Tips For Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave
Returning to work after maternity leave can feel like stepping into someone else’s life. Your body’s different. Your priorities are different. And suddenly, the desk you once called your second home looks a little unfamiliar. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just change — and change, while tough, can also be a quiet kind of beautiful. You’re not just resuming a job. You’re figuring out how to carry two worlds — motherhood and career — in the same pair of tired arms. And somehow, you will.
Redefine Your Routine
Before your baby, you may have breezed through mornings with coffee in hand and music playing. Now, mornings might feel like a marathon before 8 a.m. Everything’s louder. More urgent. Stickier. But routines don’t have to be perfect to work — they just need to be yours.
Start with the basics. What has to happen? What can slide? Getting out the door with a baby is basically a superpower, so don’t underestimate the small wins. Give yourself a routine that bends with your life, not one that snaps under pressure.
Communicate With Your Employer
It might feel awkward, but it’s worth having an honest conversation with your boss before you’re back in the office full-time. Lay it out. What’s changed for you? What do you need? Maybe it’s flexibility around your hours. Maybe you need to pump during the day, and you’re not sure where or how. You’re not asking for favors — you’re setting expectations. The workplace might’ve moved on a bit while you were away, but now it’s time to reintroduce yourself. You haven’t lost your edge — you’ve just added a few new priorities to the list.
Give Yourself Grace
It’s okay if you don’t bounce back. It’s okay if you don’t even want to. You’re not “getting back to normal” — you’re building something new. So, if you’re crying in your car before work, or if your brain feels like mashed potatoes halfway through the day, take a breath. You’re not broken. The pressure to perform like nothing’s changed? It’s heavy. You don’t have to carry it. Instead, let yourself be human. Be a little slower, a little softer. Productivity can wait. Grace can’t.
Plan A Gentle Reentry
Going from around-the-clock baby time to back-to-back meetings is…jarring, to say the least. If you can, ease into it. A couple of half-days. A week of remote work. A soft landing instead of a crash. Some workplaces get it and offer a phased return. Others might not. Ask anyway. You’re not asking for luxury — just a little room to breathe while you find your footing. And if you’re the one managing expectations, schedule light. Avoid diving headfirst into major deadlines on day one. You don’t have to impress anyone.
Rely On A Support Network
You need people. Real ones. The kind who won’t flinch when you text “I can’t do this today.” Other working moms are gold here — they know the juggle, the guilt, the invisible mental checklist that never stops running. Don’t be afraid to lean on someone. You are not the only one who’s ever cried in a work bathroom. You won’t be the last.
Find Reliable Childcare You Trust
No lie — this is often the hardest part. Letting someone else care for your baby while you work is an emotional landmine. But the right childcare can change everything. It gives you peace, lets you focus, and makes the whole thing feel possible. For toddlers and older babies, preschool programs can offer more than just babysitting — they can give structure, stimulation, and even social skills while you’re juggling spreadsheets and Teams calls. Knowing your child is in good hands is half the battle. The other half? Believing you made the right choice — and you did.
Celebrate This New Chapter
Don’t downplay what you’re doing. You didn’t just “go back to work.” You showed up. With milk-stained clothes and sleep-deprived eyes, you showed up. That’s something to celebrate. Buy the fancy coffee. Take the extra-long lunch break if it’s quiet. Mark the moment however you can. You’ve made it through sleepless nights and postpartum changes, and now you’re balancing meetings with meltdowns — your own and the baby’s. That deserves more than applause. That deserves awe.
So yeah, it’s a lot. It’s messy. It’s unpredictable. But so are all the best things in life. This isn’t about “doing it all.” It’s about doing enough. And most days, you already are. Let that be enough. You’re not just a working mom now. You’re a whole new version of yourself — and she’s doing a good job.
