Diary of a career mum – a week of my (crazy) life

I often refer to my life as being a bit crazy right now, trying to combine a full time investment banking job, being a mum to my 22-month old daughter while being 6-months pregnant with my son. So to shed some light on how my life actually looks like on a daily basis, I kept a diary last week. Maybe one day I’ll read it and laugh and think “oh darling, that was NOTHING!” or maybe I’ll wonder how I pulled through it. We shall see! 😄

For those who don’t know, I work as a bond originator in Debt Capital Markets in London.

Monday

6.30am – Maia wakes us up and as usual, goes downstairs with her daddy for breakfast. I get up as well and wash and dry my hair in record speed, and pack my carry-on luggage for an overnight trip. I have precious ten minutes of cuddles on the sofa with Maia while she has her morning milk and watches cartoons, and while her dad gets ready for work.

7.30am – I leave the house to rush into the City for my usual morning meeting at 8.15am with DCM and Syndicate teams (we have a market briefing every other morning) – why am I always running late??

9am – I grab take away breakfast (no idea what it was) and scoff it down while frantically working on the final meeting prep for my own meetings in Finland and my boss’s meetings in Denmark the next day.

2pm – I gather my stuff and make a dash for the airport, eating a Pret sandwich on the tube. I read emails on my phone during the journey to Heathrow airport. We’ve gotten on a new deal which changes the schedule for the rest of the week, including my personal life as I have to reschedule the nursery school visit and cancel the pregnancy Pilates class I had booked – there was no way I could possibly make either this week.

3pm – I buy a bag of snacks from the airport and make my way to the gate. I get there just as they accounted “Gate closing”. Travelling alone when 6-months pregnant feels quite hard work, although I’d packed very light and didn’t have much to carry. But you know, just getting me and the bump from A to B on time is tiring.

4pm – I’m happy to be sat on my seat on the plane. I have the three-hour flight to go through my presentation material for the following day as well as the 200 unread emails from the previous week when I was too sick to read and respond to them. Quickly before I lose connection I email the headteacher at the nursery school to beg for another date for a school visit. I also email a maternity photographer about a bump shoot.

9pm – I land in Helsinki. My dad’s come to get me. I’m staying at his house instead of a hotel. I’m tired but I don’t see my family often so we stay up to catch up over a cup of tea. This is the highlight of my trip! I go to bed at midnight dreading the morning.

Tuesday

7am (5am UK time) – I wake up, shower and get ready. I have breakfast with my dad. He’s retired and has promised to drive me to the city centre for my first meeting.

8.55am – I’m still stuck in traffic getting very stressed out. My colleague is likewise late. Apparently there is an important EU meeting in Helsinki and there are police everywhere and roads closed. I email the client and apologise for the delay. The day isn’t starting well…

12.30pm – I’ve finished three back to back client meetings and they’ve all gone well! We have an hour to spare so I take my colleague to a lunch restaurant for a some traditional Finnish food – stuffed cabbage rolls with lingonberries and potato mash. The waitress said to me in Finnish that I shouldn’t have suggested that dish to a guest from Paris but hey ho! It’s what my grandma would have served.

2pm – Last of my four meetings. Adrenaline and lunch give me energy and it goes well.

3pm – I order a taxi to the airport. To my surprise it’s very busy (on a Tuesday afternoon!!??). Walking through the airport on my own I give my baby bump a stroke and suddenly I miss Maia a lot. It makes me tear up that I won’t get to see her today. I text my husband to ask him to take and send a video of Maia before her bedtime. I buy two Finnish pocket books but on the plane I’m too tired to read. But I can’t get comfortable enough to sleep either. It feels like a very long flight.

6.30pm (UK time) – I land at Heathrow and start my 1.5h journey home. It takes such a long time to get out of the airport and all the way to central London! Makes me wish we’d live on the west side of the city instead of the north.

8pm – I get home and crash on the sofa to watch my favourite tv show ever, the Great British Bake Off. The perfect wind down programme after a busy day.

