Your Return-to-Work Checklist for Surviving the End of Maternity Leave

By the NAPS experts Emily Silver, NP-C, IBCLC and Jamie O'Day, RN, IBCLC

Time at home with your baby is a blur of swaddles, late-night feedings and coffee that never quite stays hot. You’ve mastered one-handed diaper changes, memorized every creaky floorboard in the nursery and somehow taken more photos in 12 weeks than you did in the last five years. And just when the fog starts to lift — when naps stretch a little longer and bedtime becomes slightly more predictable — you look at the calendar and feel that creeping sense of dread.

It’s almost time to go back to work.

If this thought makes your heart race or your stomach drop, you’re not alone. Here’s the truth no one tells you: returning to work isn’t just a logistical challenge. It’s emotional, overwhelming and a huge identity shift.

That’s why we created this return-to-work checklist — not just with what to pack or how to prep bottles, but with what you really need: permission to take care of yourself, tools to protect your time and strategies to thrive in this next chapter.

Preparing Yourself Emotionally for the Transition

When you’re gearing up to go back to work, you might feel a gut-punch of guilt zipping up your bag or a wave of anxiety picturing your baby with a caregiver. These feelings are normal, but remember to be gentle with yourself. 

Instead of judging your reactions — too emotional, not emotional enough — treat them like you would your baby’s: acknowledge and comfort them, then move forward. Emotional readiness sets the stage for everything that follows. And once your heart feels steadier, the rest (e.g., childcare plans, pump prep and daily logistics) gets easier to manage.

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10 Tips for Surviving the End of Maternity Leave

Even the calmest morning can unravel if you’re juggling a diaper blowout, a misplaced laptop charger and a traffic jam that materializes out of nowhere. Solid logistics keep these hiccups from derailing your day. 

Here are 10 ways to stay grounded, have a successful return to work and keep moving forward in your motherhood journey — chaos and all:

1. Start With You, Not Your Schedule

Let’s get this out of the way: you do not need to have the “perfect routine” before you go back. Babies are wonderfully unpredictable, and trying to structure your entire life around their whims is a recipe for stress.

Instead of obsessing over sleep schedules and feeding logs, shift the focus. Ask yourself:

• What do I need to feel sane, steady and supported during this transition?

• What boundaries will protect my energy and mental health?

• What are the non-negotiables for my family — and for me?

Because when the baby stuff feels chaotic, the best thing you can do is ground yourself.

2. Embrace Your Secret Superpower: Boundaries

Healthy boundaries are the guardrails that keep your energy from drifting into everyone else’s lane. Without them, you can end up answering emails while rocking a sleepy baby at 11 p.m. or missing bedtime because an impromptu meeting ran late — both quick routes to burnout. 

Boundaries don’t just help you say no; they help you say yes to what matters most. This protects your mental bandwidth, so you can show up more fully in every role you hold.

Maybe that looks like:

• Logging off at 5 pm sharp for daycare pickup.

• Turning off email notifications during dinner and bedtime.

• Telling your boss, “I’m happy to check in after 8 pm if it’s urgent, but I’m offline before then.”

Boundaries aren’t rigid rules. They’re intentional choices. And they protect your limited, precious energy. Setting them might feel uncomfortable at first — especially if you were the person who used to answer emails at midnight or always said yes to extra work. But this is your chance to reset expectations, advocate for yourself and model balance for your family.

Try asking yourself:

• What beliefs am I holding that make this harder? (Do I feel guilty asking for help? Am I afraid to seem “less committed”?)

• What patterns have I unintentionally reinforced at work? (Late-night replies? Skipping lunch breaks? Never taking PTO?)

• Where can I shift those habits to support my new reality?

3. Prep Your People: Communication Is Key

You don’t have to do this alone. In fact, you shouldn’t! This phase is all about teamwork with your partner, employer, family and anyone else in your circle. And thoughtful delegation transforms time management from a solo act into a duet or even a full ensemble. 

It can be helpful to create a list of recurring tasks, like laundry, grocery shopping and bill paying, and assign ownership to your team. With a dependable system in place, you’ll spend less time firefighting and more time enjoying the moments you worked so hard to create. And clear communication sets you up for success — and helps you avoid resentment later.

Here are a few places to start:

At Home:

• Divide and conquer drop-offs and pickups. Who’s handling mornings? Evenings? If one partner has flexibility in the morning, maybe they do daycare drop-off while the other gets a jump on emails.

• Tag in your village. Can a grandparent do a pickup once a week? Can you budget for occasional help—like a dog walker, house cleaner, or meal service?

• Share calendars so each person knows their responsibilities in advance and can ask for help if workloads spike. 

At Work:

• Schedule a check-in with your manager before you return. Share what support you’ll need (pump breaks, schedule flexibility, realistic ramp-up time).

• Be proactive about resetting expectations. You might say, “Before leave, I worked late often — but that won’t be possible moving forward. I’m happy to adjust how I work to meet goals.”

