It\u2019s 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 \u2013 as if this is exactly what you were meant to be doing.<\/p>\n
Then the guilt creeps in \u2013 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 \u2013 not because you can\u2019t do it, but because everything has changed. Especially you.<\/p>\n
You start questioning everything: Is this still the right job for me? How will I cope? Am I even still interested?<\/em><\/p>\n Then the first day back arrives. You show up and do what needs to be done. But everything feels unfamiliar, like you\u2019ve never done this before \u2013 and you no longer quite fit.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n During this phase, what\u2019s important to remember is that the way we, as mothers \u2013 new or not \u2013 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\u2019t always positive, we have the power to rewrite them.<\/p>\n This season can be a starting point \u2013 an opportunity to learn new skills, change direction, or even begin again. Yes, it\u2019s going to be hard. But if motherhood has taught us anything, it\u2019s this: even when it feels impossible, it\u2019s always possible.<\/p>\n Identity grief during the postpartum period is real. There\u2019s often a sadness that comes with returning to work \u2013 not just from leaving your baby, but from leaving behind a version of yourself that may never fully return. And that\u2019s okay. We need to let go of the pressure to \u201cbounce back\u201d and instead give ourselves permission to evolve.<\/p>\n For me, coming to terms with returning to work meant redefining what success looked like. I had to remind myself that I haven\u2019t lost my ambition \u2013 it just looks different now. It\u2019s okay to want more balance, more purpose, and more control over your time. And it\u2019s time we let go of that outdated belief that you have to choose between being a career woman or a mom.<\/p>\n Because guess what? So many women \u2013 right here in Bloemfontein \u2013 are thriving as both.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t expect to return to who you were. You\u2019re not going back to normal.<\/p>\n You\u2019re stepping into a new version of yourself. Embrace her, mama.<\/p>\n With all my love, <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s 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 \u2013 as if this is exactly what you were meant […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":19633,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,40],"tags":[8197,5481],"class_list":{"0":"post-19625","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kids","8":"category-people","9":"tag-a-letter-to-the-new-mom-returning-to-work","10":"tag-sazly-moses"},"yoast_head":"\n
\nSazly Moses<\/p>\n