How do professional women experience the transition from being a ‘stay at home mother’ to paid employment?

This study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experience of professional women’s transition from being a ‘stay at home mother’ (SAHM) to paid employment. I expand on findings from a previous study I conducted (ECC 2017) with a view to informing coaching and therapy interventions.

The literature review informing this study focuses on the transition to motherhood within an organisational context, women’s experience of being a SAHM and the experience of transitioning from being a SAHM to paid employment. I also consider previous research relating to maternity coaching and returner coaching.

The study was carried out with a homogeneous population of seven professional women who had spent a minimum of two years at home before returning to paid employment. At the time of interview, participants had been in paid employment for between six and eighteen months. Participants were interviewed once, face-to-face, for between sixty and ninety minutes.

Four superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: (1) identity loss and transformation, (2) expectations versus reality, (3) ease of transition and (4) loss.

Participants’ experience of transitioning to paid employment was significantly influenced by what had happened to them previously – specifically how they came to be a SAHM, and how they experienced their time as a SAHM. The findings suggest that where women had a planned transition to SAHM, they experienced a relatively smooth transition back to paid employment. They also highlight the impact of unmet expectations on partner relationships and women’s well-being, suggesting that coaching and therapy interventions that include women’s partners would be beneficial. The results also reveal that women strive to minimise the impact of their return to work on their families and, in so doing, either place a significant burden upon themselves or limit their return options. Left unacknowledged, women’s experience of loss can negatively impact their partner relationships and lead to feelings of resentment and anger. The findings also point to the value of therapists and coaches working with couples during this significant life transition.

Appendix 7 and 8 have been redacted.