A full-time work-at-home gig; a great salary, a great team, a great client…I rushed back after maternity leave because I loved work so much. What could possibly sink this ship? Could discouragement play so much on one’s emotions that it can tear a job apart? The night before I returned from leave I learned of huge changes on my team. I no longer managed my tracks or my direct reports.  It seemed like a demotion but it was not. In the world of management consulting, we are constantly changing to meet our clients’ needs. Worse--I was informed of these changes via a power-point presentation that I perused the night before my return. I couldn't help but take these changes personally--although I am very familiar with the world in which we work. When I followed up with our project sponsor, I was offered the following explanation: " Take it easy. You have a baby. Work your way back into work." Many of my friends have confided in me that they faced such situations when they returned to work. Management seems reluctant to entrust them with their former responsibilities at first. It doesn't take long to prove oneself (again). We ignite the fire in us to succeed (again) and drive ourselves to impress those around us. There is no choice but to give us our role back. I did this with right good. After a month, I had won back some big responsibilities and had earned a direct report. This, however, was short lived. After receiving rave reviews, I again had responsibilities and reports removed from me overnight; and was informed of this via system-generated email. It bothered me that these changes in our team were not communicated in a positive way. Subconsciously, I believed that something happened to my work product... although I was told by my team leadership that my deliverables were quality and that the project changed; not me. Consumed with self doubt, it took longer for me to get work done. I was still vocal and methodological about the direction of our team and our project--but felt unheard. I was no longer invited to strategy conference calls; no longer privy to information I had access to before. Discouragement lead to wishing I was elsewhere—and the place I wanted to be was just outside my home-office door.  I listened to my children giggle while playing with my nanny in the playroom. I pined for them. It amazes me that although our firm has policies that are so favorable to working mothers, an individual’s boss still determines their success when they return to work. It took me 9 months to find the courage to reach out to our firm-sanctioned support to resolve the situation. By this time, it was too late. I could not contribute to our team for even one more minute, I am taking a short sabbatical—a program offered by our firm—to decide my next steps. I am writing for clarity.