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 

Connect with Carina and Working Mumma 

Follow on Instagram 

Follow Working Mumma podcast on Instagram

Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

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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 

Follow on Instagram 

Follow Working Mumma podcast on Instagram

Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

Subscribe to the newsletter

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 

Follow on Instagram 

Follow Working Mumma podcast on Instagram

Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

Subscribe to the newsletter