Becoming a mother is one of the most significant life transitions. It changes you in ways that arehard to put into words. Who you are, how you show up, what matters to you - all of it shifts.

It asks a lot of you and the version of you who walked into work every day before having a babymay not feel quite the same on the other side.

And yet: your career doesn’t have to disappear.

Here I share what helps many women I work with feel more confident and connected throughout.

It’s something very simple: keeping in touch.

Not in a pressured, always-on, checking-emails-at-3am kind of way.
But in a thoughtful, intentional, boundaried way.

Having some kind of plan around your career – even a loose one – can lift an enormous weight off your shoulders. It removes the uncertainty that quietly erodes confidence when you need itmost.

Let’s talk about keeping in touch – the whole picture

Most people have heard of KIT days – Keeping in Touch days.

In the UK, you’re legally entitled to up to 10 days during maternity leave where you can workwithout affecting your leave or statutory pay.

They’re often used for training, team days, a handover or reconnecting with colleagues. They’re genuinely useful, and I highly recommend discussing them with your boss before you go onleave.

Yet KIT days are just one piece.

The broader question is: how will you stay in communication? With your manager, your team, your clients, your industry – from before your leave through to your return?

How this looks will be different for everyone. Your role, your organisation, your ambitions, and how the first year of motherhood unfolds for you all factor in.

Before you go on leave, have the conversation.

This is the bit most people skip.

I believe it’s the most important.

Before you leave, sit down with your boss and talk about what staying in touch looks like for youboth.

To prepare, ask yourself:
• What do I want to know while I’m away?
• What would help me feel connected? What might feel too much?
• How do I want to be contacted, and by whom?
• When is it OK to be in touch – and when isn’t it?
• How quickly can they expect me to reply?

You might want updates on team changes, strategic shifts, or promotions. Or you might prefer alight-touch quarterly check-in.

There are no right answers.

This is simply about setting shared expectations so you’re not left wondering or worrying. This clarity alone can remove so much unspoken pressure.

During your leave, stick to the plan. And adjust it if you need to.

Once your baby arrives, everything becomes more real – and life with a newborn has its own,often unpredictable, agenda.

You won’t know exactly how it’s going to be or how you’ll feel until you’re in it. Some womencrave connection to the outside world. Others need space.

Whatever your experience, it’s valid. And it you need to shift things, that’s okay too.

The key is to keep communicating.

When months pass with no contact, it’s easy for your mind - or theirs - to fill in the gaps. A simplemessage explaining where you’re at is enough. Most managers appreciate the clarity.

As your return gets closer, take the reins.

Give your employer as much notice as possible about your plans.

If you’re considering making a flexible working request, be aware of the formal process and legal timelines. It can take time.

In the final month of leave, KIT days can be especially valuable. In planning them, remember toconsider:
• What childcare will I need?
• Does my organisation contribute to the costs?
• What happens if my child is unwell that day?

Clear planning reduces last-minute stress.

In the weeks before you return, don’t wait for your boss to sort everything. You can start the conversations – and give yourself a boost of confidence:
• What will my first day and week look like?
• Do I have the access, equipment and information I need?
• What support’s available if I’m breastfeeding?

Taking initiative isn’t being demanding. It’s taking ownership.

When you’re back.

Keeping in touch doesn’t end when leave does. This is when honest communication becomes even more important.

Your capacity may feel different. Your ambition may have sharpened - or softened. You mightfeel focused, or completely wobbly.

All of that is normal.

Confidence isn’t built by pretending you’re fine. It’s built by staying in conversation. Expressing what you need. Sharing what you want. Asking for clarity. Renegotiating where necessary.

The bigger picture.

Keeping in touch is about staying connected enough that returning doesn’t feel like starting over.

It starts with you knowing that your career and your motherhood are not in competition. They’re in conversation.

And you get to decide how that conversation unfolds. This is human leadership.

If you’re coming to The Baby Show …

I’ll be speaking about navigating the transition into working motherhood with clarity - includinghow to use strategies like keeping in touch to support a successful return. Come and say hello.

And if you’d like more structured support…

Inside my Return to Work with Clarity & Purpose programme, we walk through the return fully –reconnecting to you, clarifying what you need, setting boundaries at work and at home andshaping your next chapter with intention.You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Motherhood changes you.

But you still get to decide how your career evolves alongside it.