{"id":238970,"date":"2026-03-11T12:42:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/?post_type=blog&p=238970"},"modified":"2026-03-11T12:44:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:44:33","slug":"returning-to-work-after-maternity-leave","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/blog\/returning-to-work-after-maternity-leave","title":{"rendered":"Returning to work after maternity leave: The quiet pressure no one talks about"},"content":{"rendered":"

Returning to work after maternity leave\u00a0brings with it a storm of\u00a0emotions.\u00a0It’s\u00a0a\u00a0storm\u00a0that, in my experience,\u00a0I\u00a0don’t\u00a0think you can fully prepare for,\u00a0no matter how many times\u00a0you’ve\u00a0done it.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is my third maternity leave at the same company. I work part-time, I know my role, and I should feel confident walking back through those doors. But instead, the pressure feels heavier than ever. The pressure to perform. To achieve. To prove that I still belong here. <\/p>\n

Some of that pressure comes from the usual workplace realities: expectations, deadlines, targets. But, if I\u2019m being honest, most of it actually comes from within. There is a feeling like we have something to prove. Like I need to show that having another baby hasn\u2019t diluted my ability, my ambition, or my worth at work. <\/p>\n

And that pressure doesn\u2019t exist in isolation. <\/p>\n

Alongside it sits mum guilt. Wife guilt. Work guilt. The constant balancing act of trying to be the best version of yourself in every role you play. You want to be present at home. You want to be reliable at work. You want to be supportive, productive, switched on, and calm through it all.  <\/p>\n

But the reality? It\u2019s tough.  <\/p>\n

Things slip off the radar. Mistakes are made. Emails get missed. Balls get dropped. And when they do, the guilt piles on even more. You tell yourself you should be coping better. That you should have this figured out by now. But it all feels so alien and you\u2019ve lost a little faith in your brain power and its ability to keep on top of everything at work and back at home.  
 
Then there is the physical ache of wanting to be with your child every second and not miss a moment, combined with the pull from the \u2018big successful career\u2019 version of you that\u2019s desperate to have financial independence again and contribute to the household.  <\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the solution? Honestly, I don\u2019t think there is a neat one. <\/p>\n

I think as mums, there will always be a quiet undercurrent of guilt. A feeling that we\u2019re falling short somewhere, that we\u2019re not quite enough in one area or another. That feeling doesn\u2019t magically disappear when maternity leave ends, it just changes shape. 
 
We talk about how we\u2019re ready to get back to the rat-race, the routine, the structure, the adult world of working, earning and feeling valid. <\/p>\n

What\u202fdoes<\/em>\u202fhelp is support\u00a0<\/h2>\n

A supportive workplace that understands\u00a0you’re\u00a0human, not a machine. A supportive network around you,\u00a0family, friends, partners,\u00a0who help carry the load when it feels too heavy. And\u00a0maybe most\u00a0importantly, learning to go a little easier on yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Try not to put so much pressure on. Try not to expect perfection.\u00a0You’re\u00a0doing the best you can with the energy, time, and capacity you have right now,\u00a0and that\u00a0has to\u00a0be enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Because returning to work after maternity leave\u00a0isn’t\u00a0just about picking\u00a0up where you left off.\u00a0It’s\u00a0about rebuilding confidence, redefining balance, and giving yourself permission to grow into this\u00a0new version\u00a0of you\u00a0at your own pace.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A few\u00a0things\u00a0that could help along the way\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Use your KIT days<\/h3>\n

To\u00a0alleviate\u00a0the feeling of being the ‘new girl’ again, ensure you use your\u00a0KIT Day\u00a0allowance whilst on maternity leave. This gives you a chance to dip your toes back in the water. No pressure, no deadlines, no targets. Just friendly, familiar faces to\u00a0help remind you\u00a0what’s\u00a0on the other side\u00a0waiting for your return. It will also allow the baby the space to grow and explore without you.<\/p>\n

Treat your\u00a0KIT day\u00a0as a practice run<\/h3>\n

A\u00a0KIT day\u00a0can also act as a test run for your new routine. You can practise the morning schedule, childcare\u00a0arrangements\u00a0and commute. It helps you\u00a0identify\u00a0what works and what needs adjusting before returning fully.\u00a0As well as how many coffees are needed to get you through!<\/p>\n

Stay in touch with colleagues\u00a0<\/h3>\n

It can be easy to disappear completely while on maternity leave. Sometimes that space is needed, but\u00a0maintaining\u00a0occasional contact can make the return much smoother.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A quick message, a coffee catch-up or a short visit to the office\u00a0with baby in tow\u00a0can help keep relationships strong.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Share updates<\/h3>\n

Something that worked well for me was sharing the occasional baby update with my team. In return, colleagues shared updates about what was happening at work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It helped me still feel connected and reminded me that I was part of something, even while away.<\/p>\n

Finding your stride again\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n

I am genuinely happy to be back at work. In many ways, I think working makes me a better mum. And being a mum has also made me a better marketer. It takes a few weeks\u00a0to find\u00a0your stride again.\u00a0Sometimes weeks, sometimes\u00a0months.\u00a0But with the right support and balance, you make it work, and gradually things start to fall into place. Interestingly, the contrast between work and home often makes you appreciate\u00a0and cherish\u00a0both more.\u00a0
\u00a0
So if you are returning from maternity leave, good luck,\u00a0you’ve\u00a0got this!<\/strong>\u00a0And remember,\u00a0be\u00a0gentle on yourself,\u00a0we’re\u00a0all just human beings navigating (and quite often\u00a0winging) this journey.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spotler\u2019s Campaign Manager talks about the storm of emotions that comes from returning to work after maternity leave.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":238971,"template":"","cat_industry":[],"cat_topic":[],"class_list":["post-238970","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/238970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/82"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/238970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":238979,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/238970\/revisions\/238979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cat_industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cat_industry?post=238970"},{"taxonomy":"cat_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cat_topic?post=238970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}