Returning to work after maternity leave: a challenge for mothers' mental health

Each year, World Health Day highlights a key issue for the well-being of millions of people. Starting next week, LWHO chooses to focus on women's and infant health. A theme that particularly resonates with a pivotal moment in the lives of young parents and especially young mothers: Returning to work after maternity leave.

Going from baby rhythm to office rhythm, juggling meetings, bottles and pediatric appointments, managing lack of sleep and mental load... this return to professional life is a key step and very often full of challenges. However, his impact on the sanity is still too often underestimated. According toHealth insurance, 10-20% of women experience postpartum depression in the weeks following delivery. When it comes to returning to work after maternity leave, this transition period can accentuate the stress And the tiredness, making recovery even more difficult.

At Qualisocial, we are convinced that mental health in the workplace deserves our full attention, and that every life transition, including returning to work after maternity leave, must be accompanied with kindness. So how do you smooth this transition? What levers can businesses and moms themselves activate to experience this return more peacefully? Point on the concrete solutions for a peaceful return to work after maternity leave.

The psychological and physical challenges of returning to work after maternity leave

Start again with energy already started

Returning to work after maternity leave often means leaving with an energy gauge that is already well under way. Choppy nights, nocturnal feedings or bottles, and sleep that is still irregular make it more difficult to concentrate. According to a study published in the journal Sleep, It would take parents about six years to get back to sleep of the same quality as before the birth of their child. The first few months are particularly powerful, but even after several years, sleep remains less restful.

In addition to physical stress, there is significant emotional stress: that of separating from your baby. Leaving your child in the nursery or with a nanny can cause a Feeling guilty, amplified by the social pressure that weighs on young mothers. Questions such as”Am I a good mother if I leave my baby so early?” or”Will I miss important moments?“are adding to an already very present mental load.

A psychological impact that is still too unknown

SWhile postpartum mental health is beginning to be better taken into account, its link with returning to work after maternity leave is still too poorly studied.. However, this transition can worsen the symptoms of stress And ofanxiety, especially when accompanied by increased professional pressure.

Young mothers often face a double challenge: returning to their job with the same performance expectations as before their leave, while adapting to a new demanding personal reality. The lack of recognition of this transition phase can weigh heavily on morale and motivation, leaving little room for self-kindness.

“Businesses have a key role to play in preventing this transition period from becoming an obstacle course. Too often, young mothers face the urge to quickly return to the top in their professional life. They are also often subject to fatigue inherent to this stage of life (and to short nights too!!) . They then experience an intense mental and emotional load that can put them in trouble. It is essential to integrate this reality into HR and managerial policies, by offering appropriate support by promoting a culture that takes these challenges into account rather than making them invisible”, Isabelle Hastings, QVCT advice and support for HR Transfo at Qualisocial

Increased mental load: juggling the pro and the personal

Beyond work, mothers have to manage intense daily logistics. Between making medical appointments for the baby, organizing childcare arrangements, and managing unexpected events (such as a baby's illness that falls in the nursery), The mental load explodes. Of course, mothers can be helped by the co-parent, but despite this collaboration, the mental load is still very high and often disproportionate. You also have to maintain a professional balance, which can be all the more difficult when you have not been replaced during your absence, leading to an overload of work as soon as you return.

To better manage this pressure, some opt for a parttime (80%), but even in this configuration, the difficulty remains significant: be as efficient as before in the office while having to juggle the imperatives of the home.

🤕 This solution is often double-edged: not only does it redefine mental load, but it can also lead to overwork, with the same load to be completed in 4 days instead of 5. In addition, this organization can lead to financial precariousness, since the salary is reduced to 80%, which further complicates the balance between professional and personal life.

A return under pressure: between overload and guilt

Pending cases and an exploding workload...

Returning to work after maternity leave is often synonymous with “jumping into the deep end.” In many companies, positions are not always replaced, or only partially. The result: an accumulation of tasks, projects left on hold and a to-do list that grew during several months of absence.

From the first days, the feeling of being overwhelmed sets in. Between unread emails, new processes to integrate and the need to update quickly, many mothers feel intense pressure to “catch up”, sometimes at the expense of their own balance.

Invisible pressure: to prove that you are still efficient...

In addition to overwork, there is an implicit expectation: to prove that motherhood has not changed anything in professional commitment. This pressure is even stronger for those who resume at 80%. Comments that are sometimes subtle, but very present, fuel a feeling of guilt: “She is less involved” or “She will be less available for important files.” These thoughts can create an unbearable sense of self-demand.

Many young mothers feel pressured to do more to prove that they are as effective as ever, even if it means working on their own time or accumulating additional fatigue.

