CARINE ANDREY
Occupational Psychologist & Coach
From manager to mother: survive or shape the transition?
The testimonial of Pauline, a client who was coached upon her return from maternity leave
Pauline* has always been a highly professional project manager. A talent, as they say in many companies...
Working in the telecommunications sector, under constant pressure, with tight deadlines and limited budgets, she had been juggling for over three years between demanding, often unpredictable management and a team of five people that she had to keep motivated and performing well.
However, she often felt as though she was constantly rushing forward, head down, never truly taking a break to breathe. Despite this, she was satisfied with the early stages of her career.
And then, one morning, after her 6 a.m. jog, between two morning routines, she glanced at the pregnancy test she had just taken “just to put a doubt to rest.”
They did want a child, yes, but later. From a career standpoint, it was clearly not the right moment. Everything had been planned, and so far, her plan had been working.
Nevertheless, the couple decided to welcome this child as a gift.
The first six months of her pregnancy went smoothly: her lifestyle remained almost unchanged-morning runs, back-to-back meetings, medical appointments squeezed into a tightly packed schedule, weekend getaways. But by the eighth month, things at work showed no signs of slowing down.
That’s when a wave of panic set in. She felt her career was being hindered, and a whole range of emotions-worry, guilt, doubts-began to cloud her maternity leave. At that point, she decided to work with a coach, with a clear intention: to take control of this transition rather than simply go through it.
Pauline agreed to share her experience for this article. Her interview, transcribed here, may inspire others facing a similar situation: working with a coach helped her integrate, in a calm and legitimate way, her two roles: team manager and mother.
Pauline, what led you to coaching?
A thousand questions were running through my mind during my maternity leave. My position had been secured and temporarily covered by a fixed-term contract, and I was supposed to be enjoying time with my baby. In reality, I was worried:
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What condition would I find my projects in when I returned?
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And what about my skills, and my team members?
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What would happen if the person replacing me managed things better than I did?
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What if I lost my job?
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How would I handle my workdays with a baby?
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How would I continue to perform while waking up three times a night?
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When would I find time to recharge? And so on…
I already felt overwhelmed, unable to project myself calmly into what was supposed to be a happy event.
One day, at the park, I spoke with a young mother. It was she who told me about this “coaching for young working mothers” that she herself had benefited from.
« Just before going back, I was very anxious and had lost confidence. Once I returned, I experienced a deep sense of loneliness»
What can you tell us about your coaching experience?
There were two key moments: the sessions at the end of my maternity leave, and those after my return to work and in the months that followed.
Just before going back, I was very anxious and had lost confidence. Once I returned, I experienced a deep sense of loneliness. I started questioning my professional decisions. I would wake up at night, overthinking my choices. I had no one around me in the same situation. I had to keep managing my team without showing my doubts or this gradual loss of confidence, at the risk of losing credibility, or so I believed.
Coaching provided me with a safe space: being listened to without feeling judged was essential.
But it went much further than that. Through this support, I was able to explore my emotions, identify the options in front of me, and shift from a situation I was enduring to a more active stance. Small adjustments had a significant impact in helping me find a new balance.
With hindsight, I see that my perception was incomplete. I was focusing on the constraints-fatigue, mental load, the unpredictability of life with a baby-without seeing the possibilities.
Coaching helped me refocus on my situation, my desires, my values, and to put in place solutions aligned with both our life as a family of three and my career ambitions. Advice from those around me, even when well-intentioned, sometimes made me feel judged or confined to a certain model. Coaching, on the other hand, respected who I am
What has been the most important takeaway from your coaching?
Oh, plenty! I went through many interesting moments and real awareness shifts, and after each session, I would leave with my little action plan: things to carry out.
In particular, I worked on how I positioned myself as a manager: the image I wanted to project, and a clear way of communicating that was above all aligned with my values.
Concretely, I also evolved some of my practices, such as:
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delegating a bit more, which at the same time allowed me to develop people within my team;
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letting go of certain things at home;
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accepting that I couldn’t control everything at work.
Delegation didn’t come naturally to me. Until then, I had managed without it. But it became essential upon my return. Coaching helped me identify my own internal barriers.
Ultimately, the greatest benefit came from the regularity of the sessions with my coach, and the feeling that I didn’t have to go through this transition alone. My coach didn’t let me down (laughs)!
Where would you be today without this transition coaching?
I would probably have managed to move forward eventually, I’m a positive person. But it would have taken more time and come at a cost. And I’m not sure I would have managed to break out of that spiral of negative thoughts on my own.
I was feeling fragile and vulnerable, and those 10 hours of work with my coach accelerated my adaptation. If I had to do it again, I would without hesitation!
Who funded your coaching?
I’m fortunate to work at **** where the HR policy is very supportive and strongly focused on DEI (Diversity & Inclusion). I initially funded my first sessions myself. My employer then recognized the value of investing in this support and covered the remaining hours.
I was the first new mother to benefit from it, and I sincerely hope this kind of support will be offered to others.
Anything else you would like to share?
Yes, my company offered me the opportunity to meet two coaches before making my choice. That was essential, as coaching is above all based on a relationship of trust.
* Pauline (pseudonym) was supported by Carine Andrey, Occupational psychologist and Certified Coach
To learn more about the Coaching for New Businessmums program, feel free to contact me: