Maternity leaves are an important part of a woman’s life. For one, you get a new perspective on life, becoming a mother to your newborn child. Secondly, many of today’s women are professionals in executive positions who deal with a lot of stress and pressure on a daily basis.
This results in a very sudden and much-needed identity crisis that often leads to them rethinking their career choices. Even though maternity leave is a must when it comes to pregnancy, coming back to work in the same company certainly isn’t, and a career shift is also a viable solution.
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1. Low income
The most important aspect of becoming a mother is having two jobs – one of them will always wait for you at home and pay for nothing. This is the harsh reality of the situation. As much as you love your child, you will still be preoccupied with it far more than any other hobby or side activity. Additionally, it’s no secret for anyone that having a child can have a sufficient impact on your family budget. Baby food, everyday care goods, medicines, and even baby clothes have high prices, and you need to renew your stocks pretty often. This means that your income plans need an upgrade.
While jobs for pregnant women are limited, coming back from a leave allows you to rethink your career and opt for something else. No one says that you have to work your old job after a leave just because that’s where you were a year ago. Talk to your spouse about moving to a different job after your maternity leave in order to earn more money and provide a better income for your family. It can be difficult to explain this decision because this change requires your courage and actions from your husband. He might need to spend more time with the baby and help you more with the household. Another problem might be if this new job could bring you better income than your husband’s.
2. Different treatment
Coming back to your old job and seeing how people treat you can be overwhelming. Much has changed in the past year, and most of the people you know have moved on with their careers and lives without you. “Catching up might seem easy at first, but what comes next is very hard on many new mothers – being treated differently,” explains Sylvia Giltner, a career advisor at Resumes Centre. “People don’t see you as a friend to hang out with or make jokes with anymore. You are now a mother and a respectable woman who doesn’t have time for coffee or lunch with colleagues.”
There’s also a sort of discrimination against working mothers. It’s not a too rare practice for a mother who newly returned to work to be overlooked for promotion. It might sound harsh but such a position can be understood. No wonder your boss wants to have in an important position someone who won’t need to leave the office suddenly because of their baby.
Being treated in such a manner after coming back to work after maternity leave can provide too big of a shock for many women. Sometimes, you don’t have time and will to adapt to these new circumstances. We all understand that. Changing jobs or careers based on the kind of treatment you get at your old workplace is a viable solution to your problems.
3. Changed perspective
Having a small child in your belly for nine months and giving birth to it can resonate with you as a human being. Seeing a new life being brought to the world from your womb can melt even the most serious person in the world. That is why a mother’s perspective is completely different when she comes back to work after maternity leave. Going back to your old job and mundane day-to-day assignments may seem meaningless and hollow. You feel it in your bones – you are capable of doing much more with your life.
This shift in perspective is nothing unexpected. What is unexpected, however, is acting on your instinct and changing your career. “Many young women become mothers and feel as if they can do more but never do anything about it. Consult your spouse and look for a way to launch the dream career you have always wanted but never had the courage to,” suggests Alexis Reynolds, an HR manager at Online Writers Rating. You’ve already faced one of the biggest challenges in your life-giving birth to a new human being. You’ve gone through the hard times, and further changes in your life shouldn’t scare you so much.
4. Too much pressure
Mothers are constantly under pressure during the first few years of their child’s life. You are constantly worried about what might happen when you leave the room, let alone work an hour away from home. While jobs for pregnant women allow you to stay close to your house or don’t leave at all, it will have to happen eventually.
“The pressure that you will experience when you leave your child for the first time can be excruciating. For some, it’s so painful that they decide to shift careers just to be closer to their children,” shares Pat Fredshaw, the chief editor at Essaysupply.com. This is a completely understandable response to the situation. You shouldn’t be ashamed of it. For many young mothers, taking care of their baby becomes a top priority.
Even though some don’t know how to shift careers, talking to their family and friends always leads to a plan. If you are under too much pressure concerning your child and don’t know what else to do, try opting for a more mother-friendly career that allows for more free time. Don’t think of it as of retreat. It’s just a change that lets you be closer to your child and be a better mother. Taking care of a baby is a job like every other. Therefore, if being closer to your baby requires you to change an office in a business center for a position in a suburb, consider this an investment in your other career – being a good mother.
5. Unfulfilled potential
The most beautiful reason for wanting a career change after your maternity leave is the feeling of unfulfilled potential about yourself. You might have graduated college with a high grade and several references but never acted on it. Now is the time to do so and earn a little extra for you and your family.
Many women who go through maternity leave don’t want to go back to work because they deem their previous position inadequate. While it may be true for occupations such as bartending or modeling, it’s also true for women who simply want more out of life. Act upon it while it’s still early – even though you are a mother, you are still young and full of energy. “There’s also a psychological factor that requires to act swiftly. If you go back to your old job now and stay there for a while, it will become only harder to make that change,” emphasizes Anisah Campbell, a Flash Essay content editor. You’ll find yourself in a situation when you constantly need more money, more time, etc. Therefore, it’s easy to fall under the risk of taking stability and predictability above everything else. Consider things you can do from home. Maybe become a freelance writer. There are a number of companies looking for writers.
Many businesses need professional transcription services. This is a job that can easily be done from home.
Welcome change in your life
Going through a long and painful maternity leave will always be marked as a turning point in your career. What makes it different than a simple career change is the sudden and complete change of perspective about everything you thought you knew about life.
The reasons for making a change in your life are clear when it comes to your child. It should be your number one priority to provide a good life for it, no matter what toll it takes on you, so explore every career shift option you have. Use these ideas to make a thoughtful decision and transform a potentially-bumpy transition easier for you and your family. Remember your best moments while on maternity leave and think of it as a new page in your life. What it would be? It’s all on you now.
