Elisabeth Hasselbeck Returning to The View

By Gerri Miller

01/02/2008 at 05:30 PM EST

Maternity leave is nearly over for The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who returns to the show on Monday, ABC announced.

Hasselbeck, 30, has been away since Oct. 23. She gave birth to son Taylor Thomas on Nov. 9, her second child with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Tim Hasselbeck.

The conservative co-host's first day back at the table with Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd will be an hour-long "Hot Topics" episode, with a surprise guest, ABC reports.

"She's never shy about expressing her view, so "Hot Topics" will be getting a whole lot hotter – especially with the upcoming presidential election," says ABC. "Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepard joined the show shortly before Elisabeth left, so there wasn't much opportunity for all five co-hosts to interact. Now there will be a new dynamic at the "Hot Topics" table."