Carina O’Brien

speaker

1,722 appearances 9 recordings 1 series first heard May 2026 last heard 4 Aug

Carina O’Brien’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 9 in all, peaking in Jun 2026 with 4.

Appearances

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Working Mumma · Wondering If You Should Increase Your Work Days? 5 Signs It's Time · 1 Jul 2026 podcast

So glad you're here.

Whether you're a regular listener or this is your first time, let's get into it.

Today we're talking about something I don't think gets nearly enough airtime, and that is how do you actually know when it's time to increase your days at work?

Because most of the conversation about returning to work after maternity leave is about the return itself, the very first day back, the transition, the dropping off of childcare, surviving the mental load of suddenly having to be both mum and a professional again.

But what about that moment?

Six months in, twelve months in, when something starts to shift, when you start to get into your routine, and then you start wondering if the arrangement you came back on now fits your life.

And that's what we're going to unpack today.

I'm also going to share with you my own story because honestly, it's the thing I wish someone had talked to me about as I return back to work for both my first and second children.

I'll look at the same just quickly.

I've got two kids.

I had two pregnancies about two and a half years apart.

And I had for my first son ten months maternity leave and for my second I had thirteen months maternity leave.

That's just some context also just to get into the episode.

When I returned from maternity leave the first time, I came back three days a week to the same employer, although my role had changed and I was doing a slightly different job.

And honestly, that felt the right amount of time of working three days.

I was figuring out the juggle, getting back into the rhythm of work, settling my son into childcare, and three days, Gee.

Me that breathing room.

I kept for about the two and a half years the whole time between my first and second children.

I worked three days.

Then I had my second son, it was during COVID.

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