Pregnancy, Motherhood, and Professionalism: A Remarkable Journey of Oksana Matviienko, Regional Director of Viseven USA

Returning to work after maternity leave may be a hard thing to do for many moms, no matter what their position is or how much they love their work.

The hero of the story we’re about to tell you, our very own Oksana Matviienko , got through this way and now ready to share her heartwarming story.

Oksana is a Regional Director of Viseven USA, who returned to work after 6 weeks of maternity leave. What helped her during this experience? What aspects made it successful and helped reduce stress?

Read on to find out more about how to maintain work-life balance, get inspired and find exclusive pieces of advice from Oksana.

Maternity leave in numbers

Before getting down to the story, let’s break down a few stats.

One in four women in the US goes back to work within 2 weeks after giving birth. Maternity leave is not a process anymore that is rarely talked about; more and more women talk openly about giving birth, motherhood, and how it influences their career.

Here are a few more stats about maternity leave:

• The percentage of organizations offering paid maternity leave decreased from 53% in 2020 to 35% in 2022;
• Statutory paid paternity leave is provided by 90 out of 187 countries across the globe;
• 57% of mothers expressed feelings of missing their job during their leave.

Even though there have been many new policies and laws regarding maternity leave, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, and many improvements are awaiting their turn.

Going back to work after baby: The inspiring story of Oksana Matviienko, Regional Director of Viseven USA

In 2023, I celebrated a remarkable milestone: my 10th anniversary with Viseven!

Throughout this tenure at the company, I excelled in various roles, eventually rising to the position of Regional Director for the USA region.

When the time came to think about bringing the first child into the world, I felt pretty anxious about leaving my workplace.

Everything is changing so fast that you cannot afford to leave work for too long. Who will take care of the whole region when the head is absent? How can I maintain the whole office when I am not there?

There were many reasons for my worries and tons of questions there was no time to answer. However, despite all these concerns, I never felt any kind of pushback from either my management or my coworkers. No one rushed to get back to work or made negative comments about my absence.

To support me during the maternity leave, the company designated two deputies to handle some of the tasks and responsibilities.

During the whole pregnancy, I felt very well, which is why I continued working almost until giving birth. Following childbirth, I took a six-week absence from work, after which I returned on a part-time basis.

My recovery was quick, and I had a family by my side who helped me take care of my newborn. I was lucky because my employer allowed this flexibility, and also my family could assist.

In my team, everybody is supportive of coworkers who are parents. Sometimes, we even babysit each other’s kids. Outside of work hours, of course. In Bridgewater office, all parents share tips with each other and help out with difficult situations.

We are planning to create a playroom for kids, but for now, it's just a dream. Who knows, maybe we'll do this one day!

Preparing for pregnancy, maternity leave, and going back to work: tips for returning to work after maternity leave

Being a mother and an excellent employee can be difficult, but there is nothing impossible out there, and the case of Oksana demonstrates this.

She shared some tips that helped her both during pregnancy and after giving birth:

Be physically active

Throughout the whole pregnancy, I remained active as much as I could. I continued attending the gym during this period of my life, and this helped me not only keep fit but also take care of my mental health.

Of course, a woman should not force herself to work out, especially if she doesn’t feel well or has contraindications for exercise. If it’s possible, it’s better to do something small, since sports not only serve as a source of energy, but also help to clear the mind.

Embrace the changes

For many working moms, a new lifestyle might feel very unusual. You have new priorities, and there are many responsibilities and tasks you’ve never had in your life before. You can’t devote yourself completely to work anymore, but what you can do is make sure you stay efficient during your work hours.

Let’s say your workday is now 6 hours long. Your goal is to ensure you make the most out of these hours. Plan out your time well, create a list of priorities, delegate tasks when possible, and learn more about what works best for you, and what, conversely, hinders your productivity.

Write a clear list of your goals and objectives, and always update it to stay on track. Even before you go back to working full-time, you can still achieve 100% in terms of results.

