't do much with my 3 year old around but until very recently I can count on getting some work done if it's just my 6 month old. When they are still sleeping most of the time it's not a big issue. I babywear a lot so he spent many hours napping on my chest while I worked. Now that he's napping less and on the move he is not so happy being contained and it's getting harder but still fairly doable. I just wouldn't expect to get a lot done from 6 months on - though a lot will depend on your child, they are all so different.

Hi, my name is Carla Moquin--I'm the creator of the BabiesAtWork.org and ParentingAtWork.org websites mentioned above, and the founder of the Parenting in the Workplace Institute. We have helped more than two dozen businesses to set up formal babies-at-work programs and we help parents directly with working while keeping their babies happy. Please feel free to contact me at carla @ babiesatwork.org or (801) 897-8702 if you have any questions or would like our help--we're happy to do whatever we can to help you to make this work.

Carla Moquin

i'd never want to expose either of our babies to my workplace...

I brought my son with me for the first 4 months and am hoping to do the same with my second who is due in January. It worked wonderful for me, I am in a small construction company office and am the only female that works here. I nursed my son the entire time and pumped after he went to daycare until he was 13 months old. All my co-workers, salesmen, mailman and UPS guys knew if my office door was closed that I was nursing but covered. I would have never been ready to take him to daycare at 6 weeks so this was a perfect solution for us, there was noise and many things going on and he learned to be a good sleeper and at 3 1/2 still loves to come to work with me when we don't have daycare.

With a 4ish month old, it's going to get tricker soon, but in the meantime, you're probably okay. With several naps and a little play time, there's not much else you would be doing at home.

I always said I'd much rather work right after delivery up until 5 or 6 months, then take mat leave. Except for the being tired part, babies are (can be) easy to take care of as newborns before they get to be active and cuter infants.

I don't think it works for the baby, the mom or the co-workers in most situations.

That said, my wonderful doctor has always brought her infants to work until the time they started walking. Because she has a private practice, she can slip away into a quiet room to nurse and where the child can take naps with her nanny, who is also responsible for changing the baby and taking her for walks.

As a patient or staff person in this environment, you'd hardly know the baby was around. But, this is a special situation; it certainly wouldn't work in the average workplace.

Because of a childcare gap, my husband had to take our baby daughter to work for a week. He found it very stressful. Co-workers were fine with it as a temp solution, but HE found it exhausting to try to simultaneously stay on top of his job AND care for her properly.

I brought my daughter to work with me starting at six weeks. She's nine months now and we're in the process of transitioning her to staying home with Dad. It worked really well for us. Keys to this, I think were:
1) I was working full-time to get in part-time hours - early on was easier, like others have said, but on average I think I got six hours of work out of an eight-hour day. So I worked five days a week but only 25-30 hours of actual work were completed. If I'd been supposed to be working full time, it would have been a LOT harder.
2) My boss & office were completely on board - my daughter is actually the fifth baby to be raised in that office, and most of my coworkers also have kids, some quite young.
3) My baby is chill. I can count on one hand the number of times she's had a real meltdown in the office.

But, like everyone else has said - it depends so much on the baby and the office. It was great for us to be able to be close all day, it definitely contributed to breastfeeding success, and I think it improved office morale. If I'd had a screamier or more difficult baby? Maybe not so good. But I'd say give it a try.

I didn't read through all the comments above so excuse any repeated advice!
When my first was born I worked full time in a church and was able to bring my daughter to work. I am so glad I was able to do this, but it was, hands-down, the hardest few months of my life. I had an office away from most of the staff, but I still felt I had to be careful about noise and nursing. I ended up doing the full time work with a full time baby thing for 5 months before going to part time and working from home.
My advice is to give it a shot. Yes, your attention will be divided. Yes, your baby would benefit from your undivided attention. But yes, your baby will also benefit from you.
For me, I found I was still productive (about as productive as I was with preggo-brain!), it just became harder than I wanted to work.
Good luck!

I seem to be in the minority here, but I work part-time (sometimes a bit more) from home with my infant daughter and it works out incredibly well!

Maybe it depends on the type of job you have.

My hours are flexible enough that if she and I need to spend some time together, we can and I don't feel pressure to "get back to work" or answer client emails at the sound of the ping.

I also think it helps her be a more independent person -- she doesn't rely on my constant attention and seems happy to just have me nearby (Magda Gerber would be proud!)

She's now 5-months-old and "baby land" is right next to my work area. During my work hours she plays by herself -- we don't have "distraction" toys, just manipulatives and sensory toys --nearby. We "check in" with each other over songs we like, often taking little dance breaks. It isn't much different for me than when I worked in an office and would go talk to my coworkers to take a little break.

