Unique Gifts for Moms Returning to Work After Maternity Leave
Inside: Do you have a mom in your life who is returning to work after maternity leave? Find her the best back to work gift for a new mom to make going back to work much easier.
Put simply, returning to work after maternity leave is really, really hard.
Like “ugly cry on the way into the office but also happy to be there” level hard. Conflicting emotions, expectations, worries, and stress levels are all super high.
Personally, I was a TOTAL mess of feelings as I returned to work after both of my maternity leaves, but what helped the most were other moms who understood.
Gifts for Moms Returning to Work After Maternity Leave
If there is a woman in your life who will be returning to work after maternity leave soon, let her know that you totally get that this is a tricky time in her life and send her back to the office with one of these back to work gifts.
And then go give her a big hug from me. It’s not weird, I’m just another mom who wants her to know she’s doing great!
Best Gifts for Busy Moms She’ll Actually Use
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Mom’s One-Line-a-Day Journal
If there was a fire in my house I would grab my kids, my husband, and my one-line-a-day journals. And a snack if there was a time.
I’ve been keeping a one-line-a-day journal for ten years now and these two little books contain so many memories of my kids’ lives. From milestones to silly things they said, it’s all captured in these books. I also write about my husband, my family, my friends, and my professional flubs and achievements.
Since she has limited time on her hands these days, the one-line-a-day journal is the perfect gift for a new mom who wants to capture the memories but isn’t going to be doing a whole lot of scrapbooking.
oNecklace Personalized Jewelry
Most moms returning to work after maternity leave are not bringing their kids with them physically, but they are for sure coming with them in their minds. Let her know you totally get that and give her a back to work gift that keeps those kiddos close to her heart all day.
oNecklace has beautiful personalized gifts perfect for moms that you can customize with children’s names. They gifted me this lovely necklace that I absolutely love and plan to make a staple of my work-from-the-office and work-from-home wardrobe.
Audible Subscription
For many moms, returning to work after maternity leave means much more time in the car commuting. Those minutes could be spent feeling all the mom guilt, or all the stress, or they could be spent with a good book. Let’s go with the good book option!
Giving the gift of Audible is also like giving the gift of time. If she was a bookworm before kids, she might miss her stack of books on the nightstand and extra time to read them. Helping her use that time in the car for something she loves is awesome!
When Mommy Grows Up
Speaking of books, if the working mom in your life is thinking about making a change now that kiddos are on the scene, may I make a recommendation?
When Mommy Grows Up is a laugh-out-loud, feel all the feels, help you make some career moves book that’s a perfect gift for moms returning to work after maternity leave.
What can lessons we teach our kids like “you need to share” and “make new friends” teach us about our own career happiness? A lot actually! Author, Career Coach, and Mom, Becca Carnahan (that’s me) shares her own story of making changes in her career to find more fulfillment after having kids and helps other moms do the same.
Just Let Me Lie Down – Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom
And while we’re talking books, here’s one more!
Just Let Me Lie Down is a hilarious book by author and former editor-in-chief of Real Simple magazine, Kristin Van Ogtrop. She’s a brilliantly funny writer who speaks directly into the heart and mind of working moms.
This fun read is the perfect back to work gift for a new mom to let your friend know she isn’t alone in this whirling swirling world of working motherhood.
Read More Book Recommendations for Books for Moms By Moms
Instacart Subscription or Giftcard
Groceries seem like a weird gift, but are they? Really? We all need them, and many of us don’t want to get to the store to have them. Sounds like a great gift to me!
Instacart is my favorite invention of, well, ever. As a working mom with a packed schedule, you’ll very rarely find me in a grocery store anymore now that I have a subscription to Instacart and my groceries arrive on my doorstep. It’s a huge time saver that allows me more time with my family and less time navigating aisles.
Gift your friend or family member a yearly Instacart subscription which pays for deliveries, or a gift card for a smaller amount so that she can buy herself some good chocolate, guilt-free and hand-delivered!
Read more on my love affair with Instacart.
Mama Bear Shirt
Is this Mama Bear shirt “office appropriate?” Well no, not really. But when I work from home without any meetings on the docket you’d best believe that I’m rocking this shirt and leggings.
And probably to bed that night because it’s cozy.
