One of the biggest surprises of early motherhood for me was realizing that I didn’t want to go back to work after my baby was born.

After years of education, building my career, and creating a professional identity, I suddenly felt something shift inside of me postpartum. The work I had once loved no longer felt the same.

In this episode of Lost & Found Mom, I’m sharing my personal experience with the unexpected postpartum shift that made me question returning to work after maternity leave.

We talk about:

• Why some mothers lose the desire to return to work after having a baby

• The emotional and identity shifts that happen during postpartum

• The internal conflict between career identity and motherhood

• The guilt and confusion many women feel during this transition

• What I ultimately decided to do about it

• Four reminders that helped me navigate this season

Becoming a mother can shift priorities, identity, and the way we see our work and purpose in the world. These changes can feel confusing, especially if you spent years building a career before having children.

If you’ve found yourself thinking:

“Why don’t I want to go back to work after my baby?”

“Is something wrong with me for wanting to stay home?”

“Why does my career feel different now?”

You are not alone.

This episode is an honest conversation about the postpartum career identity shift — and how to navigate it with compassion for yourself.