When she was younger, she would sleep almost the whole time. It is ideal for us.

I think you have to decide if it works for you. You can always try it out while you look for infant care. You also don't have to do infant care every day.

HI, I think this is doable only as a short term solution until you find childcare. I've been on both sides of this - I am full time college professor and you would think I have the flexibility to handle a baby at work. But this is not the case. When coworkers regularly bring in a baby, others consider this highly unprofessional and end up resenting the extra work this creates for everyone else - you can't work at my job and expect others to regularly watch your baby while you teach your classes and attend meetings - but except in exceptional situations when all else fails, you can't bring a baby to class or to your meetings. I took a leave and tried to combine being with my son and working part time when caring for my son, adopted at 5 months old. I didn't want him to start at daycare until he turned 1 (so we could bond, but also because there really were no good options available, everything fell through). It was impossible to do anything work related many of the days I was caring for my son: there was always a great deal of stress for me when he couldn't sleep (he sometimes napped for 1 hour, other times for 20 minutes) or was cutting a tooth or had a cold. People at work (in particular, men I work with) immediately start to stereotype anyone who brings a baby in as "that mom who no longer does her work and fails to answer work related emails." When I was visiting my workplace to try to use my office, I found it hard to work for any length of time because he often became the focus of attention. Not only do babies frequently need to be fed or changed, people will want to pick him up and so forth. But on the other hand, my son would also start crying if he didn't like who was holding him, or was cutting a tooth/had a cold etc. and a lot of people understandably found this very disruptive. As a poster above stated, it is highly likely that you will have to work full time hours to complete a part time job. So work hard to find something - you will probably need it after the first 2-3 months. Your coworkers will not want to deal with the disruptions to your work (and theirs) that will be involved. Building on what the Canadian mentioned above - it is actually kind of sad that people in this society don't have a full leave to care for new babies, and it is also deplorable that our workplaces don't have reliable day care on site. Indeed expecting women to bring babies to work and care for each other's babies really potentially puts women into a "mommy track" that will cost them a lot in terms of pay and professional mobility opportunities. You will find yourself working full time for part time wages.

Hi Jacqueline, YES it is possible. However I help run a successful 30 year old company with my parents. I started going back to work when my first born son was 4 months (because I am a partner in the company I dont qualify for maternity leave so I had no choice). I started going 3 times a week and 2 days i would stay home. This helps the baby get used to the new environment. then after a month I would go full time. The trick is you need to have a solid routine. Your baby needs to have a predictable schedule so that you can work around it. My son stayed with me until he was 2 years. Then I put him in daycare. I recently gave birth to a baby girl and am back at work with her too. I follow a strict routine and i follow a book called "the baby whisperer" it is tremendously helpful and i highly recommend it even if you plan to not bring your baby to work. good luck!

To give you an example of my day. My daughter is 5 months and she eats every 4 hours. her routine is eat, play, sleep. She naps for 2 hours at a time. those two hours are my most efficient times. However when I finish feeding her I put her in her playpen and she is contently playing on her own for an hour and a half. As long as your in the same room they should have no problem playing on their own. the second they seem sleepy around the 2 hour mark you put them to bed and they sleep for two hours and it starts all over again. so really the only times you are tending to your baby is during feeds and if they need to be changed or glancing to see if they are safe while playing. it is very doable.

Doable depending on the situation. My previous job was at a non-profit where people were allowed to bring their babies up until six months. I managed a small team there and one woman brought her son in after she got back from maternity leave so he was 3 mo - 6 mo when he was in the office. he was a pretty easy baby and she was extremely efficient/focused. Also she had her own office so there wasn't much disruption to other officemates. I thought it worked great but we had a very supportive environment for it. I work in a corporate job now and not sure that would fit with the culture here.

I brought my daughter to work with me for almost the whole first year (starting at 3 months). What made it work was that most of my work was independent and I came into the office 2 hours before everyone else and had only my tasks and my baby to worry about. I had her in a sling, or backpack for most of the time. (She would take naps in her bjorn bouncer under my desk, so cute!) Once the rest of the office started arriving my productivity went down with more distractions. Later I was able to telecommute for part of the week and only come into the physical office once or twice a week while my mother in law watched my small one. It was hard; you can't go at it half-assed; you have to constantly be assessing what needs to be done now for work and what needs to be done NOW for baby. Minute by minute triage. Sleep whenever you can and take your vitamins!