My sister-in-law and brother gifted me this shirt for my birthday and it’s such a great reminder that even when I’m not with my kids, I’m being the best mama bear I can be to my little cubs.
Mom Mug
Lack of sleep is not a working mom only problem. Nor is an affinity for coffee a working mom only trait. But, I know that caffeine and a warm beverage go a long way for getting many working moms up and going as they hit the office.
For your mom friend who is returning to work after maternity leave, a good mug might be exactly the back to work gift she needs. There are some great finds on Etsy or you can Amazon it up with this cute little number!
New Water Bottle
Let’s make sure we keep your new mom friend hydrated too as she heads back to work after maternity leave.
If she’s pumping, she’s going to need water! If she’s a bundle of emotions and tears, she’s going to need water! And if she’s rocking it in the office all day long and then pulling second shift at home, you guessed it, she’s going to need water!
Find her a water bottle she can take on the go and she’ll be thanking her lucky stars you’re on her team.
A New Flexible Job
Yes, you read that one right. You can help your friend make a career move as she makes big moves in her life!
Check out this free training, How to Land a Fulfilling Job You Love Without Giving Up the Flexibility You Need, designed specifically for parents. The training will walk you through the three mistakes job seekers make and how to fix them AND provide a four-step framework for finding a new flexible and fulfilling job.
Now how can you give this as a gift for a new mom returning to work from maternity leave? Great question. Forward her the free training too or grab a cup of coffee and watch together.
A Shiny New Resume
No, you don’t need to write your friend’s resume for her! But you can gift her a new resume template with career coaching so that if her current company does not have a supportive culture for parents, she can start making moves.
Grab her this resume template bundle to take the stress out of resume AND cover letter writing. Your account can be easily transferred over to your bestie after purchase.
Quinn’s Cookies – Lactation Cookies for New Moms
Now, of course, you could send your mom friend back to work with some homemade cookies, and that would be amazing. Who doesn’t love cookies?
But if you’re not a baker or you want to level up on this one, check out Quinn’s Cookies, and make sure to order some for yourself because they are delicious.
Bonus, they specifically offer lactation cookies for new moms! A huge challenge for many breastfeeding moms returning to work after maternity leave is keeping up their breastmilk supply. The ingredients in these cookies will help with that, and make for a great back to work gift / snack in the car.
Picture Frame
When I went back to work after maternity leave I brought my laptop, my Dr. Scholl’s flats, and about 3 trillion pictures of my kids.
Many of those pictures are tacked up on my bulletin board, making it appear like I actually have at least a dozen children, but a few have made their way into frames too which I love.
You know your new mom friend has a phone filled with pictures of her sweet new baby; give her something to display those baby blues/greens/browns in proudly on her desk.
Cute To-Do List
Mama has a lot on her plate, and if you’re a mom too then you know about the mental load. As moms we have an amazing capacity to remember all of our children’s health stats, all of our passwords, and where everyone’s shoes are. But all that information takes up a lot of real estate, so to-do lists help us to remember the other stuff!
A super practical and cute gift for a mom returning to work after maternity leave is a little to-do list or notebook to keep on her desk. Try one with an inspiring or funny message for a little extra oomph to help her manage through the day on little sleep.
Happy Returning to Work After Maternity Leave Gifting!
How awesome are you for Googling “best gifts for a mom returning to work after maternity leave”? Seriously, what a cool friend you are!
Want to uplevel your new mom back to work gift? Send your mom friend back to work with 15 working mom hacks to make life easier and more fun!
Read More Posts for Returning to Work After Maternity Leave:
20 Thoughtful Gifts for Busy Moms (That She’ll Actually Use)
Best Gifts for Working Moms: Work from Home Edition
Real Moms Share Their Best Return to Work After Maternity Leave Advice
Picture frames are a great idea!
Something that meant the world to me was a breastmilk necklace (it is beautiful) to keep a little part of my babe close!
My sister is returning to work after a long maternity leave, and that is why I have decided to start looking for a Lampe Berger fragrance oval gift set because she must also have self-care even though she’s already a mother. Aside from this, you are also right that she will love this personalized necklace that you suggested. You made a pretty good point that gifting her a book would be a great idea because this will be a perfect back-to-work present.