Navigating the transition: workplace support and sleep deprivation shape mothers’ return to work

Background: Returning to work following maternity leave represents a critical transition in the postpartum period, often occurring while mothers are still navigating disrupted sleep, breastfeeding demands, and hormonal changes. Workplace conditions can either safeguard or intensify these challenges, with implications for maternal mental health and wellbeing. Aim: To explore the psychosocial experiences of mothers returning to work following maternity leave, focusing on the experience with workplace support and sleep deprivation. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using an open-ended online survey. Twenty-five mothers in the UK with an infant under two years of age who had recently returned to work or were return following maternity leave. Participants were recruited via mother-and-baby groups, social media, and personal networks using purposive sampling. Reflexive thematic analysis was used, with analytical attention to maternal mental health, workplace structures, and sleep-related challenges. Findings: Five interrelated themes were developed as follows: Making Ends Meet, Losing Myself; The Bittersweet Return; Workplaces That Work (or Don’t); Running on Empty; and This Isn’t Just My Struggle. Conclusions: Returning to work within the first two years postpartum is shaped by financial necessity, identity negotiations, disrupted sleep, and highly variable workplace support. Findings highlight the need for compassionate, flexible, and inclusive workplace policies that recognise the ongoing caregiving demands of new mothers and support their health and wellbeing during this transition.