Virgin Media star Ciara Doherty has admitted she was “torn” when she returned back to work after being on maternity leave.
The Tonight Show host welcomed her second baby girl, Edie, last May with husband Richard Stern. The couple are also parents to three-year-old, Renee.
But the Donegal native said coming back to host The Tonight Show was a “shock to the system”.
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She said: “The first week I came back was a shock to the system, because I was thrown in at the deep end and there was so much going on in the world.
“I was overwhelmed, to be honest. But within a week or two, it had settled down. I had got my head around it, we’d found our feet at home with a better routine and I had adjusted.
“Now I feel more in control. That first week back was tough going, I have to say.”
But Ciara said she felt “lucky” to have such great support from pals Claire Brock, Karen Koster and Colette Fitzpatrick.
“They were a real support to me that week because they could see that I was struggling when I came back, and I felt quite torn between work and trying to see the children and they reassured me that I would find my feet again and that it would work out.
“And they were right,” she told the RTE Guide.
The mum-of-two said she soaked up every second of her maternity leave.
“I really, really enjoyed it and soaked up every second of it.
“I didn’t put half as much pressure on myself, I wasn’t looking at my phone, Googling stuff; I just took each day as it came.
“I let her lie on me as much as she wanted and sleep on.
“I didn’t worry about her routine, I really enjoyed it. They are only that small for such a short period of time and it’s precious, I loved it.”
And the 40-year-old said she wasn’t worried about her job while she was on maternity leave when Virgin Media had a big shake up in their newsroom.
“I’m in Virgin over 13 years and I’ve worked on breakfast television, documentaries, current affairs and news, so I would never be concerned about where they might move me because I’ve always enjoyed the moves.
“Of course, there are moments you wonder if your job is in doubt or your position is in doubt, but all you can do is do your best and hope your work speaks for itself.
“It’s part of the gig and you can’t be precious about it,” she added.
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