Working Mumma

Episod

• Wondering If You Should Increase Your Work Days? 5 Signs It's Time 01.07.2026 16min

  Not sure if it’s time to go from 3 to 4 days at work? Carina shares her own story and the 5 signals that tell you it might be time to change.
• Have You Lost Yourself Since Becoming a Mum? How to Rebuild Your Identity While Still Being a Great Mother 24.06.2026 55min

  What if always being the ‘good girl’ is holding you back? Caitlin Judd unpacks the conditioning keeping working mums silent, small and stuck — and how to change it.
• Missing Your Baby at Work? How to Find Your Rhythm After Maternity Leave 17.06.2026 20min

  Missing your baby at work after maternity leave? Carina shares what that ache really means and how to find your rhythm in this new season of life
• You're Not Less Ambitious. The World Around You Just Hasn't Caught Up Yet With Kat Francis 10.06.2026 45min

  Still ambitious after kids? Of course you are. Leadership coach Kat Francis joins Working Mumma to unpack why the world misreads working mums and what to do about it.
• Going Back to Work Pregnant? How to Tell Your Employer Without the Guilt or the Panic 03.06.2026 14min

  Returning to work after maternity leave and already pregnant again? Carina O’Brien covers your legal rights in Australia, what to say to your boss, and how to let go of the guilt.
• Why Don't I Feel Like Me Anymore? Matrescence, Identity & Returning to Work with Amanda Jackson 27.05.2026 45min

  Feeling like a different person after mat leave? There’s a word for that. Explore matrescence, identity, and how to find yourself again as a working mum.
• Why the Mental Load Gets Bigger When Your Kids Start School (And What to Do About It) 20.05.2026 13min

  Working mum life doesn’t necessarily get easier once kids start school, it just changes. In this honest solo episode, Carina shares the hidden mental load of school-age parenting, juggling sport schedules, work, family logistics, and the invisible labour modern mothers carry every day.
• Feeling Lost Returning to Work After Maternity Leave? How to Rebuild Your Career Confidence with Natalie McDonald 13.05.2026 52min

  Returning to work after maternity leave can feel overwhelming, but what happens when you’re made redundant six weeks later? Natalie McDonald shares her honest story of motherhood, career identity, redundancy, resilience, and rebuilding confidence as a working mum.
• Are You the Mum You Want to Be? A Simple Values Framework to Help Close the Gap 29.04.2026 27min

  Feeling like you’re not the mum you want to be? This episode helps working mums redefine motherhood, align with their values, and take small steps toward a life that feels right.
• How to drop perfection in motherhood without dropping your standards with Lisa Taylor 22.04.2026 50min

  Why working mums feel like they’re failing, and how the “perfect parent trap” is driving burnout, guilt, and overwhelm in modern motherhood.
• Is the system set up for working mums to fail? What we can do about it (without burning out) 15.04.2026 32min

  Why working mums feel overwhelmed, the mental load, mum guilt & the broken system behind it—this episode reframes expectations and what needs to change.
• Are You the Default Parent? How to Rebalance the Load with Michael Ray 08.04.2026 59min

  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.
• The 90 Days Nobody Prepares You For: Returning to Work After Maternity Leave 01.04.2026 16min

  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.
• How to Reclaim Your Career Identity & Confidence After Maternity Leave with Rebecca Houghton 25.03.2026 50min

  You came back from maternity leave a different person, more resilient, more decisive, less tolerant of nonsense, and more capable. The question isn’t whether you can do it. It’s whether you’ll give yourself permission to show up as the upgraded version of yourself. Enjoy this chat with Rebecca Houghton, Founder of Bold HR, Leadership Expert & Author.
• Made Redundant on Maternity Leave: Rebuilding Career, Confidence & Direction with Karis Dorrigan 18.03.2026 45min

  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.
• Back at Work After Maternity Leave? How to Avoid the “Prove Yourself” Trap with Rachel Debeck 04.03.2026 44min

  Former lawyer turned tech CEO Rachel Debeck shares what it really takes to build a meaningful career while raising three kids—return-to-work pressure, daycare sickness season, the invisible mental load of school life, and the truth that changes everything: you can have it all, just not all at once.
• What Working Mums Need to Know About Sharing Their Kids Online - with Zsofi Paterson 25.02.2026 33min

  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.
• Reflect: My Job No Longer Fit Me: Navigating Career Shifts After Motherhood” 21.01.2026 13min

  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: The unexpected identity shift that happens after becoming a mum (matrescence) Why returning to your “old self” at work can feel impossible How values often change after motherhood and why that’s not a failure Why feeling supported at work isn’t always enough if the work no longer feels meaningful How embracing motherhood as part of your identity can make you a stronger, more confident leader Episode links  Connect with Laura Stewart on LinkedIn  Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn   
• Reflect: Tips to help you manage the mental load with Leah Ruppanner 14.01.2026 15min

  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.
• How to Ask for Flexibility at Work - And Actually Get It - with Dr. Ellen Ford 13.11.2025 48min

  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: How to have a confident, fact-based conversation with your boss about working from home or hybrid work The key phrases and language to use when asking for flexibility (without guilt or defensiveness) How to show your productivity and value while working flexibly Why hybrid work supports better wellbeing, mental load, and family balance How to reframe flexibility as a business advantage, not a personal favour 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 Dr. Ellen Ford’s book: #WorkSchoolHours: A Revolution for Parents, Workplaces & the World #WorkSchoolHours eBook - 100% discount with code "workingmumma100" #WorkSchoolHours Online Courses 50% off with code "workingmumma50" check out Parents course or People manager course click here Dr. Ellen Ford’s Website ellenjoanford.com   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/