All you need to do is find your strong and weak points and work around them.

Keep yourself busy

Working during the pregnancy helped me avoid overthinking. I found myself often worrying about the child and childbirth, but being occupied with work was a viable solution to this problem.

This doesn’t have to be something work-related though: various hobbies, activities, and little things to boost your mood can do wonders.

Take care of all arrangements beforehand

If you plan to seek assistance from someone else when taking care of the baby, ensure that you have discussed all the details and made all the necessary arrangements before giving birth.

It's essential not only to find support but also to agree on specific times when you will have assistance.

Make breastfeeding (or pumping) a part of your schedule

There are many things to consider when it comes to combining work and breastfeeding. There should be time in your workday dedicated only to pumping/breastfeeding and let your colleagues and management know that you need some space to do that.

It's important to communicate the change across the team and management that pumping is a part of the routine now, and the team needs to consider that. But also – it doesn’t mean that you are not ‘operational’ during this time. You still have your hands free and can pretty much do everything.

I have access to a designated room when needed, and everyone is considerate of my needs. My colleagues don’t disturb me when I am pumping, respecting my boundaries. They never disrupt this process, knowing that any kind of disturbance might result in stress and anxiety.

Bond with your child

Bonding with a newborn is an important step toward developing a trusted relationship between a parent and a child; however, for working moms, it might be challenging due to the lack of time.

When I felt ready for my return, I decided to work part-time at first. My colleagues supported this decision, so there was no problem with communication and distribution of projects and tasks, and I still had enough time to dedicate to bonding with my child.

Now, I still have reduced work hours, amounting to 75% of my regular workload. Thanks to this, I can continue to work effectively and have enough time to connect with a little one.

I recommend working part-time, if possible, for at least the first six months of your newborn's life. This allows you to balance your job responsibilities efficiently while also dedicating quality one-on-one time with your child.

Learn the art of concentration

Focusing on your work can be quite challenging when you have a kid. It is especially tough when you work from the office, and even more so if you are a remote worker.

Learning how to focus can be difficult, but since you have more tasks and less time, this is something you will have to do eventually, no matter what.

Use stress to your own advantage

By treating stress as a challenge and not a threat, you will see many tasks from a different point of view. If there is an obstacle in your path, try finding a different approach to it.

Across all our teams, if there are any stressful moments, we take time to have a little break, think everything over, and find ways to drive success. This helps us stay mentally stable and leaves stress no chance to ruin our spirit.

This way, I approach not only work-related tasks, but motherhood as well.

Returning after maternity leave can be a successful transition

As Oksana pointed out, pregnancy inevitably changes one's life, and this transformation can often be even more significant than expected.

To navigate it successfully, it's crucial to have the support of both your colleagues and loved ones.

Your primary focus should be on self-care, as it will not only be good for you, but for your child as well. Rest assured that when you return to work, your skills will remain intact, and you will likely do your job even better than before.

To finish our article on the right note, we asked our corporate psychologist to share her thoughts on this topic.

Here’s what she had to say:

“I would like to draw attention to several important aspects of this topic. A woman's psychological state begins to change during pregnancy. With the birth of a child, everything that was important before recedes into the background.

There are many worries and fears. What is it like to be a mother? Will I make it? Will I be able to be a good mother? Will I miss opportunities for professional development and growth if I stay at home?

Gradually, life begins to settle down and becomes more stable. But other experiences appear. Thoughts about going back to work can cause depression, doubt, self-doubt, and guilt.

Many women are familiar with emotional burnout in motherhood when the monotonous daily care of the baby becomes too exhausting, and you just want to "run away to work and feel like a person again."

What is important to remember in this case?

Everything that is happening to you now is normal. The feelings and experiences associated with returning to work are familiar to almost every mother. Remember that you are not alone. This period must be lived through.

Motherhood does not limit a woman: you can be a happy mother and successful professional in your career. It can be hard, but it's also full of beautiful moments.”