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 maternity leave and the slow realisation it wasn't sustainable, the guilt that showed up, the conversations she had with her husband, her friends, and eventually her manager, and why increasing her days actually made her a more present, less stretched mum, not a less involved one.

You'll learn:

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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, podcast host and author of Good Girl, for an honest, deeply relatable conversation about the inherited scripts that keep women small, silent and stuck. And what to do about it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

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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 at your desk wondering how your baby is doing, felt distracted in meetings, or questioned whether you made the right decision going back to work, this conversation is for you.

You’ll learn:

This episode is not about “fixing” how you feel; it’s about helping you understand it, permit yourself to experience it, and find your rhythm again.

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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?

In this episode we cover:

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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 episode, I share: 

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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 a mother, and why understanding it is one of the most powerful tools a working mum can have.

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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.

This episode isn't about complaining. It's about naming something that so many of us are quietly carrying, and reminding you that you are absolutely not alone.

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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:

This episode is for any woman who has ever questioned:

Natalie’s story is raw, empowering, practical, and incredibly validating for working mothers navigating change, uncertainty and the pressure to “hold it all together.”

If you’re navigating maternity leave, returning to work, redundancy, burnout, or career transition, this conversation will make you feel seen.

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 “perfect parenting” has quietly shaped how we work, parent, and judge ourselves. We explore why this pressure is hitting working mothers especially hard, and what needs to change.

This is an honest, validating conversation for any mum who has ever felt:

Like she’s failing at work or at home

In this episode, we chat about:

If you’ve ever wondered “why does motherhood feel so hard?” - this episode will help you feel seen, understood, and less alone.

Connect with Lisa: 

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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 reflective framework to help you:

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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 “perfect parenting” has quietly shaped how we work, parent, and judge ourselves. We explore why this pressure is hitting working mothers especially hard, and what needs to change.

This is an honest, validating conversation for any mum who has ever felt:

Like she’s failing at work or at home

In this episode, we chat about:

If you’ve ever wondered “why does motherhood feel so hard?” - this episode will help you feel seen, understood, and less alone.

Connect with Lisa: 

Connect with Carina and Working Mumma