The Straits Times

The Mother Load

Kids EN ↓ 5 episodes

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood: honest conversations and real stories about how women navigate careers, caregiving and the expectations that come with both. This series isn’t just for mums – it’s for anyone trying to make sense of where careers and motherhood intersect. Through candid conversations and lived experiences, we unpack the issues shaping everyday decisions - from childcare and career progression to guilt, ambition and the invisible mental load. New episodes every Thursday. Host: Vanessa ChelvanProduced and edited by: Teo Tong KaiExecutive producers:...

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.straitstimes.com

Author

The Straits Times

Episodes

Stay-at-home or working mum: Is there ever a right choice? 29.07.2026 39:03

Mums discuss the trade-offs and rewards of both choices, and why there is no “right” way to be a mother. Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday. This final episode explores one of the biggest questions mothers face: Stay home with my children, or continue working?  From the emotional cost of missing moments with...

Injections at home, workplace smiles: A working mum's IVF reality 22.07.2026 47:58

Two women share their journeys through IVF, miscarriage and the long road to motherhood   Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday. This episode explores the difficult journey some women take to become mothers.  Around one in six couples in Singapore experience infertility, yet many endure the physical and emotional...

Politician Rahayu Mahzam on mum guilt, screen time, social media algorithms 15.07.2026 51:15

Mothers today have more advice than ever before. But when does helpful information become overwhelming, and what can we do about it?  Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday. Social media has become a lifeline for many mothers - offering advice, reassurance and community at the tap of a screen. But what happens when the endl...

The juggle is real: Can working mums really have it all? 08.07.2026 38:59

We explore the cost of carrying it all - and how to lighten the load. Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday. For many mothers, every day is a balancing act: work emails, school messages, and trying to be fully present with their children while an endless mental checklist runs in the background. In this episode, we unpack the fe...

'You don't have to do this perfectly to do it well': Working motherhood and mental health 01.07.2026 55:43

How women navigate careers, caregiving and the expectations that come with both. Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday. We begin with a question many quietly ask themselves: Why does motherhood feel so overwhelming even when everyone says it's supposed to be joyful? What happens when mum is depleted, running on empty, and yet s...