Returning to Work After Maternity Leave? Here Are 5 Ways to Make the Transition Easier
According to research from Maternity Action [1], new mothers in the UK take an average of 39 weeks of maternity leave. After almost nine months at home with your newborn, it’s understandable if the transition back to work may seem daunting.
There are no hard and fast rules about when you should return to work or even how you should feel about returning to work. What’s important is that you do what feels right for you and your family. Some mothers may be itching to get back to work, while others may feel emotional about it – either way, here are some helpful ways to make the transition that bit easier.
1.Start Early Conversations with Your Employer
Consider speaking to your employer a few weeks before you are due back to work so you can discuss expectations and boundaries. Informing your employer in advance of any changes you may want – or need – will help avoid conflicts between your parental and work responsibilities, while also enhancing your work-life balance.
2.Consider a Phased Return
Speak to your employer about the possibility of a phased return to work. For example, you could use your accrued annual leave to work shorter days or weeks for the first month or two. You may even be able to temporarily reduce your hours to help you adjust and ease back into working life.
3. Get organised
In the weeks leading up to the end of your maternity leave make sure you have made all the preparations you need to feel organised and ready for returning to work. This could include arranging childcare, creating a list of emergency contacts or putting a plan in place for expressing milk.
It may also be helpful to create a schedule for you and your baby that includes a checklist of everything you need to do before you leave for work to help you stay organised. This can help you remember to pack essential items for the baby when at childcare such as nappies or a change of clothes.
4. Make Time for Yourself
This is an important one. When you have so much to think about, it can be easy to forget about taking the time to take care of yourself. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, that you are eating well and that you take time for self-care. Looking after yourself can help you better deal with stress and can help you feel more confident and focused at work.
5. Create a Support Network
Before returning to work, it can help to build a support network of friends, family, or colleagues you trust and feel comfortable talking to. Having people you can speak to openly about your feelings can make the transition feel less overwhelming and help you process any worries or uncertainties.
Many parents also find it helpful to speak with others who have already returned to work after maternity leave, as their experiences can offer reassurance and practical insight into what to expect.
If you are planning your return to work while pregnant or after having your baby, it may also help to have early conversations with your employer about flexibility, phased returns, or childcare arrangements, so you feel more prepared ahead of time.
These kinds of conversations and connections can make the transition back to work feel more supported and manageable.
Feel More Prepared for What Comes Next
Alongside practical and emotional support, many expectant parents also find it helpful to feel well-informed about pregnancy, birth, and the early postnatal period.
Antenatal by Cells4Life is an online antenatal course designed to help you prepare with confidence. Led by Cass McNamara, a midwife with 27 years of experience, BBC Scotland’s Ask the Midwife, and inventor of the CUB, the course provides clear, evidence-based guidance on pregnancy, labour, birth, infant feeding, and early parenthood.
[1] Maternity Action Shared Parental Leave