Logistical challenges: a path full of pitfalls

Returning to work after maternity leave is not limited to returning to work; it also includes a journey full of logistical challenges.

• Finding a place in a nursery: It is not always easy, and sometimes this place is only obtained at the last moment.
• Manage nursery hours: These are often incompatible with office hours, making daily organization difficult.
• Dealing with absences due to illness: The baby often gets sick, especially in the nursery, where He can be sick 9 to 12 times a year.
• Negotiate accommodations with your employer: Requests for teleworking, flexible hours or other forms of accommodation are often necessary to achieve a peaceful reconciliation between professional and personal life.

All these logistical challenges, combined with professional pressure, make reconciliation even more complex and add stress to an already busy situation.

How can we better support the return to work after maternity leave in a company?

Returning to work after maternity leave should not be a stress test, but a supported transition. However, too often, young mothers feel left alone. Between mental load, fatigue and professional pressure, they juggle sometimes incompatible requirements.

So how can we create a more caring and adapted environment?

“At Qualisocial, we are committed to taking care of parents. To best support this important stage in life, we have set up several dedicated attentions: a special box to welcome this new role of parent (goodies but not only!) , a package with health professionals for sessions to take care of themselves in this new role of parents and for both, pre-resumption and resumption HR interviews, as well as dedicated support for managers, a resumption medical visit to guarantee a return in complete serenity, adapted schedules and facilitated teleworking for nursing mothers. Because the well-being of employees is at the heart of our commitment. “, Ségolène Lepvrier-Hannart, HR Director at Qualisocial

Promoting flexibility: a key lever for a peaceful return

The rigidity of schedules and working methods is one of the main obstacles to a peaceful recovery. Offering more flexibility means allowing young mothers to better adapt to this new phase of their lives.

• Teleworking partial : being able to work from home a few days a week reduces fatigue related to trips and makes it easier to organize with an infant.
• Adjusted schedules : slightly delay the arrival and departure of the office to adapt to nursery or nanny schedules.
• Easy access to part-time : Some mothers would like to opt for an 80% takeover but are hesitant to ask for it for fear of an impact on their career. It is crucial that the company encourages these devices, not only for mothers, but also for fathers, in order to avoid differences in treatment between the sexes. Offering these options to all parents makes it possible to support equitable family balance and not to penalize one or other of the co-parents, while promoting a culture of equality in the company.
• Introduce a power nap or a relaxing nap: Setting up a space dedicated to rest or encouraging recovery breaks would allow young parents (and other employees) to better manage accumulated fatigue. A short nap of 15 to 20 minutes can improve focus, productivity, and overall well-being.
• Encourage fathers to take all of their paternity leave: Raising awareness and encouraging male employees to use all of their paternity leave makes it possible to better distribute the parental care from the first few months and to normalize the sharing of family responsibilities. It also contributes to reducing gender inequalities in business and to promoting a more inclusive environment.

➡️ Implementing these solutions sends a strong message: motherhood is not an obstacle to a career, but a phase to be supported.

Regular HR meetings to adjust workload and listen to needs

Returning after maternity leave does not happen in a single day. Regular monitoring makes it possible to adapt the workload and identify possible difficulties.

• A return interview to discuss expectations and possible fears.
• Regular points (1 month, 3 months, 6 months after recovery) to adjust the load and anticipate needs.
• An open dialogue to prevent overwork from becoming a permanent occurrence.

➡️ These exchanges are not only administrative: they contribute to the well-being of employees and to their long-term commitment.

Promoting a caring culture: raising awareness among managers and teams

The weight of guilt comes not only from the young mothers themselves, but also from outside perspectives. Innocent remarks can weigh heavily:

👉”She is often absent at the moment.“

👉”She can't stay late, she has to go get her baby.“

👉”Since her return, she has been less involved.“

To avoid these unconscious biases, it is essential to make teams and managers aware of these issues. The objective? Create a climate where mothers can grow without additional pressure

Changing mentalities for a more serene return

Chronic fatigue, stress, mental load... Returning from maternity leave impacts the health of young mothers and often hampers their careers. One in two women believe that motherhood is harmful to their professional development (source: APEC).

For lasting change, you need to:

✔ Valuing the experience regardless of parental leave.

✔ Encourage a balanced distribution of leave between parents.

✔ Normalize temporary part-time work without holding back progress.

✔ Valuing skills acquired during motherhood, such as organization, priority management, negotiation, and emotional empathy. Motherhood often requires careful time management, comparable to that of a minister, and studies have shown that this experience changes the brain, strengthening valuable skills in professional life.

💡 Tip: Do not hesitate to adopt and promote a positive and caring attitude around motherhood in the company, including before going on maternity leave.

Businesses have a key role to play in establishing more flexibility and adapted support.