Over half of mothers said they have worked during their maternity leave.

The study, conducted by SMA Nutrition, saw 52% of mothers admitting to being involved in work-related activities in some capacity.

31% took calls for colleagues during their leave, while 15% said they did background reading to keep up to date. Almost a quarter of mother said they checked their emails during their time off.

Before telling their employer about their pregnancy, almost half (46%) of mums felt nervous, anxious or concerned.

Returning to work

Returning to work from maternity leave has a significant impact on the behaviours of working mums. 64% of working mums believe motherhood has increased their time management efficiency, with 36% saying they find it easy to switch off from work when they return home.

Of these mums, 45% feel more confident after returning to work from their maternity leave.

A study conducted by Citrix last year found that approximately 3,000 new mothers leave the workforce each year due to the cost of childcare and over 8,200 mothers returned to work last year looking for more flexible hours.

New Bill

Earlier this month, the Social Democrats introduced a Bill to the Dáil looking to extend unpaid parental leave to six months.

Speaking before the Bill's introduction Róisín Shortall TD said: "For working parents, there is a constant struggle to do the best they can for their children while holding down a job. Increased parental time supports stronger bonds with children; improves female participation in the workforce; provides flexibility to parents, including around school holidays; and can reduce childcare costs."

The Bill also proposes the extension of maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of premature babies.