Wednesday

6.30am – Maia wakes up and my husband brings her in for a cuddle. I have not seen her in 48h and we are both desperate to see each other. But I don’t have much time for her (client call at 7am) and she gets very upset when her daddy took her downstairs for breakfast so that I could take my call in peace… 💔

7.00am – A controversial decision, I took a DD call from home instead of going to the office for 7am (honestly, I just couldn’t wake up early enough after the travelling the day before).

7.30am – Another deal related client call after which I shoot off and head to the office. I wish I could give my girl a squeeze before I go (or even a wave) but that wouldn’t be fair because she’s finally settled down and is playing nicely downstairs with daddy… On my way to work I call the fitness studio to cancel my lunchtime pregnancy Pilates class, which obviously was not going to happen today. It’s too late be refunded but I beg the lady on the phone to make an exception just this once (I’m successful).

8.30am – I’m very busy with following up on a few things from yesterday’s meetings, preparing presentation material for the next client meeting (on Thursday) and reading and responding to emails.

1pm – Full afternoon with meetings with my boss, his boss and his boss to discuss business strategy and changes to our team (we need to recruit two new people). Finally, I have our weekly meeting with the whole FIG team.

5.50pm – I’m getting ready to go but get asked by my boss to do something that he needs ASAP. I swallow my frustration and text the nanny I’ll be running late…

6.45pm – I get home (only) half an hour late (phew!) and Maia’s nanny has already bathed her. Maia wants a hug and I’m happy to accommodate. We have a nice long cuddle and then we sit down for a bedtime story (or three). She gets a bit upset when it’s time for bed, she doesn’t actually cry but just sobs a bit so I stay in her room for a bit longer and sing to her. To be honest I don’t want to leave her either.

7.30pm – I get my work laptop out and type up meeting notes from the day before and send them to my bosses. While I do that, I munch the Finnish souvenir chocolates my dad had given me. I’m starving and tired. A bad call but the chocolate made me feel good and I get through my work (#survivalmode). My husband gets home by 8pm and (thank god) he makes dinner. I put a wash on because I’m out of office-appropriate maternity wear and I have a client event tomorrow.

9.30pm – I finish working and decide to run a bath to relax. But Maia’s used all hot water so my bath is lukewarm… I hang up laundry and dry my hair and go to bed.

10pm – I jump out of bed as I realise I’ve forgotten to pick the menu for next week’s food order. We have a weekly order from Hello Fresh who deliver recipe boxes with ingredients and instructions. I pick our three meals on the app and go back to bed wondering what else I’ve forgotten. Definitely need to order wellies for Maia next time I get a free minute, I think to myself.

Thursday

6.30am – I get up and get ready to go I’m for an early client call. I don’t see Maia because we agree with my husband it’s better not to upset her since I’m in a rush. I take a quick selfie because today I’m exactly 23-weeks pregnant. I curl my hair because of the client event later that day but that’s a waste because the weather is dreadful and my hair is flat by the time I get to the train station.

8am – Deal-related client call which doesn’t lead to a launch today do I can shift my focus to finish the meeting prep for a meeting at 10am. I grab a yoghurt 5-minutes before the meeting starts.

1pm – I go out to fetch take away lunch. I go for Vietnamese buns because I’m craving for something comforting and I will be working late so a salad won’t cut it. While I queue for my lunch I post my picture on Instagram- my only post of the week… The afternoon is busy as I need to send revised bond pricing updates to the key clients as the market has moved while I’ve been out of the office travelling.

5pm – I leave the office with two colleagues to join a client event. We walk to the venue and I try not to complain about the speed although I struggle a bit to keep up. My husband cancelled his work event to be able to come home for 6.30pm for Maia. We always aim to have one of us put Maia to bed even if our nanny would be available. Parent is a parent.

8pm – After 2.5 hours of presentations I’m tired and starving but the second part of the event is only starting. Amongst the networking and mingling with clients and competitors, we are offered drinks and canapés (to which I help myself in a very unladylike fashion – did I mention I was starving?). The evening is interesting and the venue The Trinity House is exquisite, but standing up for so long, wearing heels and a dress, was a challenge for this preggo mummy.

