Returning to work after baby
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Guilt, worry, and sadness about going back are common. Here is how to plan the return, and how to tell ordinary adjustment from postpartum depression or anxiety.
Going back to work means a new schedule, a new caregiver for your baby, and often the first full day apart. Many parents feel guilt, anxiety, sadness, or worry about leaving their baby for the first time. These feelings are common and do not mean you are doing anything wrong.
The weeks before returning to work are a good time to establish childcare, practice new routines, and talk with your employer about flexibility if possible. Preparing ahead of time can make the transition less stressful for both you and your baby. If you have a say in when you go back, timing can matter: in a Minnesota study of employed mothers, depressive symptoms went down as leave got longer, up to about six months after birth (Dagher et al., J Health Polit Policy Law 2014, PMID 24305845).
If returning to work feels overwhelming, pay attention to your mental health. Ongoing sadness, anxiety, trouble sleeping, constant guilt, or feeling disconnected from your baby may be signs of postpartum depression or anxiety. Support is available, and you do not have to wait for a crisis to ask for help.
Returning to work does not make you a less devoted parent. Your child benefits from having a healthy, supported caregiver. Depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after birth are linked with a higher risk of emotional and developmental problems in children. Those problems are not inevitable, and how long a parent's condition lasts is one of the things that can change the risk, which is one more reason to get care rather than push through (Stein et al., Lancet 2014, PMID 25455250). Postpartum recovery does not end when maternity or paternity leave does, and many families need support throughout the first year and beyond.
If you need help, visit Get Help Now. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is free and staffed 24/7 at 1-833-852-6262, and you can call or text 988 any time. Postpartum Support International (1-800-944-4773) offers free support and referrals — leave a message any time; calls and texts are returned 8am–11pm ET.
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