Really sad about maternity leave ending

[areandare]

I have been on maternity leave since July 2025, I am 2 weeks away from going back to work. I love my job and am lucky enough to work from home for 3 days of the week and have a great team.

Im very surprised at how much I am dreading going back to work. It’s not the going back to work itself, it’s the fact that my maternity leave will be ending it feels like the end of an era.

My little boy is 10 months old and we have had the best 10 months together. I love waking up to him every morning, playing, going for walks, baby groups even those weekday trips to the supermarket. Im just going to miss it all so much.

I look back and wish we could just do it all again, I feel really emotional about it all and it never felt like it was going to end.

Has anybody else felt this way? And how was it when you actually went back?

Ah mate it's totally understandable to mourn this time a little bit, especially if you've been enjoying it so much! I was very much like that after mat leave 1, returning to a job I loved but feeling like my little one had really just become his own little self and suddenly it was going to be someone else getting to enjoy him all day. It's okay to be sad.

Two things can be true though, I did enjoy going back to work and joining the land of adult company, stretching my brain again etc. I went back part time as well so we still had time together in the week to enjoy the best of the baby groups/routine we'd carved out. Those days became really precious and the people we spent time with on them even more so. It created a nice balance.

Our childminder practically felt like part of the family by the time DS went off to kindergarten a few years later. It changed but it was all alright in the end 🥰

I felt very much the same when he went off to school and we lost our weekdays. But now it's the holidays I cherish. Makes you appreciate the time you have.

My leaves were quite a while back now but i remember them fondly especially my 3rd one which was one of the best years of my life ,like you spending that time with my precious baby and family was just perfect.
But i had to work , i remember with my 1st baby how i felt and thinking on day one how there was no way i was stopping there or even working at all, it felt totally alien - within a month i felt like i had never been away.
Even if you can't feel it at the moment i think financially aside there are a lot of advantages to working , there were certainly times for me when i was greatly relieved to close the door and jump in my car leaving my 3 kids with my husband to sort out!
And of course the social aspect, i like my job a lot too , i feel very sorry for those in the same position who don't.
I hope all goes well for you .

I really could have written this , had a year off with my daughter and return in two weeks. She seems to be settling well into nursery but I’m stuck in this loop of nostalgia at the amazing year we’ve had, all the lovely things we get to do together (yes to the supermarket trips even!!) and how much I’m going to miss spending all day with her. I’m a bit fed up with my job too so not looking forward to the work aspect at all, although I am lucky to work from home. No tips but just to say you’re not alone xx

Aww thank you all, I’m glad I’m not alone in this and that it’s a normal feeling.

I can imagine that I will feel like this at every milestone like starting school etc, I suppose it’s all a part of it. It’s so special watching him grow and do new things but god time goes so fast ❤️

@Moneyworrier123awww we are in the exact same position! I never thought that those simple days at home and popping to the shops would become so special. I feel so emotional about it all.

Good luck in going back, you’ll have to come back here and let me know how you get on! Xx