Big companies are bringing in consultants to help career women cope with the transition and then to balance the two opposing areas of their life.

Talking Talent offers a maternity coaching consultancy service, which mothers and human resources departments use to ease the move between the two.

With changes to employment legislation based on the Work and Families Act, which comes into force next April and increases the rights of pregnant women and mothers returning to work, small businesses will need to take note of this new trend.