Little Bear Coaching

Welcome to Your Maternity Coaching Journey

Becoming a mother is one of the most profound transitions in life—but alongside the joy and love, it can also bring unexpected challenges. Many women find themselves asking, Who am I now? as their identity shifts during maternity leave, and later, How do I return to work without losing myself—or my family balance?

At Little Bear Coaching, we specialise in maternity coaching that supports not just your journey into motherhood, but your sense of identity within it. We’re here to help you navigate the emotional, personal, and professional changes that come with this new chapter.

Maternity leave can be a time of deep connection—but also isolation, loss of confidence, and a feeling of stepping away from the person you once were. Returning to work can then bring its own pressures: guilt, overwhelm, and the challenge of balancing career ambitions with family life.

Our coaching is designed to support you through these transitions, helping you to:

  • Reconnect with your identity beyond motherhood
  • Rebuild confidence and clarity in your personal and professional life
  • Navigate the emotional impact of maternity leave
  • Prepare for a return to work that feels aligned with your values
  • Set boundaries and create a sustainable work–life balance
  • Manage guilt, pressure, and shifting expectations

Redefining Success on Your Terms

There is no right way to do motherhood—or your career. Together, we’ll explore what success looks like for you now, helping you move forward with intention rather than expectation.

Through personalised coaching, practical tools, and a supportive space to reflect, we empower you to embrace both your role as a mother and your ambitions beyond it—without feeling like you have to sacrifice one for the other.

You Are Still You—Just Evolving

Motherhood doesn’t mean losing yourself—it means redefining who you are. With the right support, this transition can become an opportunity for growth, clarity, and renewed purpose.

Let’s help you step into this next chapter with confidence. Get in touch today to start your journey.

Jane was my professional coach for a period of six months.
 
I came to Jane knowing I wanted to develop but without any real sense of where to start and how to move forward. Jane gave me the space to think more carefully about what I wanted. She helped me to prioritise the important stuff, as well as giving me the opportunity to look at my longer term goal.   Jane helped me to focus.

LR

About me

Hi, I’m Jane – mum, wife, learning and development professional, qualified ILM and maternity coach, avid cross stitcher and passionate maternity and transition coach. I’m also a certified practitioner in Thomas International PPA (DISC profiling), which helps me support individuals in understanding themselves more deeply during times of change.

My journey into coaching began nearly a decade ago when I returned from maternity leave for the first time. Like many new mums, I quickly realised that my priorities, identity, and expectations had shifted. I wanted more balance, more flexibility, and a life that truly reflected both my career ambitions and my role as a parent. However, much of the coaching available to me at the time focused on career progression rather than supporting the emotional and practical transition into motherhood. So, I carried on as before, without the tailored support I truly needed.

Now, after nine years, formal coaching qualifications, and a second experience of maternity leave, I have a much deeper understanding of the unique challenges that come with this life stage. Through my own coaching journey, I’ve seen first-hand how powerful the right support can be in helping women navigate identity shifts, rebuild confidence, and create a version of work and life that feels right for them.

I specialise in supporting women through maternity transitions – whether you’re preparing for maternity leave, navigating your time away, or returning to work and redefining what balance looks like for you. This is a time of significant change, and you don’t have to figure it out alone.

I’m known for being a warm, empathetic listener and a strong communicator who builds trust quickly. My coaching sessions are confidential, flexible, and supportive, with space for honesty, reflection, and even a little laughter along the way. Together, we’ll focus on what matters most to you, empowering you to move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose in this new chapter of your life.

Jane has a natural ability to listen – really listen. I felt our sessions were carefully structured, but I was relaxed and able to talk openly about what was going on for me. There were times when I felt stuck  – Jane helped me to map out alternatives and encouraged me to think differently about my situation. I felt I came up with workable solutions for me and I began to think more creatively about my work in the future.

LR

How we work

Why do I think coaching is so valuable?

Through coaching, I can enable you to find the time and space to focus on you.  I can support you to determine what is really important to you, why it matters to you and what you can do to achieve these goals.  If there are elements of your situation that make you feel uncomfortable, I can help you to face these elements and navigate your way through them.  I can help you to see that change, whilst often scary, can be empowering and that tackling change can guide you to a more fulfilling and satisfying situation. 

To achieve all of this, I will work in a way that suits you.  We will start with a free, no obligation, discovery conversation – phone call, video call or face to face.  During this conversation we will explore what it is that you are looking for from coaching and an approach that works best for you.  From a structured programme of coaching sessions to a more free flowing as and when approach I can tailor the experience to suit you. 

What is coaching, what is mentoring and how do they differ?

A coach does not necessarily have to have experience in your line of work or the specific experience that you find yourself in.  The role of a coach is to help you explore and gain clarity on your goals and aspirations – and support you to on your journey to achieving them.  A mentor is someone who may have significant experience in your line of work and is more likely to guide and offer advice and suggestions to help you achieve your goals.  Mentors tend to be more directive whilst coaches are predominantly non directive.  A good coach will travel the line between directive and non-directive depending on the situation and the requirement at the time. 

‘Put simply professional coaching is the best way to support an individual, team, organisation and society to reach its purpose and potential.’ – Definition of coaching by the Coaching Association

‘A mentor is an expert who provides wisdom and guidance based on his or her own experience. Mentoring may include advising, counselling and coaching.’- Definition of mentoring by the International Coaching Federation

The coaching support provided by Jane was very beneficial as it helped me develop skills such as competency writing and also interviewing skills.  Having someone to work with on key aspects of a recruitment process was very helpful.  Additionally, Jane helped me to gain confidence to shadow other teams – this helped me to learn more about the business and determine areas that I would like to develop into.  I would highly recommend coaching sessions with Jane for anyone looking for support with career progression.

JP

Contact us

If you have a question please use the form below to contact us.