4. If You’re Breastfeeding or Pumping — Make a Plan Now

Whether you’re exclusively breastfeeding, combo feeding or using formula, feeding logistics can be one of the trickiest parts of returning to work.

If you’re pumping:

• Block off pumping times in your calendar. Treat them like meetings, because they are — just with your pump.

• Communicate with your employer. Legally, most employers are required to provide time and space for pumping. But beyond compliance, it’s helpful to explain what you’ll need to your manager.

• Pack a pump bag with your pump and its parts, bottles or storage bags, cooler and ice packs, hands-free bra and an extra shirt (just in case). 

If you’re transitioning to formula:

• Know that it’s okay to make a shift that works for your family. Whether you’re combo feeding or fully formula feeding, there’s no one right way.

• Choose a formula you trust like Bobbie, for an organic, easy to digest option that’s modeled after breast milk.

5. Plan for the First Week — And Lower the Bar

Your first week back may feel like a rollercoaster, and that’s okay. Set realistic expectations for yourself and your baby.

Pro tips:

• Don’t schedule anything extra that week. No dentist appointments, late meetings or social plans. Just survival mode.

• Give yourself time to ease in. If possible, do a partial week or start mid-week. It can make a big difference emotionally.

• Expect meltdowns — from you and your baby. Even if you love your job or feel ready to go back, the transition is big. Be gentle with yourself.

6. Make Your “Go” Bag

Packing your first back-to-work bag? Here’s what to include:

For you:

• Snacks

• Water bottle

• Nursing pads (if you’re still leaking)

• Pump, bottles, cleaning supplies, cooler and ice packs (if you’re pumping)

• Lip balm, lotion, dry shampoo (because you’re worth it)

For baby (if going to daycare):

• Diapers and wipes

• Change of clothes

• Bottles and milk/formula

• Lovey or comfort item

• Labeled everything

Having a checklist taped to your door or inside your diaper bag helps eliminate that frantic morning scramble.

7. Outsource, Automate and Simplify

This is the moment to lean all the way into making life easier. You don’t get extra credit for doing it the hard way. You might consider:

• Meal delivery kits or grocery delivery

• Batch cooking on weekends

• Laundry pickup services

• Shared family calendars (so you don’t double-book a doctor’s appointment and a work call)

• Auto-ship subscriptions for baby essentials (formula, diapers, wipes)

Every task you delegate frees up brain space for what really matters.

8. Redefine Success (And Ditch the Guilt)

There will be days when daycare pickup runs late and dinner is cereal. Days when work demands more than you expected. Days when you cry in your car, or laugh for no reason, or both at once. You’re not doing it wrong, you’re just doing something hard.

Remember, you don’t have to be everything to everyone. You just have to keep showing up with love, grace and the courage to adjust as you go. Some weeks, your baby will need more from you, and other weeks, work will. What matters most is knowing where your energy is going and giving yourself permission to shift.

9. Laugh Through the Chaos

Yes, mornings will be chaotic. Someone will spit up on your shirt five minutes before a meeting. You’ll forget to pack socks, or pump parts or your laptop cord. It’s all part of the story. Give yourself grace and lower the bar of expectations. Find humor in the absurd — because we know it’s a lot! And remember: no one has it all figured out, no matter how polished their Instagram stories look.

10. Know That You’re Not Alone

Returning to work after having a baby is one of the biggest transitions in modern parenthood — and yet it’s often one we face in silence. But you don’t have to go it alone. You can always talk to other parents, join a support group or even reach out to experts — as long as you ask for help! Cry when you need to and laugh when you can. And if you need a little extra guidance (on routines, schedules, feeding or just getting through the day) we’re here for that, too.

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It’s About Progress and Presence, Not Perfection

Change is never neat, and parenting is the messiest kind of change there is. So go ahead and give yourself full permission to reset routines as often as you need. One week you’re crushing 8 a.m. meetings; the next, you’re logging in late because your baby turned bath time into a full-on banana splash fest. Staying flexible is a superpower. And every time you pivot, you’re proving you can adapt, respond and keep moving forward — one wild morning at a time.

Boundaries and self-compassion are your steady anchors through it all. Saying no to a late meeting so you can be home for bedtime stories? That’s you honoring what matters most. Forgetting the pacifier during a chaotic morning rush? That’s not failure; it’s being human. Perfection isn’t the goal — presence is.

Embrace the Transition and Do What Works for Your Family

If you take one thing from this, let it be this: Don’t betray yourself to please others. Your time, energy and boundaries matter. And your baby will benefit from a parent who feels supported and empowered.

Expect a few wild days. Embrace the mess. And celebrate the wins — no matter how small. Because the real secret to surviving the end of maternity leave? It’s knowing that you don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to do it your way.

Need help navigating your return or finding a feeding routine that works for your family? Explore Bobbie resources for support at every step. 

The content on this site is for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Discuss any health or feeding concerns with your infant’s pediatrician. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay it based on the content on this page.