Working Mumma

Most conversations about returning to work after maternity leave focus on the return itself: the first day back, childcare drop-off, the mental load of becoming "mum and professional" again overnight. But what about six or twelve months later, when the arrangement you came back on stops fitting the life you're actually living?

In this episode, Carina shares her experience moving from three to four days at work after her second mate...

Have you ever returned to work after parental leave and found yourself saying: “I should just be grateful I have my job back” even when the role doesn’t fit your life anymore?

That feeling has a name. It’s good girl conditioning. And it’s one of the most quietly powerful forces shaping the lives of working mothers.

In this episode, Carina sits down with Caitlin Judd, a business consultant, coach, podca...

Missing your baby at work?

Feeling like your heart is in two places at once?

You’re not alone, and more importantly, there is nothing wrong with you.

In this episode, Carina talk's about one of the most common (yet rarely spoken about) parts of returning to work after maternity leave: that quiet ache of missing your baby, the constant mental juggling, and the guilt that seems to follow you everywhere.

If you’ve ever sat...

Since going back to work after maternity leave, has anyone - a manager, a colleague, a well-meaning relative - implied that you've changed? That you're not quite as driven as you used to be? Maybe your focus has shifted? Because here's the truth: you haven't changed. Not in the way they think. Your ambition is still there, it's just evolved into something sharper, more purposeful, and more powerful than it's ever been. The problem...

Returning to work after parental leave is already a huge transition. But what if you're going back and you are pregnant?

This week's episode comes straight from a listener DM, and it's one of the most relatable, raw, and important questions we've ever received on the show. In this episode, host Carina O'Brien tackles the fear, the guilt, and the very real practical questions that come with going back to work while pregnant.

In this...

If you've ever returned to work after parental leave and thought, "I'm not the same person I was before I went on parental leave", you are not imagining it. And there's actually a word for what you're going through.

In this episode of the Working Mumma Podcast, I sit down with Amanda Jackson, founder of Motherhood and Matrescence and author of the book by the same name, to explore the concept of matrescence, the process of becoming...

When you're in the thick of the baby and toddler years, it can feel like that's the hardest it will ever be. But what nobody tells you is that the challenge doesn't disappear as your kids get older - it just changes shape.

In this solo episode, I'm getting real about a phase of working motherhood I didn't see coming: the school-age years. From navigating school hours that don't align with work hours, to managing a never-ending rot...

What happens when you return to work after maternity leave… only to be made redundant six weeks later?

In this honest and deeply relatable episode of the Working Mumma Podcast, I’m joined by Natalie McDonald, founder of Working@It, former LinkedIn editor, journalist, content strategist, and mum of two.

Natalie opens up about:

• Returning to work after maternity leave
• Being made redundant during the AI transformation...

Have you ever felt like everything in your life looks fine on paper… but something still feels off?

In this solo episode of the Working Mumma podcast, Carina explores the hidden tension so many working mums experience, the gap between the mother you are today and the mother you want to be.

This episode isn’t about productivity hacks or doing more. It’s about alignment.

Carina shares a practical and deeply reflect...

Why does motherhood feel so overwhelming, even when you’re doing everything “right”?

In this episode of the Working Mumma podcast, I speak with Lisa Taylor, author of The Perfect Parent Trap, about the invisible pressure modern mothers are carrying and why so many working mums feel like they’re constantly falling short.

From unrealistic expectations to the mental load, Lisa unpacks how the idea of “per...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly behind… like you’re failing at work, at home, or both…here is an episode for you.

Because here’s the truth: You are not the problem. The expectations of you are.

In this episode, I unpack why so many working mums feel overwhelmed, stretched, and stuck in a cycle of “trying harder”, and why it’s not about better time management or bein...

When we talk about working parents, we often focus on mums. But what if one of the biggest missing pieces in the conversation is dads?

In this episode of the Working Mumma podcast, Carina speaks with fatherhood advocate Michael Ray about why working mums cannot carry the load alone, and why fathers need to be seen, supported and expected to be equal parents from the beginning.

Michael shares his own story of becoming a father at 49...

If you're about to go back to work after maternity leave, or you're already back and wondering why it feels so much harder than expected, this episode is for you.

The truth is, no one really prepares you for the emotional reality of the return. The guilt. The overwhelm. The strange feeling of being expected to show up as the same person you were before, when you are fundamentally, beautifully different.

In this episode, I'm walking...

You came back from parental leave a different person - more resilient, more decisive, less tolerant of nonsense, and more capable. The question isn't whether you can do your role. It's whether you will give yourself permission to show up as the upgraded version of yourself.

This week on the Working Mumma Podcast, I chat with Rebecca Houghton, founder of Bold HR and author of More Impact, More Easily — a book that started as a...

What happens when the job you thought you were returning to after parental leave no longer exists?

In this episode, I speak with executive leader and solo mum Karis Dorrigan, who shares her experience of being made redundant while on maternity leave during COVID, and how that moment became a turning point in redefining her career, ambition, and life.

This is an honest and powerful conversation about the realities many women face bu...

Returning to work after maternity leave can come with an unspoken pressure many women don’t realise they’re carrying - the need to prove that nothing has changed.

In this episode of the Working Mumma Podcast, Carina sits down with Rachel Debeck, former lawyer, tech CEO, and mum of three, to unpack the “prove yourself” trap that so many working mothers fall into when they return to work.

Rachel shares her hon...

Have you ever posted your child’s name, birth date or kinder photo online?

Most of us have.

And we did it with love.

But in 2026, the digital landscape has changed.

In this episode of the Working Mumma podcast Carina speaks with Zsofi Paterson, CEO of Tinybeans, about the growing conversation around “sharenting” and why parents of young children need to be more aware than ever.

Following a recent Australian Federa...

Returning to work after having a baby isn’t just about logistics, childcare, or flexible hours , a big part of it is about identity.

In this Reflect Summer Series episode, Carina revisits a powerful conversation with Laura Stewart, who shares her deeply honest experience of the identity shift that came with motherhood, and how it ultimately led her to redefine success, leadership, personal values, and meaningful work.

While o...

The mental load is exhausting, and a big issue for many working mothers. 

In this Reflect summer series special episode, I speak with Professor Leah Ruppaner.

We delve into the complexities of the mental load for working mums, and explore strategies to help you manage it that works for you. Leah shares the emotional and cognitive aspects of the mental load, the societal expectations placed on mothers, and the importance of cre...