Thrive after maternity leave

Want to feel confident about your return to work?

I often hear about mothers losing their confidence on maternity leave, but have you ever wondered why it happens? And how to prevent it?

One of the biggest challenges for working parents today is how to find work-life balance. But where do you start trying to figure out what will work for you and your family?

And how do you find the time and space to maintain your identity and look after your own needs when you become a mother?

Whether you are still at work or already enjoying your new baby, the chances are you're thinking about your return to work after maternity leave and the juggling this will bring.

This four-week course takes you through everything you need to think about to plan a confident return to work: from how to manage your emotions, maintain your confidence, juggle work and family life, maintain your sense of self and create your return to work plan.

So you won't just survive after your return to work, you will thrive.

And because I'm a working parent, and have been through maternity leave, I know how hard it is to find the time to do even the simplest of tasks. The bite size lessons and downloadable worksheets are designed to make it easy to complete around even the busiest work and family life.

What will you learn on this 4 week course?

How to create your own plan to help you maintain your identity through maternity leave and beyond
My 'magic' tip to manage unhelpful thoughts and emotions
Why maternity leave is an emotional time and how to reduce the impact on your return to work
My unique 4-stage strategy to boost and maintain your confidence as a mother
How to unblock what's holding you back from achieving your potential post maternity leave
How to use maternity leave and being a working parent as an opportunity to keep your career on track
My 4-step plan to manage your home/work life balance during and after maternity leave
Advice to help you apply for flexible working
My top tips to help you stay visible while on maternity leave.
My one-stop comprehensive return to work checklist

How does it work?

Start the course

Receive your welcome email containing further information about the course, links to my private Facebook group and immediate access to Module 1.
Weekly updates

Over the four weeks you will receive a weekly email and access to that week's modules to work through at your own pace.
Life time access

You have life time access to the course and my private Facebook group, so you will have ongoing support through your maternity leave and your return to work.

Based on my highly successful Maternity Coaching Workshop

Thrive after maternity leave and plan your confident return to work course was designed by Frances Cushway, based on her highly successful one-day workshop.

Frances is a Registered Career Coach with the CDI and worked for the majority of her career for PwC and the BBC before setting up her own consultancy. She has coached mothers for over ten years, both returning to work after maternity leave and later in their careers. As a result she understands and can help you plan for issues that come up later in your career - future proofing you for your life as a working mother.

Bringing together the psychology of becoming a mother with the practicality of planning your return to work, this course combines the coaching support of a one-day course with the flexibility of online learning to create a unique and fascinating learning experience.

Frances was a finalist in the Career Development Awards Career Coach of the Year 2018 and 2021 for her work coaching mothers on maternity leave.

What do people say about working with Frances?

I feel calm, prepared and organised as I approach maternity leave

Lyndsey

Excellent course, Frances you have been fantastic, thanks so much, highly recommend this course. I feel calm, prepared and organised as I approach maternity leave so I can make the most of my birth and new baby and then go back to work feeling ready and excited about the new challenges ahead.

I now have a plan in mind and feel more prepared for my return to work.

Lucy

Really great to make you think and reflect in a constructive, objective and positive way about the challenges of being a working mum and being on maternity leave. I now have a plan in mind and feel more prepared for my return to work.

This course was so helpful, even for someone on their third maternity leave.

Becca

Fantastic course. So helpful even for someone on their third maternity leave. Really got me thinking about subjects that had not been on my radar before.

I now feel confident that I can balance working and being a mum.

Angela

This course has been fantastic, thank you! It helped me consider things I wouldn't have thought about. I have gone from feeling that leaving was the only option, to feeling confident that there are ways around balancing working and being a mum.

I wish I had this support during my first maternity leave

Kate

This course was excellent, really useful. I wish I had been able to attend this in my first pregnancy/maternity leave.

Heartening to find someone so passionate about helping mums through maternity leave

Katherine

Thank you - the workshop was useful and fun. You created a very safe space to reflect on maternity leave. Heartening to find someone passionate and focused on such an important point in a family's life.

I feel clearer and more confident about my next steps

Carly

This came at the perfect time for me as a new mum who is at a crossroads with her career. With many thoughts flying around my (quite tired!) head, it was a tonic to speak calmly to Frances about my concerns and hopes for the future. What I happily realised was I'm not alone with my hopes, fears and confusion around returning to work and that it is achievable to find a balance with working and having a family. In a very short time I already feel clearer and more confident about my next steps so thank you Frances!

A plan to transition between work and family life

GP & Parent

This course has allowed me to plan my return so it's a much better transition between work and family life.

The course has been so useful for planning my return to work

Natalie

Thank you, the course has been so useful for planning maternity leave and return to work, considering both the practical and emotional aspects.

Useful to reflect on life at this point

Susie

This course gave me time to reflect on life at this point which was very useful. I would have found extremely informative on my previous maternity leave.

FAQs

Will I have time to do this, I've just had a baby.
This course is designed so you can dip in and out of it, so even if you have 10 minutes here and there to grab a cup of tea and complete a lesson you will benefit from it. It is structured in bite-sized lessons to fit in with busy work and family lives. Mums who have been through my maternity coaching programme have looked at how they manage things at home so that they have more time to do things they love. So it should also help you find the time for yourself in your busy week.
Having a baby is an expensive time, can I afford to spend money on myself?
The question is can you afford not to? As mums we often put our needs on the back burner until we realise we've neglected ourselves for too long. By investing in this course you are investing in yourself. This course will help you build your confidence and be more effective in your role when you return to work. By being more effective when back at work you will be able to continue to develop your career, feel more confident in your abilities and ready for promotions should they occur. Maternity coaching reduces the chances your career will stall after maternity leave.
This isn't my first maternity leave, will this course be useful for me?
Feedback from mums who have been through my maternity coaching during their second (or more) maternity leave has all been extremely positive! They have said that they wish they had been through this the first time round and that it was really helpful to work out how they wanted their return to work to go this time.
How long do I have access to this course?
Once you have purchased the course you will have lifetime access to it and to any updates we make. So you can come back for a confidence boost whenever you need it.
Is this course relevent to me if I'm not in the UK?
Much of the course is relevant to mothers on maternity leave wherever they are. However, I am aware that the length of maternity leave, maternity pay, flexible working regulations and guidelines, and the process of returning to work is different in different countries.
Can I get help when on the course?
You can ask for help within the lesson through starting a discussion.