Going back to work: a plan, not a leap

Returning to work is usually treated as a date. It works better as a plan that starts about a month out.

Four weeks before

• Confirm your return date in writing, including whether it is phased.
• Ask about a graduated return — two or three days for the first fortnight is common and often available if you ask.
• Sort childcare logistics end to end, including who does drop-off when someone is ill.

Two weeks before

• If you are pumping, ask now about a private space that is not a bathroom, and about break timing. In many places this is a legal right, not a favour.
• Do a full dry run of the morning, including the leaving-the-house time. It is always longer than you think.
• Decide what "good enough" looks like for the first month, and write it down where you will see it.

The first week

• Keep evenings empty. Do not schedule anything you can move.
• Expect the first day to be emotionally heavier than the fifth.
• Tell one colleague what is going on, so you are not performing.

Questions worth asking your employer

• What flexibility exists for appointments — yours, not just the baby's?
• Is there an employee assistance programme, and does it cover perinatal mental health?
• What is the policy when childcare falls through?

And for you

Book your own postpartum follow-up before you go back, not after. It is the appointment most likely to be dropped, and often the one you need most.