PRACTICE POINTERS
Getting Back into the Groove Tips for Adjusting to Life After Maternity Leave BY STEFANIE SCOTT SHAH
S tefanie Scott Shah is the founding member of Scott Shah Law. Her practice includes complex commercial, patent, and employment litigation. She also acts as outside general counsel for growing businesses, handling all their legal needs. In addition to representing clients, Shah is always happy to provide guidance, advice, and/or a lending ear to new mothers returning from maternity leave. She can be contacted at stefanie@scottshah.com.
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eturning to work after maternity leave is daunting. Here are a few tips that should ease the transition. FOR THOSE RETURNING FROM MATERNITY LEAVE
1. Find a mentor who has walked a mile in your [insert name of super-comfortable footwear] shoes. Sometimes it is just nice to know that you are not alone. You are not the first attorney to ask a male judge for a recess so you can breastfeed your child. (I have a mentor who beat you to that awkward conversation.) You are not the first to ask for special accommodations at a conference so you have a place to pump. (I have a mentor who helped me with that situation, too.) You are not the first to take a conference call while pumping. You are not 30
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the first to feel a sense of shame when you miss bedtime because you had to work late. You are not the first to put the baby to sleep, pull out the laptop to work for a couple of hours, only to put it back down again when the baby wakes up for another feeding. You are not the first to feel frustrated that your work was interrupted by said hungry baby. And you would not be the first to ask for help. Luckily, most working moms want to help other working moms. They have been in your situation and have learned tips and tricks along the way. Seek out their advice. 2. This might not be your “Year of Yes.” I get it. You want to prove that you are still worthy of working at your firm/company, so you might feel pressured to accept every challenge and opportunity that comes your way. But the one thing that is worse than declining a work trip or office happy hour is over-burdening yourself to the point of failure. It is better to be discerning about the work/projects you accept and the organizations you join, than to spread yourself too thin. Don’t read this to mean this is your “Year of No.” It is important to rebuild your professional life, but be realistic and temper your expectations. To the extent you are able, find a couple of projects (e.g., clients, work trips, conferences, memberships, etc.) you are passionate about, and focus your energy on achieving quality over quantity. 3. You’ve got this. “Mommy brain” is a thing. I don’t know if it is due to hormones, sleep deprivation, lack of two-sided conversations, or a combination of the above. But it is real, and it is frustrating.
Fortunately, it is not here to stay. Neither are the emotions, anxiety, lack of confidence, etc. you feel the first days/weeks/months after returning to work. All of these sensations are normal, and all will eventually disappear. As hard as it is, your best bet is to be patient with yourself. You will eventually find the balance. FOR THOSE WITH COLLEAGUES/EMPLOYEES RETURNING FROM MATERNITY LEAVE If you, personally, are not pregnant or on maternity leave, I would not fault you for overlooking the first part of this article. But I would urge you to read it, as it provides a bit of context into the mindset of mothers who are returning from maternity leave. In addition, you might find the recommendations below to be helpful.
1. Suggest a mentor. As previously mentioned, a mentor can make the transition back to work much smoother. If you cannot provide this mentorship, suggest someone who can. 2. Be flexible. As you can imagine, new mothers
are juggling childcare, feedings, pumping schedules, doctor’s appointments, and emotions—in addition to all the expectations associated with returning to work. If possible, give returning mothers some leeway. Allow them to come in late, leave for mid-day appointments, return home early, etc. This flexibility does not mean they will work less. They will just work different. Most working moms boot up their computer after the baby is asleep, and work well into the night. Additionally, studies have shown that women with children are the most efficient employees—because they have to be. 3. Don’t assume the answer is “no.” Yes, women who are returning from maternity leave have a lot on their plates. But this does not mean they do not want to be approached with opportunities to, e.g., be first chair on a case, depose a key witness, travel to London to meet with a new client, be promoted to partner, etc. Ask—and give the working motherLAWYER the opportunity to accept AUSTIN AL AL or decline.