Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave: What to Expect

Returning to work after having a baby is often described as a “juggle”, a “balancing act”, or even a “marathon”—but let’s be real. Sometimes, it feels more like stepping into turbulence without a seatbelt.

One moment, you’re navigating nap schedules and nappy changes, and the next, you’re expected to switch into work mode, ready to perform as if you haven’t just undergone one of the biggest identity shifts of your life.

For many of us, it’s not just about logistics like childcare drop-offs, sleep deprivation, and figuring out how to make a cup of tea without reheating it five times. It’s also about rediscovering who we are in our careers now, what we want from work, and how to manage the weight of expectations—our own, our employers’, and society’s.

And here’s the thing: not every mother’s return-to-work experience is the same.

Some of us step back in with confidence, while others grapple with self-doubt. Some of us have supportive employers, while others face rigid policies that make flexible work feel like a career dead-end. Some of us have partners, family, or financial support, while others are navigating this alone.

This is where the concept of intersectionality comes in. And trust me, even if you’ve never heard of the word before, it might just help make sense of why some of us face bigger barriers than others.

What is Intersectionality (and Why Should Mamas Care)?

Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a legal scholar, to explain how different parts of our identity overlap to shape our experiences of privilege or discrimination.

Most of us don’t fit into just one identity box. We’re not just “mothers.” We’re also employees, partners, business owners, daughters, caregivers, women of colour, neurodivergent, single, middle-class, working-class—the list goes on.

And these layers don’t exist separately—they interact.

For example, two mothers returning to work might both struggle with mum guilt and career confidence, but their challenges could look completely different depending on their personal circumstances:

• A mum working part-time in a male-dominated industry may face career stagnation, while a mum in a female-led workplace might find more support.

• A single mother without a strong support system may have fewer choices when it comes to flexible work, compared to a mother with a partner who can share responsibilities.

• A woman of color returning to work may have to navigate not just motherhood bias, but also racial bias in her workplace.

• A mum with a disability may find that workplace policies aren’t built to accommodate both her accessibility needs and her caregiving responsibilities.

In short: motherhood isn’t a single experience—it’s shaped by everything else we carry.

Understanding intersectionality helps us see why some mothers struggle more than others when returning to work—not because they aren’t strong, ambitious, or capable, but because the systems around them weren’t built with their reality in mind.

Why This Matters for Working Mums

Too often, return-to-work support focuses on generic advice:

💡 “Just be more confident.”
💡 “Ask for flexibility.”
💡 “Lean in.”

But what if your workplace sees flexibility as a lack of ambition?
What if your confidence has taken a hit because you’ve been out of the workforce for years?
What if your biggest barrier isn’t self-belief, but a system that wasn’t built for mothers at all?

This is why Mama’s Flight Path exists—to acknowledge the real complexities of returning to work and help you find your own way forward, based on your unique circumstances, values, and ambitions.

Whether you’re full of career fire or still figuring out what you want, whether you’re returning to the same job or starting from scratch, whether you’re thriving or just surviving—you’re not alone.

What’s Next?

🎙️ In upcoming blogs and podcast episodes, we’ll be diving into real return-to-work stories, tackling topics like career confidence, identity shifts, navigating the mental load alongside tools so you can navigate your flight path.

🦩 I’d love to hear from you! What’s been your biggest challenge in returning to work? Drop a comment or message me—I want to make sure Mama’s Flight Path reflects the real stories of working mums.

Here’s to flying high and shining bright together.

Love and kindness

Jools