Reclaiming My Peace: How Returning to Work After Maternity Leave Transformed My Journey
September 2024 | New Jersey
Returning to work at 2 months postpartum was even tougher than my 2 natural water births. However, I’m incredibly grateful for how things turned out and the invaluable lessons I’ve learned along the way, which I hope will be helpful to other mothers and future mothers out there.
Writer: Chante Dyson | Photos by Nicole Guillen
On April 24th, 2024, I welcomed my second son, Okechukwu (Gift of God), into the world. Baby Oke is indeed a precious gift; his radiant smile and joyful presence have been a blessing. Over the past four months, I’ve cherished nurturing him and watching him grow. Becoming a mother of two has been beautiful, but I need to be honest about both the highs and the challenges, particularly in balancing work with caring for my two young children.
My journey started to intensify during the third trimester of my pregnancy with Baby Oke. At seven months pregnant, I took on a new full-time role—a decision I realize was quite ambitious. For the past two years, I’d been working to break into tech, which started around the time I was pregnant with my first son, Aku. My goals were clear: to achieve better work-life balance, increase my salary, and gain critical experience for eventually becoming a tech founder with my mobile app, Godyssey.
When I was pregnant with Aku, I began the Google UX Design Course, thinking UX Design would be a natural fit given my marketing background. Despite my interest, first trimester fatigue and morning sickness made it difficult to keep up, and I didn’t finish the course—a regret I still carry.
Around nine months postpartum, I joined Tech Fleet, a nonprofit community dedicated to providing fair access to tech careers. While participating in the Slack community, I began shadowing a mobile app development project for The Melanin Village, a Black woman-owned homeschooling platform for Black and Brown families. My time shadowing led me to the Product Strategy team, where I found my passion. Shortly after, I was selected as the Product Strategy Lead for Phase 1 of the project.
This experience confirmed my passion for working in tech as a Product Manager. I share this background because it explains why, despite being seven months pregnant, I accepted a marketing role at an art, design, and technology incubator—an opportunity I’d interviewed for over a year prior. I was excited to use this role to transition into tech, but I didn’t fully grasp how it would affect my peace and my experience as a new mother of two.
When I first took on my new full-time role at seven months pregnant, I was told I’d have just four weeks of maternity leave. As daunting as that sounded, I figured I’d give it my best shot. We Black mothers are known for our determination and resilience; we often put others before ourselves. In that moment, I felt taking this risk would ultimately benefit my family by helping us build a better future. I remember climbing subway stairs and maneuvering through Penn Station while protecting my growing belly. It was tough, but by the Grace of God, I made it through.
As my due date approached and I began my weekly prenatal visits, one of the midwives at the birth center told me she couldn’t clear me to return to work after just four weeks postpartum, citing the health risks. She gave me a note for my employer, which led to my maternity leave being extended to six weeks, and eventually eight weeks. It’s worth noting that I’m among the 55 percent of Black women in the U.S. who took unpaid leave; in fact, I took unpaid leave for both pregnancies. A study from annuity.org reveals that Black women lose an estimated $3.9 billion in income each year due to unpaid or poorly paid leave. While that’s a topic for another day, it’s crucial to paint the full picture of my maternity leave and return-to-work journey as a Black mother of two.
I want to share that my birth experience was truly beautiful. It was my second natural birth at the same birth center, and reflecting back, it felt both divine and seamless. This time, it was just me and my fiancé—no doula. I labored in the bathtub at home, listened to birth affirmations on YouTube and my birth playlist on Apple Music, and focused on deep breathing until baby Oke arrived, making us a family of four. Everything went smoothly, and by the Grace of God, my baby is perfectly healthy. I did have access to a postpartum doula through Love Delivered, a program supporting Black birthing people and the community by offering doula services and resources. I was one of the models for the Love Delivered shoot while pregnant with baby Oke which is how I was able to utilize the program. Romie, my postpartum doula, was a lifesaver in helping me navigate life with two babies, especially with lactation. I didn’t have a postpartum doula for my first birth, but I highly recommend one for any mama planning or preparing to give birth.
