Returning to work after maternity leave can be one of the most stressful experiences in any woman’s career.
Having to get back into work mode through the haze of sleep deprivation, worry and guilt can make a position that was once your dream job seem like a nightmare. There is evidence that a quarter of women choose NOT to return to work after maternity leave, with a further proportion leaving within the first year.
Employing these five tips should help you have a trauma-free transition as you return to the career you love.
1 | Use your keeping in touch days:
Keeping in touch days are a terrific way to be aware of critical changes happening in your organisation.
They can be used to attend meetings, training sessions, conferences and even office parties. It is not unheard of for women to return to jobs and find that decisions have been made in their absence that affect the way they work. By not participating in the big decisions, returning mothers may find that the outcomes are not always in their favour. So let your manager know that would like to be informed of any crucial changes and decisions.
Whether attending a meeting via Skype or popping in for only a few hours, you are entitled to receive a full day’s pay for using your keeping in touch day.
2 | Be honest:
What support do you need to feel confident again? It is tempting to blame “baby brain” but the truth is that after any prolonged period of absence, tasks that you breezed through effortlessly will seem clunky and foreign.
Recognise areas where you would like some retaining and don’t be afraid to ask for the support you need.
Instead of jumping into your role, wade in slowly to allow yourself the mental space and time you need to refamiliarise yourself with the processes involved in your job. Make sure to give yourself some positive feedback and maybe even a treat with every little victory.
3 | Find a sisterhood:
You aren’t the first lady in your organisation to make this transition back to work and you won’t be the last.
Without open discussions about how scary the process can be, many women are left to feel that they are the only ones who have found the experience challenging.
Find other women who have returned to work after having a baby and get together for honest moans and hugs. You may find that they have already identified solutions to problems you are facing, or can guide you to avoid the pitfalls that they fell into.
4 | Working Patterns:
When it comes to working patterns try before you buy: Do not commit to any particular working pattern until you have given it a real life trial.
There are plenty of options of agile working available to employees such as part time, flexi time or working at home.
The only way to know if a working pattern is right for you and your family is to put it through a real-time test. It is only when you try a day of working from home that you may realise that your weekly team meetings clash with Mr Tumble or the pre-nap tantrum.
5. Know that the first three months will be tough:
… but it does get better: Everybody takes some time to adjust to juggling work and family.
In the first few months your little one is likely to become unwell as they are exposed to new viruses at the childcare facility. This is also the period where the mental load of redefining your identity as a professional can be extremely draining.
Worries about how to style yourself appropriately, whether you talk too much about your baby, if your colleagues think you aren’t pulling your weight and so on are well described by focus groups of women who have made this transition.
So, don’t give such worries too much attention. Push them aside and know that you will eventually find your stride.
