Corporate Maternity Coaching

It is well evidenced that women who feel supported in the workplace during pregnancy and on their return to work after having a baby are more likely to succeed at managing a career alongside motherhood.

Sometimes the physical and emotional aspects of pregnancy and life with a new baby come as a surprise to women and those around them. The opportunity to explore these changes can be of great benefit in helping women to embrace this new phase, enabling them to remain happily at work until maternity leave commences and then return to work with the skills and confidence needed to manage a healthy work/life balance.  Professional women sometimes struggle with the transition to parenthood, often reporting a sense of loss over their changing identity. This programme gives them the opportunity to explore their new sense of self so that they can continue to grow in confidence, with a full appreciation of how motherhood and career progression can work well together.

It is an insightful employer who recognises the many adaptations a woman may need to make to integrate the new role of mother with continued career success. By investing in a programme of maternity coaching, the employer will be encouraging it's female employees to have a greater level of engagement with the organisation during pregnancy and their time away from work whilst on maternity leave. This increased level of engagement not only proves successful in helping women to retain their skills and knowledge, but also gives them valuable tools for remaining professionally confident upon their return to work. This in turn will give the organisation a more  balanced workforce with a broader pipeline of women, as they will be more likely to return to work after maternity leave and stay there!

The programme consists of six coaching sessions; two during pregnancy and four after the baby is born. The programme is flexible in that the sessions can be booked to suit the needs of both the employee and employer.

Session 1 - Being Pregnant in the Workplace

Some women really struggle in early pregnancy and may benefit from having their first session then and others may sail through and choose to have their first session midway through their pregnancy. Meg's experience as a midwife comes together with her coaching skills to encourage the client to think about how to have the best pregnancy whilst remaining professional in the workplace. The increase of self awareness around characteristics and emotional intelligence may encourage a high level of professionalism as the pregnancy develops, enabling the client to be professionally 'present' until commencing maternity leave. This session may also explore how to get the best from the midwife and consultant appointments, the timing of those appointments and how to feel ready for a positive birth experience.

Session 2 - Going on Maternity Leave

The second session is recommended close to commencing maternity leave and focuses on making sure everything is in place prior to leaving. It explores issues around control and the benefits of having clear handovers so that the client can go on maternity leave with a clear head, safe in the knowledge that everything will be ok at work whilst she is absent. In addition, Meg offers a recap on the employee's preparation for the birth and postnatal period.

Session 3 - Birth Debrief

The third session is during the first two months following the birth, when everything can seem a bit overwhelming and is offered to the client and her partner together. Women are better able to embrace their return to work if they are holistically well. The opportunity to chat through the birth and gain a full understanding of what happened and why, plays a vital role in securing a woman's emotional recovery and helps with stabilising her mental well being. Issues around mental health often underpin a woman's reason for quitting work following childbirth, so the chance to debrief in a supportive and sensitive space is invaluable.

Session 4 - Motherhood and a New Identity

This session is offered midway between the birth and going back to work. It gives the client an opportunity to explore how she is adapting to motherhood and how she is feeling about her new identity. The session would encourage the client to think about engaging in 'keeping in touch' days which are proven to build confidence and make the return to work far less daunting than it otherwise might be.

Session 5 - Returning to Work

The fifth session will be towards the end of maternity leave, to explore the practicalities of returning to work and ensuring that everything is in place for a smooth transition back into the workplace. This is a classic time for a new mother to experience a drop in confidence around returning to work and this period of heightened anxiety can lead to the premature resignation from professional posts. This session encourages the client to feel confident in her ability to juggle motherhood and career and will endorse her sense of worth.

Session 6 - The Working Mother

The final session is recommended within the first three months of returning to work to see how the client is settling into life as a working mother. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that this is the crucial time in determining whether or not the new working arrangements are appropriate for her needs and so this session is key when considering workforce retention.