New Law & Order: SVU Actress Cried Returning to Work

[Brian Damage]

Law & Order: SVU actress Jeri Ryan found it so difficult to adjust back to working life after giving birth to her daughter, she cried on her return to the set.

The 41-year-old star put her career on hold in 2008 and welcomed baby girl Gisele last March. She returned to work earlier this month after a lengthy maternity leave - but she admits getting used to life as a working mom is much harder than she expected.

She tells People.com, "I cried (when I returned to work). It was especially hard since I've been with her nonstop since she was born. I loved my year off. I milked (my maternity leave) for as long as anyone could milk it! Now it's time to go back to work."

And Ryan, who is married to Chef Christopher Eme, also struggled to regain her pre-pregnancy figure after piling on 28 pounds while expecting. She adds, "It took me 10 months to get back to normal. It was a little frustrating, but I realize it's harder to take the weight off when you're 40."