I went back to work at eight weeks postpartum, with baby Oke just two months old. Initially, it felt good to get back into the swing of things, but the NYC commute quickly became a grueling challenge. I’d leave around 7 a.m. and wouldn’t get home until about 8 p.m., missing key moments with my babies, who go to sleep at 8. I was also juggling two underpaid jobs and my content creation business on the side. It was a hustle, y’all.
I soon realized how unsustainable this schedule was. So, I decided to risk it all and push myself even further, hoping my sacrifices wouldn’t be in vain. I committed to completing my coursework to break into tech, focusing on Product Management. I successfully completed the Co.Lab Product Sprint, an incredible experience, and got back into the Tech Fleet community, joining Phase 4 of the same mobile app development project. I also took the Product Requirements Masterclass with Morgan Denner, founder of Tech Fleet. With my roadmap set, I aimed to break into Product Management by the end of the year. I have to give a shoutout to my fiancé for his support during our weekly family meetings; he helped me with setting goals and creating roadmaps. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but by the Grace of God, I reached my goal by the end of the year. (More on that in another post!)
I truly believe there’s no determination like a mother’s determination. To say that I’ve broken into a new career path and claimed so much abundance for myself just four months postpartum is a powerful testament to that strength. I’m celebrating myself for this achievement! When your children depend on you to be great, you get things done by any means necessary. Mothers are true goddesses, and our power is immense. We can achieve anything we set our minds to. Natural birth teaches you that. However, returning to work was even tougher than my natural water births, I must admit. I’m incredibly grateful for how things turned out and the invaluable lessons I’ve learned along the way, which I hope will be helpful to other mothers and future mothers out there.
Recognize when you’re in a season of sacrifice and remember—it’s just a season. During those challenging times, juggling multiple jobs, studying, applying and interviewing for new positions, and managing home responsibilities, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated. My mental and physical health were deteriorating, and I was angry because I knew I deserved balance, rest, and overall well-being. One thing I wish I had kept in mind better was that this was merely a season of sacrifice. Many of us go through or will go through such times. They don’t last forever, but they are worth it in the grand scheme of things. Stay focused, remember your why, and fully embrace the season you’re in, trusting God every step of the way. Seasons change, and if you’re in your sacrifice season now, know that you will make it through. When you do, you, your loved ones, your ancestors, and your spirit guides will all rejoice!
Peace must be a priority for the sake of our homes. As mothers, embodying peace from within is essential not only for our emotional well-being but for the harmony of our families. Women set the tone for the atmosphere of the home, and you can often tell a lot about a woman’s inner peace by the energy in her home. Our children, partners, and communities need us to be at peace. We thrive when we are at peace. Even in a high-stress world where many of us are stretched thin, we can embody peace by prioritizing our mental health (especially in postpartum) and diligently tending to our spiritual lives. It’s unfortunate that we don’t get follow-up calls from our doctors after our six-week checkups. Many of us struggle with postpartum depression and other mental health challenges silently, often misunderstood by loved ones and society. It’s crucial to focus on nurturing peace within ourselves, even when motherhood feels overwhelming. You might cry one day, but make sure to pray that night. No matter your spiritual beliefs, I advocate for therapy for Black mothers as well as a dedicated prayer practice to connect with God. We need all the support we can get to be the peace our families deserve. Prioritize your peace, goddess, especially during and after your season of sacrifice.
We are limitless as mothers. I know I can have it all—a vibrant inner world, a loving family, a thriving career, and a fulfilling life. Even when times are tough, I won’t forget the power I hold as a goddess. Mothers are goddesses, period. We bring life into existence not only with our babies but also through any divine idea we birth from our sacral chakras. Don’t let any challenging time make you forget your power. Seek the support you need and remember that just as you birthed your children, you can choose to be reborn within yourself. Sending you so much love on your journey, goddess.
Thank you for reading!
With love,
Chante
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Chante Dyson is a Lifestyle and Wellness Content Creator based in New Jersey. She is the founder of The Godyssey, a lifestyle blog where she helps Black mothers find balance, empowerment, and fulfillment in every aspect of their lives. On her blog, you’ll find lifestyle content touching on motherhood, career, wellness, style and empowerment. She hopes that her content helps Black mothers to honor and express their divine feminine energy and power as goddesses.
Read more here.
