Navigating Career Anxiety During Maternity Leave: It's Okay to Need Support

Donna Davies

4/5/2026

You can be incredibly excited about having a baby and still worry about what maternity leave might mean for your career. You might find yourself thinking about whether your role will change while you're away, whether your colleagues will manage without you, or whether you'll feel the same about your job when you eventually return.

Perhaps you're worried about losing confidence, missing out on opportunities or feeling as though everyone else is moving forward while you're taking a step back. And then there's the guilt. You might feel guilty for thinking about work when you're supposed to be enjoying time with your baby, or guilty for wanting to return to your career when part of you wishes you could stay at home for longer.

If any of this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Maternity leave is a huge life transition. It's not simply a period away from work. Your priorities, routines, identity and responsibilities are all changing, and it's perfectly understandable that your career might feel like an uncertain part of that picture.

Why career anxiety can creep in during maternity leave

Before maternity leave, work probably takes up a significant part of your everyday life. You have responsibilities, colleagues, deadlines, routines and a clear idea of what your working week looks like. Then suddenly, that routine changes. Your attention is understandably focused on your baby, but that doesn't mean your professional identity disappears. You can love being a mum and still miss aspects of your working life. You can be looking forward to returning and still feel anxious about how it will work.

Some of the worries I hear women talk about include:

Being forgotten at work: Will people remember me when I'm not there? Will I miss out on important projects or opportunities?
Losing confidence: Will I still feel capable when I return? Will everything have moved on without me?
Career progression: Will taking maternity leave affect my chances of promotion or future opportunities?
Changing priorities: What if the job I loved before doesn't fit around my life in the same way anymore?
The return itself: How will I manage childcare, work responsibilities, tiredness and everything else that comes with being a working mum?

These concerns can feel particularly difficult because there isn't always an obvious answer. You can't predict exactly how you'll feel several months from now, and you don't need to have every decision made before your baby arrives.

You don't have to choose between being a good mum and having a career

One of the biggest pressures women can put on themselves is feeling that they need to be completely focused on motherhood during maternity leave. But your career is still part of who you are. Wanting to work, enjoying your job, having professional ambitions or looking forward to adult conversation doesn't make you any less committed to your baby. Equally, if you return to work and find that your priorities have changed, that's okay too.

You might discover that you want to work differently, reduce your hours, explore flexible working or take a different direction altogether. Or you might return feeling ready to pick up where you left off. There isn't a right or wrong response. Try not to put pressure on yourself to make big career decisions based on how you think you should feel. Give yourself time to work out what you actually want.

Practical ways to manage career anxiety during maternity leave

You don't need to spend your maternity leave worrying about work, but a little preparation and the right support can help you feel more confident about what comes next.

Here are a few things that might help.

2. Agree how you want to stay in touch

Some women like the reassurance of occasional contact with their workplace. Others would rather have a proper break from work. Neither approach is wrong.

Before you start maternity leave, have a conversation with your manager about how and when you would like to be contacted. The important thing is that contact should feel helpful, not like an obligation to keep up with everything while you're away.

1. Keep your expectations realistic

You don't need to return with a five-year career plan, and you certainly don't need to spend your maternity leave proving that you're still committed to your job.

Give yourself permission to take things one step at a time. If thinking about your return feels overwhelming, focus on the next conversation or decision rather than trying to work everything out at once.

3. Understand your options

Sometimes anxiety comes from not knowing what your return might look like. Would different working hours help? Could a phased return be possible? Would a change to your working pattern or location make childcare and family life easier?

You don't need to have all the answers straight away, but understanding your options can make the return feel less daunting.

4. Don't underestimate the emotional side of returning

Returning to work after maternity leave can bring up all sorts of feelings.
You might feel excited, nervous, sad, relieved or a combination of all of them. You may worry about leaving your baby, feel guilty about going back, or wonder how you're going to manage everything.

These feelings don't mean you've made the wrong decision.

Think about what support would make the transition easier, both at home and at work. That might mean discussing your return with your manager, agreeing priorities for your first few weeks, arranging childcare support or simply giving yourself time to settle back into a routine.

5. Talk about how you're feeling

It's easy to keep these worries to yourself, particularly if you feel you should be enjoying every moment of maternity leave.

But you don't have to and it's common to have these worries.

Talk to someone you trust, whether that's your partner, a friend, another mum or someone at work. If your anxiety is becoming difficult to manage or affecting your day-to-day wellbeing, speak to your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional.

You deserve support with how you're feeling, not just with the practical arrangements for returning to work.

A little preparation can make a big difference

One of the things I wish more women were encouraged to do is think about their return to work before they go on maternity leave. Not because you need to spend your maternity leave planning your career, but because knowing what conversations need to happen, what options are available and where to find support can take away some of the uncertainty.

Your maternity leave plan should look beyond your last day at work. It should include the things that will help you feel prepared for the whole transition, including the return. That means thinking about your handover, keeping in touch arrangements, annual leave, childcare, working patterns and the conversations you may need to have with your employer.

You don't need to sort everything out today. Just knowing that these things are part of the plan can make the whole process feel more manageable. For more guidance, have a read of the Returning to Work guidance.

You're not meant to figure all of this out alone

I know how easy it is to focus on getting everything ready for your baby and leave the questions about work and your own wellbeing until later. But you matter in this transition too.

Your career matters. Your confidence matters. Your wellbeing matters. And you deserve support that recognises you are navigating a huge change in your life, not simply taking a few months away from the office. At The Maternity Plan, I believe maternity leave should be planned as a whole journey, from preparing to leave work through to settling into life as a working mum again.

The Maternity Blueprint helps you bring the practical pieces together, so you're not trying to remember everything or work it all out on your own. Because your maternity leave should feel calm, not chaotic. You don't need more noise. You need a plan.

Explore The Maternity Blueprint

This article provides general information and support. If you're experiencing persistent anxiety or concerns about your mental health, speak to your GP or an appropriate healthcare professional.

Supporting working mums through every stage of maternity leave - clear, practical guidance that actually works in real life.