This week I sat down with Monica, mother to her two-year-old son and a senior manager at one of Australia’s big banks. She and her partner both work full-time in demanding roles. Many women never get the return-to-work choice they want, but for those whose careers stay a big part of life in the early years of motherhood, Monica has real, practical insight into making a two-career family work.
Monica has a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis, and for years she assumed she would never have children. She takes us through her journey to conception and pregnancy, and what it was like to become a mother she once thought she couldn’t be.
We also talk honestly about the early days of feeding a newborn. Like so many of us, Monica was told to triple feed because of low milk supply, and she shares the heavy toll it took on her mental health.
Then there’s sleep. She has tried the Snoo, the cot, and the toddler bed, and each one helped at a different stage. Postpartum anxiety and insomnia led her family to co-sleep with their baby, and it still works for them today.
This conversation is a beautiful reminder that none of us choose what our baby needs, or what our family needs to survive.
In this episode:
Making family life work when both parents work full-time in demanding jobs
Living with neurofibromatosis and the journey to conception and pregnancy
Triple feeding, low milk supply and the impact on mental health
Postpartum anxiety and insomnia
The trial of sleeping arrangements and choosing what works best for everyone
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Music for Mothering was composed by Christina Higham, post classical composer, pianist and collaborator based in Melbourne/Naarm.
Follow Mothering on Instagram: @bymothering
Thank you for listening!
- Carli xx