Working Mumma

Have you ever come back from a holiday feeling like you need another holiday?
Or realised, only after you've stopped, just how exhausted you really were?
That's exactly what happened to Carina. After a busy period of balancing her corporate role, work travel, Working Mumma, two young boys and the mental load of running a household, Carina headed away for a week's holiday with her family.
Carina talks about:
The difference between taking time off and actually mentally detaching from work
What Carina noticed when her own brain finally started to quieten
The real cost of ignoring your exhaustion and the hidden dangers of running on empty
Practical strategies for practicing psychological detachment, even when you can’t take an extended break.
What chronic cortisol is doing to your brain, sleep and focus, and why it's a loop, not a one-off
 

Is it possible to absolutely love being a mum... and still feel like something is missing?
For so many women, motherhood brings immense joy—but it can also bring an unexpected sense of loss. The loss of confidence, identity, ambition or simply remembering who you were before everyone needed a piece of you. In this deeply honest conversation, I sit down with author, speaker and coach Benita Bensch to talk about the parts of motherhood we don't often say out loud.
Benita shares her journey through raising four boys on the land, experiencing two significant periods of burnout she describes as "the black hole," and the long road back to reconnecting with herself. Together, we explore why so many mothers feel invisible, how our inner stories can keep us stuck, and why asking for what you need isn't selfish—it's essential. If you've ever wondered, "Who am I outside of being Mum?" this episode is for you.
In this episode we discuss:
Why it's possible to love motherhood and still crave more for yourself
Feeling invisible after becoming a mum
The identity shift that comes with motherhood
Benita's experience of burnout, anxiety and finding herself again
Why reconnecting with your creativity matters
Letting go of guilt around wanting something for yourself
The power of boundaries, self-awareness and asking for help
Practical ways to reconnect with yourself when life feels overwhelming
If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with another mum who needs to hear that she's not alone.
Do you feel like you have to choose between being a good mum and having a meaningful career?
Carina speaks with clinical psychologist and executive coach Dr. Anne Welsh, a mum of four who specialises in maternal mental health and works with women in leadership and working mothers navigating exactly this tension.
We talk about why the "escalation of modern motherhood" means today's mums are being asked to do more, emotionally, logistically, and professionally, than any generation before them, and why that's not a personal failing, it's a systemic shift.
Anne shares the research behind why quality time with your kids matters more than quantity, why the mental load is so much heavier than a to-do list, and a simple exercise to help you work out who you are now that you're a mother - not just who you were told to be.
If you've ever felt the ground shift under your identity after having kids, or wondered whether ambition and motherhood can actually coexist, this episode is your permission slip to stop choosing and start figuring out what you actually want.
In this episode we cover:
Why ambition and motherhood have historically been treated as opposites
The "escalation of modern motherhood" and why the mental load keeps growing
The research on quality vs. quantity of time with your kids
A simple exercise to reconnect with your identity after becoming a mum
Why naming what you want is one of the most powerful things you can do
How to give yourself permission to focus on what matters to you, not what you "should" be doing
Connect with Benita Bensch
Instagram: @benitabensch 
Website: benitabensch.com
Book: Seen Again: Light on Matrescence 
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Returning to work after maternity leave is often portrayed as the final hurdle for new mothers, but what if it's actually just the beginning of a much more complex journey?
In this eye-opening episode, Carina challenges the common narrative and reveals why the hardest part of motherhood may not be the leave itself, but the transition back to work. 
You'll discover the concept of "matrescence," a term that captures the transformative process of becoming a mother and how it impacts your confidence and career trajectory.
Carina dives into the real struggles many working mothers face, from the anxiety of returning to a workplace that has changed in their absence, to the guilt of wanting to excel at both parenting and career.
We break down essential strategies for rebuilding confidence, understanding your new identity, and setting healthy boundaries at work. Carina emphasizes the importance of recognizing that your value isn’t tied to your availability but to the impact you create. She also offers practical advice on how to find your rhythm and prioritize what truly matters in your life.
This episode is a must-listen for any working mother feeling lost in the transition back to work. Understand that you are not alone in this journey; many women experience similar doubts and struggles. Instead of trying to revert to your old self, Carina encourages you to embrace the strengths and new perspectives motherhood has given you.
Perfect for working mothers, this episode empowers you to redefine what success looks like for you and your family. Tune in for a conversation that not only validates your experiences but also equips you with the tools to thrive in both your personal and professional life.

