The Mother Load

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 their children to the financial realities of stepping away from paid employment, working mums often find themselves weighing impossible trade-offs, even though there is no “right” way to raise a family. Host Vanessa Chelvan speaks with Kristen Kiong, a speech therapist and mother of three who left the workforce to care for her children full-time; and Yong Qiao Qing, a marketing manager and mother of two who returned to work after being a stay-at-home mum. They discuss the misconceptions surrounding stay-at-home mothers, the hidden value of unpaid caregiving, and why becoming a mother can make women stronger and more productive at…

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 toll of fertility treatment in silence while juggling work, medical appointments and the uncertainty of what comes next. Host Vanessa Chelvan speaks with Divya Menon, director of Fertility Support SG, who is still navigating her own in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) journey after multiple treatment cycles and a recent miscarriage, and Elisha Tushara, a Straits Times journalist whose daughter was conceived after years of fertility treatment and losses. They discuss the grief of failed cycles and miscarriages, the burden of balancing treatment with work, the financial cost of trying to conceive, and why workplaces - and society - need to…

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 endless parenting tips and constant comparison start to undermine our confidence instead? In this episode, host Vanessa Chelvan sits down with Huda Rasid, founder of The Mum Collective, and Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam to talk candidly about the pressures of raising children in the digital age. From information overload to screen time guilt and the pressures of competitive parenting, they unpack why so many mothers feel like they're constantly falling short - even when they're doing their best. The conversation also explores practical ways to build a healthier relationship with social media, trust your own instincts again…

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 feeling of never being enough at work or at home, the invisible mental load of being the “default parent”, and why some things in life are rubber balls that bounce back when they are dropped. We also talk about burnout, sharing the load with your partner, and how becoming a mother reshapes what ambition and success looks like. Host Vanessa Chelvan is joined by Jacinth Liew, parenting coach and founder of Our Little Play Nest. Highlights (click/tap above): 2:40 “It seems like I have it all, but I don’t” 7:25 Guilt is the only constant 10:45 What gets sacrificed when the juggle gets too much? 12:50 Juggling rubber balls…

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 still tries to keep going? From the hormonal and neurological changes of matrescence to the relentless mental load of caregiving, we examine why motherhood can feel so all consuming – and why so many struggle in silence. Host Vanessa Chelvan is joined by clinical psychologist Elysia Tan from Annabelle Psychology, who is navigating life with her nine-month-old daughter, and parent coach Joline Lim, co-director of Chapter Zero, who is raising two neurodivergent children. Highlights (click/tap above): 5:50 Breastfeeding: Not so ‘natural’? 9:26 Mental health professionals struggle too 10:35 Vanessa on her struggles as a…