Returning to work after maternity leave is one of the most emotionally tangled seasons a woman walks through. There’s the thrill of stepping back into a part of yourself you missed, and then there’s the guilt that clings to your ankle like a toddler who doesn’t want you to leave. The anxiety. The tiny voice that keeps whispering, Will I still be seen as someone who matters? Will people expect me to sprint just because I was away for a while?

I carried all of that with me when I returned to Sandhata after my maternity break. I was split right down the middle: half hopeful, half terrified. But what happened next reshaped the way I thought about work, leadership, and what inclusion looks like when it’s actually lived and not just written in a policy.

Maternity Support that Supports

From the moment I told my manager I was pregnant, something unexpected happened: nothing dramatic. No raised eyebrows. No awkward pauses. No “we’ll see what we can do.” Just steady, quiet support. They shifted me to full work-from-home without making me do an emotional obstacle course. It sounds simple, but when you’re pregnant, simplicity feels like a miracle.

Even our clients – who usually run on timelines tighter than newborn sleep schedules – were kind and flexible. I could take time off for scans and medical appointments without having to perform guilt or justify myself. My workload was rearranged so I wasn’t juggling code and contractions at the same time. And the freedom to take leave when I needed it didn’t feel like a favour. It felt like trust.

Then there were the little gestures that hit you in the soft places you don’t talk about. Baby gift hampers arriving at my doorstep. Festival gifts reaching me even when I was officially “out of office.” These may sound small, but during those fuzzy postpartum weeks where every day feels like you’re learning how to exist again, these reminders landed like a warm hand on your shoulder: You still belong here. You still matter.`

Returning to Work: No Pressure, Just Clarity

Coming back after maternity leave is not as simple as switching your laptop back on. Nobody tells you how strange it feels to step into your old chair with a new life stitched into your bones. You look at your keyboard and wonder if your brain still remembers how to think in clean lines instead of baby schedules. You reread emails three times because your confidence has taken a small vacation of its own. You smile on calls while silently hoping no one hears the baby monitor humming in the next room.

At Sandhata, none of this was treated like an inconvenience. There was no quiet judgment waiting for me when I logged in for the first time. Instead, I received space. And patience. And the kind of gentle clarity every new mother needs, but rarely gets. My first few weeks were all about easing in — catching up on changes, understanding what I had missed, and relearning my pace without feeling like I had to sprint.

People asked me how I was before asking what I could do. Teammates checked in without hovering. Meetings were scheduled around daycare timings without making me feel like I was asking for special treatment. I was encouraged to take breaks when needed and to set boundaries without apology.

And slowly, something shifted. The confidence I thought I had misplaced started coming back. The rhythm I feared I had lost returned in its own time. I rediscovered my voice in discussions, my spark in problem-solving, and my curiosity in learning new things. I didn’t have to hide my new identity or fit it into a neat box. I just had to show up as myself — sleep-deprived, hopeful, messy, and determined — and that was enough.

Returning to work didn’t feel like starting over. It felt like being welcomed back into a room where my chair was still warm, where my absence hadn’t erased my worth, and where my new life wasn’t treated as a liability but as part of who I was becoming.

A Culture Built on Trust and Flexibility

Trust isn’t something you can measure in policies or highlight in PowerPoint slides. You feel it in the quiet moments. In the way someone says, “we’ve got this covered, take your time.” In the way leaders treat your life changes as part of your story, not a checkbox they need to manage.

At Sandhata, trust shows up in small, steady ways. Nobody micromanages how many hours you’re online. Nobody questions why your camera is off one day because your toddler used your kajal pencil to do interior design on the wall. If you say you need to step away for a doctor’s visit, people don’t ask for justification. They just say, “take care.”

This flexibility is not a loophole or a perk. It’s woven into the culture. It’s the understanding that human beings are not machines and that your best work will always come from a place where you feel safe to be real.

There’s also something grounding about knowing your company trusts your judgment more than your clock-in time. That your work will be measured by depth, not by display. That you’re free to organize your day in a way that fits your life instead of constantly compressing your life to fit work.

This trust makes you braver. You speak up more. You experiment more. You take initiative because you’re not afraid of being punished for trying. You collaborate with more honesty because you know you won’t be misunderstood for setting boundaries. And most importantly, you learn to give the same trust back — to your team, to your peers, to the women who will someday stand where you stand now.

Flexibility here is not treated as a privilege handed out in small doses. It is the default. The quiet backbone of the culture. The reason so many of us feel like we can grow without breaking ourselves to fit an old mold.

More Than Just a Team: A Community

What truly amazed me was how Sandhata builds community. It’s not just about internal team bonding. It’s about collective identity. When our new office was inaugurated, flights were booked for employees across different locations, because being part of milestones matters. Every employee’s presence is valued.

Then there’s WOS: Women of Sandhata. This isn’t just a forum. It’s a movement. It’s where we share experiences, mentor each other, and raise our hands when something needs to change. Whether it’s maternity, leadership, or learning a new technology, WOS is a support system in action.

The feeling of being part of a larger network matters. It gives you a sense of safety, belonging, and a mirror through which to see your growth. I’ve received guidance on how to navigate career transitions, peer mentoring from women across regions, and even referrals for learning resources and tools.

Innovation Without Hierarchy

As a developer, one of the things I love most is that innovation is not limited to titles here. If you have an idea—whether it’s a technical improvement or a new way of doing things, you’re encouraged to share it. You don’t need to “earn” your voice through hierarchy. Your contribution is respected because of its merit, not your designation.

This spirit of openness has given me the confidence to take risks, speak up, and think bigger. It’s made me a better technologist and a bolder problem solver.

Redefining Career After Motherhood

Returning to work after maternity leave should not feel like starting over. At Sandhata, it doesn’t. It feels like a continuation—a new chapter built on the same foundation of trust and growth.

I wasn’t punished for taking time off. I wasn’t made to feel like I had to choose between being a good mother and a great developer. I was simply allowed to be both. That’s the power of a truly inclusive workplace.

There is also the unspoken emotional safety that matters. I could talk to other parents on the team and ask for tips, share concerns, or laugh over shared chaos. There’s a cultural ease around parenting that makes it okay to be honest about your capacity. And that honesty is respected.

If you’re looking for a company that respects your journey, understands real-life challenges, and gives you space to succeed, take a closer look at Sandhata. This is a place where people matter. Where growth is human. And where returning after maternity can actually be the best career move you ever make.

Cheers,

Divya Elangovan, Technology Expert, Sandhata Technologies Private Limited.

Divya Elangovan.

 

Learn More

Interested in building your career with Sandhata?

Visit our careers page: Sandhata Technologies Careers

Explore our Women of Sandhata initiative: WOS

Whether you’re returning after a break, switching domains, or just looking for a workplace that values trust and innovation, this is where you’ll find your next chapter.

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balakarthiga muruganantham

Balakarthiga is a seasoned Product Marketer with six years of experience. With a passion for crafting compelling narratives, she navigates the intricate world of SaaS & DevOps marketing with creativity and precision.