It’s those final few days before returning to work. You find yourself in quiet moments, sitting and wondering whether going back is really the right thing for you. After four months with your baby, this new rhythm has become your whole world. It feels natural – as if this is exactly what you were meant to be doing.
Then the guilt creeps in – guilt for wanting to stay home, guilt for even thinking about going back, guilt for not being able to be in two places at once. The thought of stepping back into your corporate role feels overwhelming – not because you can’t do it, but because everything has changed. Especially you.
You start questioning everything: Is this still the right job for me? How will I cope? Am I even still interested?
Then the first day back arrives. You show up and do what needs to be done. But everything feels unfamiliar, like you’ve never done this before – and you no longer quite fit.
Because now, you are a mom. You see things differently and understand people and pressures in new ways. Your priorities have shifted. And once that realisation settles in, something else begins to take shape: that career reset.
During this phase, what’s important to remember is that the way we, as mothers – new or not – speak to ourselves matters. The stories we tell ourselves become the ones we live by. And while many of the narratives about returning to work aren’t always positive, we have the power to rewrite them.
This season can be a starting point – an opportunity to learn new skills, change direction, or even begin again. Yes, it’s going to be hard. But if motherhood has taught us anything, it’s this: even when it feels impossible, it’s always possible.
Identity grief during the postpartum period is real. There’s often a sadness that comes with returning to work – not just from leaving your baby, but from leaving behind a version of yourself that may never fully return. And that’s okay. We need to let go of the pressure to “bounce back” and instead give ourselves permission to evolve.
For me, coming to terms with returning to work meant redefining what success looked like. I had to remind myself that I haven’t lost my ambition – it just looks different now. It’s okay to want more balance, more purpose, and more control over your time. And it’s time we let go of that outdated belief that you have to choose between being a career woman or a mom.
Because guess what? So many women – right here in Bloemfontein – are thriving as both.
So, to the mom returning to work next week or next month: enjoy those snuggles while you can. And when you dress up and show up for your job, don’t expect to return to who you were. You’re not going back to normal.
You’re stepping into a new version of yourself. Embrace her, mama.
With all my love,
Sazly Moses
