Navigating the Transition Back to Work After Maternity Leave

Returning to work after maternity leave is often described as “getting back to normal,” but for many parents, especially mothers, it’s anything but simple. This transition is one of the most emotionally complex and underestimated stages of the postpartum experience.

It’s not just logistical; it’s deeply personal. For many women, the return to work marks a collision of identities — the professional self, the caregiver, the partner, and the part still trying to recover physically and emotionally from birth.

As a postpartum therapist in Ontario, I’ve supported many mothers navigating this delicate balance, and one thing is clear: you’re not alone, and you’re not failing if this feels hard.

The Physical Transition

Your body has done something extraordinary, and it’s still healing. The return to work doesn’t signal the end of postpartum recovery; it’s simply another stage of it.

Hormonal fluctuations continue well beyond the early postpartum period and can affect energy, mood, focus, and emotional regulation. For parents who are breastfeeding or pumping, there’s the added physical and mental load of managing feeding schedules, finding private spaces, and maintaining supply which often falls between meetings or during breaks that are too short.

Fatigue, disrupted sleep, and ongoing hormonal shifts can all impact concentration and stamina at work. Research shows that parents returning to work often experience decreased energy, increased cognitive load, and difficulties with emotional regulation during the first few months (Saxbe et al., 2018).

If you find yourself struggling to keep up, it’s not a lack of resilience — it’s biology. Your body and mind are recalibrating after one of life’s biggest transformations.

The Emotional Transition

Emotionally, this phase can feel like a tug-of-war where you may be longing for professional purpose and adult conversation, while grieving the time lost with your baby.

Many parents describe feeling pulled between gratitude and guilt — wanting to enjoy their work yet feeling like they’re missing something sacred at home.

Unfortunately, many workplaces are not equipped to support postpartum mental health. A lack of understanding about perinatal anxiety, postpartum depression, or even the emotional impact of separation can make new parents feel unseen or invalidated.

This is where therapy for moms can help by creating a space to process the mixed emotions, rebuild confidence, and find balance.

The Mental Load

Even after returning to work, the mental load of parenting often remains disproportionately on mothers. From remembering appointments and daycare bags to managing household tasks, this invisible labour creates ongoing exhaustion.

Studies show that working mothers experience higher levels of role conflict and emotional exhaustion compared to non-parents or secondary caregivers (Offer, 2022).

The truth is, it’s not a personal failure — it’s a systemic gap. Society still expects mothers to parent as if they don’t work and work as if they don’t parent.

How Workplaces Can Do Better

For sustainable change, workplaces must go beyond parental leave policies and actively support parents returning from maternity leave.

Practical supports can include:

• Flexible or phased return schedules

• Paid time for mental health appointments or therapy

• Private, comfortable spaces for pumping or rest

• Manager training on postpartum transitions and perinatal mental health

• Access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) that include mental health therapy for mothers

A compassionate workplace doesn’t just retain staff — it fosters wellbeing, loyalty, and long-term success.

Evidence-based Strategies to Support Your Mental Health

If you’re navigating the transition back to work after maternity leave, here are some practical, evidence-backed ways to protect your mental health:

1. Redefine success.

Some days are about simply showing up. Focus on sustainability, not perfection.

2. Communicate boundaries early.

Be clear about your work hours and flexibility. Boundaries are not barriers, they’re self-protection.

3. Create mindful reset moments.

Even brief pauses including deep breathing, short walks, quiet reflection, have been shown to lower stress hormones and support emotional regulation (Creswell et al., 2019).

4. Delegate and share the load.

Work with your partner or support system to divide responsibilities equitably, not equally.

5. Seek connection.

Talking with peers or joining postpartum support groups can buffer stress and reduce isolation (Goodman et al., 2020).

6. Prioritize therapy and self-compassion.

Working with a perinatal or postpartum therapist can help you process identity changes, manage anxiety, and set healthy expectations. Check out the PSI provider directory for therapists trained in perinatal mental health.

A Final Reminder

This transition can bring exhaustion, guilt, and uncertainty — and that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re navigating something profoundly human. With the right support and care, you can find steadiness again in your own time.

You are not behind. You are adapting. You are becoming.

And even when it feels like too much, remember that you are doing enough.

If you’re struggling to adjust or simply want space to process what this change means for you, therapy can help you find steadiness in the middle of it all.

👉Learn more or book a free consultation at TTYL Psychotherapy.

References

Creswell, J. D., Lindsay, E. K., & Villalba, D. K. (2019). Mindfulness training and stress resilience: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 145(10), 1043–1072.

Goodman, J. H., Watson, G. R., & Stubbs, B. (2020). Peer support interventions for postpartum mental health: A systematic review. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 23(2), 189–205.

Offer, S. (2022). The persistent gendered division of domestic labor and its consequences for working parents. Journal of Family Issues, 43(7), 1738–1759.

Saxbe, D. E., Schetter, C. D., Simon, C. D., Adam, E. K., & Shalowitz, M. U. (2018). Sleep quality predicts postpartum mood, and relationship quality buffers effects of poor sleep on depression symptoms. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(4), 518–528.