9.55pm – Just before the taxis arrive to take the hosts and guests to the next destination (a west end bar) I make my discreet exit.

10pm – Very happy to be at home. I wish I could go to sleep straight away, but I need to calm my mind after the busy day so I watch tv for an hour knitting a baby blanket for my boy.

Friday

7am – I get up a bit late feeling exhausted and with an aching back. I decide to wear trainers to work despite breaking the dress code. I don’t rush to work as I want to spend some time with Maia who is adorable and giving mummy lots of hugs and kisses – I love her so much!

7.50am – I leave knowing I’ll be late. I dial-in to an internal meeting on the train.

9am – After a few calls I finish up sending the weekly pricing updates and respond to a client enquiry. My boss drops off a list of things to prepare for the next week’s meetings in Stockholm.

12pm – I attend an internal presentation on Sustainable Financing. It’s a very interesting topic and because I’m the “green champion” in my team, I consider it very relevant. The fact that the speaker is the head of my department also matters… I grab a chicken wrap from Pod for lunch as I walk back to the office.

2pm – I get back to the office with a few new ideas related to Green Bonds (thanks to the presentation) and call a few internal people to test my ideas. The response isn’t enthusiastic and because I’m busy I decide to pick up the topic again when I have more time. I spend the rest of the afternoon preparing for the upcoming meetings. I have a lot to do but I’m getting tired and I’m not very efficient.

6pm – I leave to go home. I’ve been invited to our friend’s engagement party but I feel too tired and achy to go anywhere. I’m also desperate to see Maia before she goes to bed. I haven’t got a sitter for the evening anyway… So my husband goes without me.

7pm – Maia is asleep after many cuddles with mummy. I’m too tired to make dinner for myself so I sit on the sofa with a bowl of cereal.

8pm – I spend the evening alone (since my husband is at the engagement party) knitting the baby blanket and watching my two other favourite tv shows “The Great British Bake Off – An Extra Slice” and “Gogglebox” (you know I’ve learned a lot about the British culture from these shows!). I put on a load of washing and do some tidying up in the house with a sheet mask on my face to make up for the lack of sleep this week.

11pm – My husband gets home and we go to bed (I usually wait up when he’s out).

Saturday

6.30am – Maia wakes us up as usual. I’ve promised to get up with her but my husband says it’s better I sleep so I actually have a lie in until 9am!! Bliss!

9am – I have a shower and go downstairs to have breakfast with my family. Maia and daddy were having fun with play dough. I spend two hours playing with Maia.

11.30am – I order an Uber and head to West London for a brunch with three of my girl friends! I feel tired but I know I’ll enjoy seeing my friends – I don’t have enough time for my friends nowadays… Delicious food and a girly catch up at Beany Green – a trendy and very non-child friendly cafe, haha! Sometimes it’s nice to get a break from both work and mum life. Although one of my friends is also expecting her second baby and so of course we ended up talking about our kids and pregnancies. 😊

12.30 – While I’m enjoying my girly brunch, Maia and daddy go to Gymboree for soft play. Gymboree’s open gym session is a great shout when the weather is poor and outdoor activities are a no-go.

3pm – I get home and manage to have a cup of tea with my husband before Maia wakes up from her nap. She’s a bit cranky but cheers up after a cuddle on the sofa and an episode of Peppa Pig, eating a snack.

4pm – I go out with Maia while my husband goes to the gym. We walk to the garden centre in our neighbourhood to look at all the different flowers and pumpkins (Halloween is coming!). Maia has fun there! We don’t buy anything, just wander around. Then we walk to the playground so she can have another run around.

5.30pm – We come back home for Maia’s dinner. After being such a good girl all day she’s actually very naughty at the dinner table and barely eats anything which is very frustrating. In the end I give up (again) and give her some Greek yoghurt and fruit.

