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 through what the first 90 days of returning to work after parental leave actually looks like - the messy, the hard, and what genuinely helps.

Episode resources and links 

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

Podcast ep https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/lighten-your-mental-load-ditch-the-mum-guilt-and/id1495282250?i=1000719634108

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 guide for middle managers and turned out to be essential reading for every working mum navigating her way back after maternity leave. 

Rebecca has over 20 years of experience in leadership, talent, and organisational transformation.

In this episode, we go deep on what the return to work really involves, and why most women are doing it harder than they need to.

Episode resources and links 

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn and check out her book "More Impact, More Easily" on boldhr.com

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

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 but rarely talk about - redundancies whilst on parental leave, job insecurity, lack of support from employer, navigating the return to work, and the pressure to “be grateful” just to have a job.

It’s also a story of rebuilding, advocating for what you need, and designing a career that actually works for you as a mum and senior leader in an organisation.

If you’re returning to work after parental leave, or questioning what you want your career to look like after having children, this episode will leave you feeling seen, validated and empowered.

We chat about:

Episode links

Connect with Karis on LinkedIn

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

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 honest experience of coming back to a senior role when her first baby was just seven months old, the internal pressure to overcompensate, and the moment she received feedback that changed how she showed up as both a leader and a role model for other women.

We explore why pretending it’s “easy” can actually make things harder for working mums and what it looks like to lead, work, and parent more honestly.

This conversation is for any mum who has returned to work feeling like she has to be exactly the same as she was before, or better, while quietly carrying the mental load, guilt, and exhaustion that no one sees.

In this episode, we talk about:

Episode links 

Connect with Rachel Debeck on LinkedIn.

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

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 Federal Police warning and a 41% rise in online child exploitation, this episode explores:

If you’re raising babies, toddlers or preschoolers — and navigating Instagram, Facebook or family sharing — this is a conversation worth having.

Episode links 

Discover more about Tinybeans or connect with Zsofi on LinkedIn.

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn 

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 on maternity leave, Laura made the bold decision not to return to her executive role. Not because she lacked ambition, but because the role no longer aligned with who she was becoming as a mother, a leader, and a human.

Together, Carina and Laura chat about:

Episode links 

Connect with Laura Stewart on LinkedIn 

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn 

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 creating supportive systems for both parents.

If you liked this Reflect episode, listen to the full episode "Lighten Your Mental Load, Ditch the Mum Guilt, and Rethink Care with Professor Leah Ruppanner"

MORE LINKS

Connect with Leah via her website www.leahruppanner.com or on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/leah-ruppanner-1657a417/

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity and the website  www.workingmumma.com.au or connect with Carina on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/carina-obrien/

You’ve proven you can do your job — and do it well — while working flexibly. But now that your employer wants more office time, how do you ask for what you need without feeling guilty or being seen as “less committed”?

In this episode Carina O’Brien speaks with Dr. Ellen Ford, leadership expert and author of #WorkSchoolHours, about the art of negotiating flexibility at work. Together, they explore how working mums can confidently start the conversation, use data and outcomes to back up their case, and find a win-win that works for both you and your employer.

You’ll learn:

If you’re a working mum who wants to keep your flexibility this episode gives you the tools, confidence, and mindset to do it.

Listen to Dr. Ellen Ford's previous episode on the Working Mumma podcast ep 116 - Removing Barriers to Help Working Mums Thrive

Episode Resources & Links

Connect with Carina on LinkedIn 

Let's connect on Instagram @workingmummacommunity

Get your free 'How to share the mental load' checklist workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/

When a relationship ends, it’s not just the romantic partnership that dissolves - it’s the version of the life you imagined. For working mums, that loss can feel even heavier. You’re juggling career responsibilities, managing the daily needs of your children, and trying to make sense of an entirely new identity.

In this honest and practical conversation I chat with family lawyer, author, and co-parent Gabriella Pomare to talk about how working mums can navigate separation, divorce, and co-parenting with grace and clarity. Gabriella shares her personal story of rebuilding life after separation, whilst raising her son, managing a demanding career as a partner in a law firm, and finding a new identity.

Resources & Links 

Follow Gariella @collaborativecoparent and see her website for free resources thecollaborativeco-parent.com.au and check out her new book "The Collaborative Coparent" 

Follow Carina and Working Mumma @workingmummacommunity on LinkedIn and sign up to receive the free newsletter. 

Are you caught in a constant loop of “I should be doing more”? In this reflective episode, Carina unpacks why the word "should" has become the secret source of guilt for working mums and how to replace it with kinder, more empowering language.

Carina explores how should sneaks into our day through social expectations, “good girl” conditioning, and the mental load and shares a simple mindset strategies to help reframe and let go of guilt and reclaim control of your choices.

You’ll walk away feeling lighter, more compassionate toward yourself, and with a practical strategy to shift from guilt to growth.

You’ll Learn:

Follow @workingmummacommunity or @workingmummapodcast on Instagram and follow Working Mumma on LinkedIn.