Why returning to work after maternity leave is so hard

85% of women leave full-time work within 3 years of having a child. This statistic isn’t surprising when you understand what’s really happening during this transition.

Understanding Matrescence

Much like adolescence transforms a child into an adult, matrescence is the profound psychological, physical, and emotional journey that transforms a woman into a mother.

This developmental passage isn't simply about learning new skills. It’s about fundamentally reconstructing identity, priorities, and how you relate to the world and your work.

Everyone knows adolescents are uncomfortable and awkward because they are going through extreme mental and bodily changes, but, when they have a baby, women are expected to transition with ease – to breeze into a completely new self, a new role, at one of the most perilous and sensitive times of their life.
– Lucy Jones, Matrescence

This transition fundamentally changes how you see yourself, your priorities, and your place in the world. This includes your professional identity.

The four key challenges of returning

  • Becoming a mother creates a new core identity that must somehow integrate with your professional self. This reconciliation is rarely simple or straightforward.

    Many women report feeling "split in two" – torn between giving everything to their child and everything to their career. This internal conflict can be exhausting and demoralising when faced alone.

  • After months away from professional environments, confidence often plummets just when you need it most. You may question your abilities, worry about being "out of the loop," or feel that your skills have deteriorated.

    Research shows this confidence gap isn't just perception. “Imposter syndrome” is a nearly universal experience among returning mothers, regardless of seniority or industry.

    The challenge is particularly acute in fast-paced sectors where:

    • Knowledge evolves quickly

    • Teams and projects change

    • Workplace dynamics shift

  • The daily logistics of working parenthood create layers of complexity that didn't exist before:

    • Childcare arrangements and contingency planning

    • Commuting with limited flexibility

    • Managing feeding/pumping schedules

    • Handling unexpected child illnesses

    • Operating on significant sleep deprivation

    These practical challenges combine with emotional and identity shifts to create a perfect storm of stress, one that many workplaces are ill-equipped to accommodate.

  • When returning to work, many women find their social connections have shifted. Conversations around the office may feel less relevant, and the spontaneous after-work socialising that builds critical workplace relationships becomes nearly impossible.

    This isolation isn't just personal—it has professional consequences:

    • Reduced access to informal information networks

    • Fewer mentoring opportunities

    • Limited visibility for promotion

    • Decreased sense of belonging

    One Branch participant described it as "feeling like a visitor in a place that used to be my second home."

We believe in group magic:

At Branch, we’ve discovered something powerful about this transition: doing it together transforms the experience.

While individual coaching has value, our research shows that the combination of expert guidance and peer support creates what we call "group magic”—a phenomenon where:

  • Peer support helps women persist 48% longer on challenging tasks

  • Emotional wellbeing and resilience increases through regular social connection

  • Social learning and modelling accelerate personal performance and growth

Our structured programme connects you with other professional women facing similar challenges, guided by coaches who combine professional expertise with lived experience.