Father stay home with newborn while mum works?

Not quite the same but I stayed home for the 14 weeks and then went back part time (1.5 hours in the evenings and 4 hours on a Saturday) then at 6 months went back to work full time. DH left his job and was a stay home dad for 1.5 years. Worked for us! I also earn a lot more than DH so the decision wasn't hard in our eyes.

I work fulltime and hubby stays home too. That said, there is no way I'd be ready to go back to work at 14 weeks. I breastfeed and won't change that, but I hate expressing, and more importantly, but babies have both had severe reflux and I haven't had anything remotely like sleep until they were 6 months, and then sleep has stayed pretty scarce until 1.

So we have gone hard out cutting expenses and saving so that I don't have to go back right away. With bub number2, I went back 2 days a week (1 in the office, 1 at home) at 6 months, and 4 days a week from 9 months until she was 15 months when i went back fulltime. The 4 days started out being 2 at work and 2 at home and as bub became less dependent on feeds during the day I increased the days in the office.

I am very lucky to have such a flexible job, I know, but it is very important to us to have the financial flexibility to allow it too. What will happen if you finish work at 38 weeks, go 2 weeks overdue (I do!) and are heartbroken at the idea of going back when baby is 10 weeks old? It can work, and now I LOVE being the working parent, but i do think having some flexibility so that you don't HAVE to rush it is a very good thing if you can possibly scrimp and save to allow it.

Kim- I am doing the exact same thing.

I got my degree literally a month before I found out I was pregnant with our first. I was lucky - I applied for and got a really good, but demanding job. I wasn't there for 6 months before I had to go on maternity leave so had to take unpaid leave to have the baby which really limited how long I could take off.
I went back to work full-time when bubs was 5 weeks old. (He is now almost 9 weeks)

Having Dad at home with bubs is great, I feel that its better than him going into care at such a young age and Dad really seems to love it!

I guess the biggest problem I discovered was 'disconnecting' with my son. Whilst I was pregnant it played on my mind so much - I knew I was going to have to leave him early on. Now I feel the bond between mother and son is at its weakest and I feel terrible. I barely get chance to see him and Im so tired from working that I'm glad to climb into bed at night and know that Daddy will cover any night feeds (but now he's now sleeping all night!). Daddy has set the routine and at the weekends I feel so out of sync that I just make a mess! Now being at work is easier, cos at least I know what I'm doing.

I don't know how men go back to work and deal with all of these feelings or is it due to the way they bond? I mean, we spend 9 months growing and nurturing the baby so leaving them at home everyday feels like abandoning them.
I'm really struggling, and off to see my GP next week cos I'm pretty sure I'm suffering with PND now.

I also struggle to talk to my man about it which makes it so much harder. Make sure you guys really talk about how you feel about the role change and how you are going to support each other. Make sure you also set up ways to get 'special' time with your bubba to make the most of the time you aren't at work to maintain a healthy relationship with bubs.

It's not been the way I had planned but I know that it is the best situation for my family.
The most important thing is that our little one is loved, healthy and with his family and that I a doing everything I can to maintain that.

Hope you guys work it out!
Be great to hear your experience!