Going back to work after maternity leave: how to prepare (and how to leave your baby)

Childcare, settling in, bottles, your rights and the feelings nobody quite prepares you for. A practical plan for the weeks before you go back, so the first Monday feels a little less like a cliff edge.

Going back to work after maternity leave: how to prepare (and how to leave your baby)

By Motherhood · 9 min read

There is no right way to feel about going back to work. Some mums count down the days to a hot coffee and an adult conversation. Some feel sick at the thought of handing their baby over. Most feel both, sometimes in the same hour. All of it is normal.

What does help is preparation. The more you can sort in the weeks before, the more headspace you will have for the emotional bit. Here is a step-by-step plan.

Three to six months before: sort the big decisions

Book childcare early. Popular nurseries can have waiting lists of several months, and good childminders get snapped up. Visit a few, ask about ratios, staff turnover, how they handle naps and feeding, and how they will keep you updated during the day. Trust your gut: you are looking for somewhere your baby will be loved, not just looked after.

Check what help you can get with the cost. In England, eligible working parents can now get up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week from when their child is nine months old, for 38 weeks of the year (or fewer hours spread across the year). You usually need to apply the term before you need it. You may also be able to use Tax-Free Childcare, where the government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in, up to £2,000 a year per child. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own schemes, so check what applies where you live.

Think about the shape of your week. Would a different pattern work better: fewer days, a compressed week, earlier finishes, some home working? You have the right to ask for flexible working from your first day in a job, and you can make two requests in any 12 months. Your employer has to consider it properly and give you a decision within two months. Get your request in well before your return date, explaining how the new pattern would work for the business as well as for you.

Six to eight weeks before: tell work and plan your return

Confirm your return date. If you are going back at the end of your full maternity leave, you don't need to give notice. If you want to return earlier, you need to give your employer at least eight weeks' notice.

Know your rights about your job. If you return after up to 26 weeks of leave, you have the right to go back to exactly the same job. After longer, it is the same job or, if that is not reasonably practicable, a suitable alternative on terms that are no less favourable. Redundancy protection also continues until 18 months after your baby's birth.

Use your Keeping in Touch days. You can work up to 10 KIT days during maternity leave without it affecting your leave or pay, if you and your employer both agree. They are perfect for catching up on what has changed, having a return-to-work chat with your manager or doing a trial run of the commute. Agree how you will be paid for them before you do them.

Use up your holiday. You keep building up annual leave while you are on maternity leave. Lots of mums use it to phase their return, for example working three days a week for the first month before going up to full hours.

You are not starting from scratch. You are going back with more patience, sharper priorities and the ability to do anything one-handed.

Four weeks before: practice runs for the baby

Book settling-in sessions. Most nurseries and childminders offer a few short sessions before the real start date, often starting with you staying for an hour and building up to a morning or a full day without you. These are as much for you as for your baby.

Get bottles sorted, if you need to. If your baby is breastfed and will be having milk while you are at work, start offering a bottle a few weeks before. It often goes better if someone else gives it, ideally when you are out of the room, as babies can be very clear about wanting the real thing from you. Try different teats and temperatures, and don't panic if they refuse at first. Older babies may skip the bottle altogether and go straight to a free-flow or open cup, and plenty of breastfed babies simply feed more when they are back with you.

If you plan to keep breastfeeding or expressing, let your employer know in writing before you return. They should carry out a risk assessment, and they are required to provide somewhere suitable for breastfeeding mothers to rest. Health and Safety Executive guidance recommends a private, clean space to express and somewhere to store milk. It is worth agreeing breaks and a room before your first day, so you are not hunting for a spare cupboard on Monday morning.

Shift the routine gently. If your baby's day will need to start earlier, move wake-up time a little at a time over a couple of weeks rather than all at once.

The week before: practice runs for you

Do a full dress rehearsal. Up, dressed, baby fed, bags packed, out of the door, commute, the lot. You will find out exactly how long it all takes (longer than you think).
Pack the bags the night before. Labelled clothes, spares, nappies, comforter, milk. Keep a "nursery bag" permanently half-packed.
Agree who does what with your partner. Drop-offs, pick-ups, who stays home when the baby is ill (they will be, especially in the first winter at nursery). Our piece on working together as parents has ideas for sharing the load fairly.
Plan easy dinners. Batch cook or stock up on freezer meals for the first fortnight. Nobody needs to be making a lasagne on the first Wednesday back.
Get something new to wear. Your body may have changed, and a pair of trousers that fits and feels good can do wonders for your confidence.

The first day: the goodbye

Keep the handover short and warm. A cuddle, a kiss, a cheerful "see you later", then go. Lingering or sneaking out tends to make things harder for both of you. Babies often cry at drop-off, especially from around six to eight months when separation anxiety kicks in, and usually settle within minutes of you leaving. Most nurseries are happy to send a photo or a quick message once your baby has calmed down.

Start mid-week if you can. A Wednesday or Thursday return gives you a short first week and a weekend to regroup.

Expect to feel a lot. Guilt, relief, sadness, pride and the strange joy of going to the loo on your own. It is all allowed. Many mums say the anticipation is the worst part and the first couple of weeks feel very different to month three. Be kind to yourself, lower your standards at home and give it time.

When to ask for help

It is normal to find the transition hard. But if you feel low, anxious or overwhelmed most days, or you are struggling to sleep even when your baby does, talk to your GP or health visitor. If you think you have been treated unfairly at work since coming back, Acas and Maternity Action offer free, confidential advice.

Keep reading

How much notice do I need to give to return early from maternity leave?

At least eight weeks. If you are returning at the end of your full 52 weeks, you don't need to give notice.

What are KIT days?

Keeping in Touch days let you work up to 10 days during maternity leave, by agreement with your employer, without ending your leave or losing Statutory Maternity Pay.

Can I ask to work part time when I go back?

Yes. You can make a flexible working request from day one of employment, up to twice a year. Your employer must consider it and respond within two months.

When should I start settling my baby into nursery?

Two to four weeks before your return is typical, with short sessions that build up gradually.

This article is general information, correct as of October 2026, and is not legal or medical advice. Childcare funding rules differ across the UK. For advice on your own situation, contact Acas, Maternity Action or Citizens Advice, or speak to your health visitor.

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