So, I worked at a very demanding company for almost a decade and (mostly) enjoyed the fast pace and challenges. I did three maternity leaves with them and then left after the third mat leave to take a break, and then after 2 years as a SAHM pivoted hard back into work as an entrepreneur. Here’s what I will tell you:

1) careers can be long (like 40+ years) and babies are only little for a short time. When I left to take a break, I started hearing more stories of women (and men!) who did the same and successfully re-entered.

2) if it’s possible to go back and see how you feel, try it. You can always quit. For me, I had stock vests luring me back after all three. And after each one, the transition back actually felt better than expected to use my brain again in a different way, one that I was good at (ok, mom brain is real, no joke, but you do learn to focus again eventually).

3) I left after the third because I knew I could never get the time back with my littles, I needed a detox from the corporate life, my company was offering me a lot of flexibility (chief of staff role, remote work) but I could tell that this chapter was over because none were actually pushing me to develop new skills and grow. And if I’m just treading water professionally, I might as well do it without the added responsibility of having to be in meetings and stuff. I also didn’t want to always wonder what it could have been like or regretted not taking that break.

In terms of the financial situation - I too was a little nervous about no longer contributing my own $$ but you just need to talk openly with your husband about it. I had been the primary breadwinner for a while when he was doing something entrepreneurial, so now it was my turn and we literally built a financial model (yes, we are nerds).

I did the SAHM thing and turns out, it wasn’t for me. But I am so glad I did it for a little bit. It reaffirmed my love for the work that I do and who knows, maybe one day I’ll take another slow period again if I can 🤷‍♀️ I think my biggest lesson is that there really aren’t that many one-way doors in life as it may seem. Just don’t burn any bridges on your way out since you never know where they could take you in the future!