Returning to Work
The comeback you actually want, not the one you're bracing for
Going back to work after maternity leave is one of the biggest transitions in your whole career, and almost nobody prepares you for it.
Maybe you're genuinely excited to get back to your career and anxious all at once. Second-guessing yourself before you've even walked through the door. Carrying that mum guilt in one hand and the pressure to hit the ground running in the other, all while managing childcare, broken sleep, and the strange feeling that the last year both crawled and flew by.
You're already rehearsing how you'll prove you've still got it. And you haven't even started yet.
Here's what I want you to know: the wobble isn't a sign you can't do this. It's a sign nobody's given you clarity on what your return is actually meant to look like now, so you're trying to be the woman you were before and the mum you are now, all at the same time. That's exhausting, and it isn't the deal.
You're not alone if…
You find it hard to say no, put your own needs first, or ask for what you need without worrying you'll disappoint someone
You find it hard to say no, put your own needs first, or ask for what you need without worrying you'll disappoint someone
You're unsure how to set healthy boundaries with your manager, your team, or even at home
You're carrying mum guilt, while also feeling frustrated that your career and ambitions might need to look different now
You worry about brain fog, confidence dips, or being caught off guard in a conversation and not knowing what to say in the moment
Imposter syndrome has crept in, quietly asking whether you're still as capable and credible as you were before
You worry that asking for flexibility will make you look less committed to a career you worked so hard for
You're trying to be a great mum and a successful professional without feeling like you're constantly trading one for the other.
If you're nodding at even half of these, you're exactly who I built this for.
There's a different way to come back
You don't have to white-knuckle your way through the first six months and hope you settle eventually.
With the right support, you can walk back in with clarity about what actually matters, confidence in your own judgement, and practical strategies for the moments that used to rattle you.
You can set boundaries without guilt, ask for flexibility without apology, and deliver brilliant work without sacrificing the mum you want to be at home.
Because sometimes the door isn't closed. It just needs a different key.
Introducing Confident Comeback
Confident Comeback is my coaching programme for mums returning to work after maternity leave.
It's designed to take you from anxious and second-guessing to calm, clear and genuinely confident, so your return is something you step into, not something you survive.
Drawing on 22 years of HR leadership experience, I know exactly how these returns go, where the pitfalls are, and how to help you navigate them, because I've sat on both sides of the table, and I've walked back through that door myself.
Want to discuss your return to work?
Whether you're already back and know there's got to be a better way, or planning a return that's still months away, the best place to start is a conversation.