Welcome to the second video in our series covering each stage of maternity leave, from before you go on leave through to your return to work. In this video we will be talking about the conversations that might happen before you go on maternity leave. This video is for you if you are preparing to go on maternity leave or are someone who is managing or supporting someone who is going through this process.

In this video we will cover:

Finding a buddy
Planning to use your KIT days
Letting go

Finding a buddy

The idea behind finding a buddy is to have a set of eyes and ears on the ground to keep you updated on anything at work that you might be interested in. Having a friendly person to keep in touch with who isn’t your line manager or HR can be really helpful in maintaining a good relationship and feeling about work, it might be helpful if this person has already gone through the maternity process, but it is not necessary.

Planning to use your KIT days

KIT days are 10 paid days given to you as an allowance during your maternity leave in order to keep in touch with your work place. They can help you to feel a little more up to date with work and help you plan what will actually happen when you do return to work.

Planning your KIT days in advance before you go on maternity leave can be helpful, so you can plan to come in on days such as team training days or events. KIT days can help you to think about how it will feel when you actually go back to work, how you will feel about leaving your child, what the commute will look like. It can be an opportunity to do a trial run.

Letting go

In the last few weeks before going on maternity leave, it is important to start thinking about what you need to do to let go of work in order to free yourself up to make this transition. Asking questions such as, who can I delegate things to, should I be in that call or meeting, could someone else step in for me is important in order to let go.

Other videos in the series:
Video 1: Successful Return to Work
Video 3: Preparing to Return to Work After Maternity Leave
Video 4: Returning to Work After Maternity Leave

About Sarah Turner:
Sarah is an ICF accredited Executive and Maternity coach with a background in HR, Diversity and Inclusion and Occupational Psychology. She brings a wealth of experience of working with leaders and businesses, combined with her rich and deep knowledge of psychology, behavioural change and systemic coaching to support organisations who wish to optimise their talent. A mum herself, Sarah has experienced maternity leave and she has coached numerous women and working parents as they navigate their own journey into parenthood. She brings compassion and empathy to her maternity coaching, priding herself on offering a supportive but empowering space where her clients feel heard and able to find their own way through this stage of their lives. Website: bloompeople.co.uk
Instagram: @the_maternity_coach
LinkedIn: @sarahturnerbloompeople

About Laura Duggal:
Laura is an EMCC qualified and accredited coach with a background in HR and Recruitment. She has 15 years experience of coaching individuals around their professional and personal development. Her own experience of returning to work after having her daughter highlighted that there was a need for more robust support through this transition which led her to specialise in return to work coaching. Clients have shared that they find her to be warm and down to earth, giving them a renewed sense of self believe, motivation and tools to cope in a fast paced and often challenging world. Her coaching approach is grounded in Positive Psychology focusing on mental health and wellbeing. She sees her role as providing a safe and calm space for those facing uncertainty and making big changes in their lives.
Website: lauraduggalcoaching.com
Instagram: lauraduggalcoaching
LinkedIn: @lauraduggalcoaching