Returning to work after maternity leave — what actually helped me
The unglamorous, slightly wobbly truth about going back to work, and the few things that genuinely made it easier.
Returning to work after maternity leave is one of those things everyone has an opinion on, and almost none of those opinions match what it actually feels like at 6:42am on a Tuesday.
The bits no one warns you about
- You will forget how to use the office printer.
- You will be weirdly emotional about a spreadsheet.
- Your brain works fine, it just needs a slightly longer runway.
What actually helped
- A soft launch. I went back three days a week for the first month. It made everything easier.
- A handover doc to myself. Past-me wrote future-me a list of "where I left things". Genuinely lifesaving.
- Lowering the bar on weeknight dinners. Beans on toast is a complete meal. I will not be taking questions.
If you're heading back soon — be kind to yourself. The first two weeks are the hardest. After that, your new normal quietly settles in.