Do you feel like you have to choose between being a good mum and having a meaningful career?
Carina speaks with clinical psychologist and executive coach Dr. Anne Welsh, a mum of four who specialises in maternal mental health and works with women in leadership and working mothers navigating exactly this tension.
We talk about why the "escalation of modern motherhood" means today's mums are being asked to do more, emotionally, logistically, and professionally, than any generation before them, and why that's not a personal failing, it's a systemic shift.
Anne shares the research behind why quality time with your kids matters more than quantity, why the mental load is so much heavier than a to-do list, and a simple exercise to help you work out who you are now that you're a mother - not just who you were told to be.
If you've ever felt the ground shift under your identity after having kids, or wondered whether ambition and motherhood can actually coexist, this episode is your permission slip to stop choosing and start figuring out what you actually want.
In this episode we cover:
Why ambition and motherhood have historically been treated as opposites
The "escalation of modern motherhood" and why the mental load keeps growing
The research on quality vs. quantity of time with your kids
A simple exercise to reconnect with your identity after becoming a mum
Why naming what you want is one of the most powerful things you can do
How to give yourself permission to focus on what matters to you, not what you "should" be doing
Connect with Dr Anne Welsh
LinkedIn: Dr Anne Welsh 
Website: drannewelsh.com
Book: Ambitious Mother
Connect with Carina and Working Mumma 
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Connect with Carina on LinkedIn
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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:
The five signals that it might be time to increase your work days
Why "the arrangement doesn't fit anymore" is a capacity problem, not a time management problem
How to have the conversation with your partner before you have it with your manager
A practical script for approaching your manager with a clear ask, not an open question
Why quality time can increase even as your work days do
 
Connect with Carina and Working Mumma 
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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
What good girl conditioning really is - and why it starts long before you become a mother
The scripts handed to us in childhood (“be nice,” “don’t rock the boat,” “do as you’re told”) and how they show up in your workplace, your relationships and your return to work
Why self-silencing and imposter syndrome are not personal flaws they’re patterns of conditioning
What micro-rebellions are, and how to use them at home and at work (starting with something as simple as a Friday email)
The three good girl archetypes most common in working mums: the Saint, the Lollipop Lady and the Fortress
How to do a life stock-take after becoming a parent and ask yourself whether your current role actually still works for you
Why Caitlin deliberately didn’t tell women what to become beyond the good girl and why that matters
Connect with Caitlin Judd
Instagram: @itscaitlinjudd
Book: Good Girl
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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:
Why missing your baby at work is completely normal (and actually a good sign)
What’s really happening during this transition into working motherhood
Why the guilt and overwhelm peak early, and how it gets easier over time
How to gently navigate the emotional stretch of being in “two worlds”
Practical, real-world strategies to feel more present, at work and at home, without adding to your mental load
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.
Because you’re not failing, you’re adjusting to one of the biggest transitions of your life.
Connect with Carina and Working Mumma 
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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?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 isn't you. The world around you just hasn't caught up yet.
This week on Working Mumma, I'm sitting down with Kat Francis, a Melbourne-based leadership coach for ambitious women, keynote speaker. Kat spent two decades climbing through creative agencies to Managing Director level, then walked away from equity and ownership to build a career that actually aligned with who she'd become.
This conversation is honest, validating, and deeply practical. Whether you're fresh back from mat leave or a few years in and wondering why your career still feels like it's running in slow motion, this one is for you.
In this episode we cover:
The LinkedIn post about ambition after motherhood and why it struck such a raw nerve with Australian working mums
Kat's own pivot: walking away from an MD role with equity on the table, and what that decision revealed about values, identity and what we actually want from work
The data from The Ambition Report that's hard to hear - only 16% of mums were promoted after returning from mat leave, and only 23% received a pay rise
Why your ambition didn't disappear after kids, it got sharper, and why that gets misread as "less committed"
The settling trap: how so many women come back from maternity leave and quietly accept a role that's comfortable but hollow and how to stop
How to advocate for yourself with outdated managers without burning bridges or losing your composure
The motherhood penalty vs the fatherhood bonus, what it actually looks like in Australian workplaces right now
How to have the ambition conversation with your partner and why getting on the same page about success changes everything
Connect with Kat FrancisWebsite: coachkat.com.auLinkedIn: Kat Francis
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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: 
Why the guilt you're feeling is normal, and why you need to let it go
The truth about how often this actually happens (hint: more than you think)
Your legal rights under the Fair Work Act in Australia
Whether you need to re-serve 12 months to access parental leave again
When to tell your employer and why sooner may be better than later
Exactly what to say in that conversation (a word-for-word framework)
How to frame the news in a way that keeps the energy solution-focused
What to do if your manager reacts badly
 
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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.In this episode we chat about:
• What matrescence is — and why you've probably never heard of it (even though the word was coined in 1973)• The 3 stages of matrescence: separation, liminality, and integration• Why so many women feel like they've lost themselves after having children• The invisible load: why the work of mothering goes unseen and how that affects our identity• What really happens to your brain when you become a mum (it's NOT "mummy brain" - it's a neurological upgrade)• How matrescence affects your return to work and what employers and women themselves can do differently• Parenting for the audience vs. parenting for your family: how to block out the noise• Patressence: do dads go through it too?• Practical rituals and reflections to help you reconnect with who you are• The powerful questions to ask yourself (and your kids) to understand your matrescence journey
 
Connect with Amanda JacksonWebsite: motherhoodandmatrescence.comInstagram: @motherhood_and_matrescenceLinkedIn: Amanda Jackson
Connect with Carina and Working Mumma 
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