6.30pm – Maia’s daddy gives her a bath and then I get her ready for bed. We read a few books and have a cuddle. After I put her down, I go to our bedroom for a lie down while my husband (the absolute hero) prepares dinner.

7.30pm – For the first time this week we sit down together to have dinner, home made burgers and chips yum! Afterwards we tidy up the kitchen and go upstairs to sit on the sofa to watch tv. I do some online shopping on my phone and order Maia new clothes for autumn including wellies and waterproof dungarees. Looks like the bad weather is here to stay so we better get prepared!

10pm – Everyone is asleep.

Sunday

7am – Maia treats us all to a lie in! Again I get to continue my sleep until 9am and honestly I wake up a new woman! It’s pouring down rain which is a bit depressing but I’m determined to spend some quality time with Maia today.

10am – Maia and I go to our neighbourhood church for Sunday School while daddy hits the gym. We sing a bit and then do some arts and crafts – bees and lady bird finger puppets ahead of the celebration of harvest next week. I chat to a mum with a girl same age as Maia who knows Maia from the playground. She’s also pregnant and due January – maybe someone to have play dates with in the future! Maia is a bit shy again but enjoys the activities.

11.30am – We come back home for Maia’s lunch. She asks for “food” and eats quite nicely. Her dad gets home. I’m starting to doze off on the sofa and decide to go upstairs for a lie down while Oli puts Maia down for a nap. I sleep for 1.5 hours!

3.30pm – We plan to go out but the weather is dreadful. Then I have my best idea of the week and we drive to the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood. I’ve never been there before and I’m not sure if they have anything for Maia’s age but I’m positively surprised! Maia loved the sensory area with the lights and a few other more interactive activities. She was squealing and jumping of excitement which made my day! I enjoyed the toy exhibits too but Maia got a bit annoyed that we couldn’t open the glass cabinet doors to take the toys out! 😄 But she enjoyed watching the miniature trains on tracks.

6pm – We get home for Maia’s dinner and soon after it was time for her bath and bed. I sit down to write this blog post while my husband takes care of the bedtime routine.

7pm – I start preparing dinner. I make one of the Hello Fresh meals, “Fruity Lebanese Lamb”. I feel tired but once I get cooking I quite enjoy it (I never thought I’d say that!). After dinner, I finish writing this post and get ready for bed. I feel like I should have done some work this weekend because I’ll be so busy next week, but I don’t feel like sacrificing my Sunday evening… I just check my emails and calendar to know what’s coming tomorrow.

And that’s it! I’ve made it through another week.

This week I wasn’t at home much so compared to weeks when I don’t travel, I had less time with Maia and my husband and also had less time for household chores. We have weekly cleaner, and while it helps it’s not enough to keep the chaos under control. But when I’m home in the evenings, I have more time for my family and get more done around the house too. On some weeks my husband is travelling and that’s when I take on more responsibility at home (unless, as sometimes happens, we are both away). Often though, our nanny ends up working overtime like this week. We are lucky to have that flexibility because I’m not quite sure how we could make our schedules work otherwise!

On “better” weeks I try to fit in some exercise but this week I didn’t manage to. 😞 Also the condition of my nails is horrifying and I can’t remember when I last shaved my legs, but you know what, I don’t care. If I can steal an hour to myself next week I’ll go for a pregnancy massage. But on the priority list for next week I have that school visit – I really can’t cancel again or Maia will end up with no school spot! 😱

At the moment I really live for the weekends. It’s not because I hate my job or anything, I don’t, but the pace is so hectic that especially now that I’m pregnant I just physically need more rest to enjoy my life. And I miss Maia so much! I love spending time with her, even though it can be very full on.

What I haven’t mentioned above are the many baby kicks I’m getting these days! They are such a lovely reminder of the wonderful journey I’m on and the exciting times ahead.

Two more months of work ahead before I’ll be hanging up my business suit and swapping to mummy leggings. I cannot wait! ❤️

xoxoxo,

Sini