Study: most mothers overestimate how quickly they can return to work after giving birth

However, a new study from the University of Copenhagen shows that the reality is often quite different.

Researchers analysed data from 11,000 women in Denmark, comparing their expectations about going to work after the birth of a child with how events actually unfolded. Their partners also took part in the study. The results showed a significant discrepancy between plans and reality, especially nine months after giving birth.

"This is the first time we've been able to directly compare expectations and actual outcomes - and see how much they diverge," explains economics professor Søren Leth-Petersen from the University of Copenhagen, one of the authors of the work conducted jointly with researchers from Stanford and New York University.

According to the study, about nine months after giving birth, many women expected to have already returned to work. However, in reality, a large proportion of mothers were still at home with their children during this time.

"This period is a watershed: maternity leave ends and many plan to return to professional life. But this happens much less often than expected," notes Let-Petersen.

Nevertheless, in the long run, most women do return to the level of employment they expected before giving birth. Researchers believe that women don't overestimate their career motivation, but underestimate how long it takes to regain their work rhythm.

The study found that many women misjudge how much time their partner will take over childcare. Some overestimate the father's involvement, while others, on the contrary, underestimate it.

"Even among pregnant respondents, there was considerable uncertainty about whether a partner would use paternity leave entitlement. This suggests that family plans are not always harmonised - or change along the way," explains Let-Petersen.

One might assume that women who have already had children would have a better idea of how things would go the second time round. However, the study found that even experienced mothers repeat the same mistakes in expectations.

"Experience alone does not correct distorted perceptions. This suggests that the process of expectation formation itself is important - and perhaps the cultural or social attitudes that influence them," the researcher notes.

According to the authors, such misconceptions can have serious consequences, from financial difficulties to professional failures.

If women overestimate how quickly they can return to work, it can affect their careers, incomes and sharing family responsibilities. Understanding realistic scenarios of return to the profession is therefore important not only for families, but also for the development of policies aimed at gender equality and supporting parents in the labour market.