By Arabella Peterson Wellness 07.05.2025

“What No One Tells You About Working in the First Year of Motherhood”

Chloe de Winter, founder of Nala, on the messy, meaningful reality of juggling work and motherhood in year one.

“The days are long but the years are short.” It’s a well-worn adage for a reason – especially when it comes to parenthood.

For the co-founder of Nala underwear, Chloe de Winter, the first whirlwind year of motherhood has just passed. With a thriving business, a young family, and the ever-elusive quest for balance, she’s reflecting on the lessons and surprises that come with running a company and raising a baby at the same time.

In Australia, 79% of mums who took leave to care for their child returned to work within 12 months. This timeframe is generally much shorter for self-employed women, who have things like keeping customers happy, staying visible, and making sure the bills get paid to think about. Luckily, Chloe had the support of her husband (and co-founder) Phil, as well as a small but mighty team, and after four months, it was time to jump back in.

Naturally, when Nala was (figuratively) born before the (literal) birth of her son Louie, things were very different. Back then, she could throw herself completely into the business with the freedom to work late, travel for meetings, and dive headfirst into new ideas free from the juggle of feeding and naptime. “Looking back on Nala pre-baby, it was a different ball game,” says Chloe. “We were able to put 110% into the launch and really give the biz all our energy.”

Then came maternity leave. “I had a long fertility journey, which ended in falling pregnant through IVF. After that experience, plus a challenging pregnancy, I wanted a proper maternity leave. I deserved it, right?! I planned to take three months off, which I extended to four because... sleep. Mat leave for a founder isn’t quite the mat leave I had fantasised about. It included sales check-ins, customer support and some events but it also allowed me to slow down and enjoy that precious newborn bubble, vomit stains and all.”

A recent study found that 73% of women would have liked to take more maternity leave to care for their child. We live in a fast-paced, expensive world, and for most women, it’s not possible to press pause on work for too long. Chloe is refreshingly honest about the realities of this transition, and the emotional toll she felt returning to work after such a life-altering experience. “While pregnant, I tried to plan for work and maternity leave, but it was impossible to predict how I was going to feel… I had to return to work, there was just too much to do. It was a huge struggle and to be completely transparent, I didn't want to go back to work. The juggle felt impossible, I was pumping in meetings, forever washing bottles, and trying to frantically work while the baby napped. I wish I could have treated myself with more grace during this time, instead of being so tough on myself. There's no way around it, it's hard, even impossible at times. So you need to be gentle with yourself.”

Another truism about motherhood is that no two experiences are the same. Everyone’s experience is deeply personal. Some mums work, some don’t. Some breastfeed, some don’t. Some sleep train, some don’t. Every day also looks wildly different – for Chloe, it includes morning cuddles “usually involving a whack in the face from tiny hands,” followed by coffee and a race to get organised. “Then it’s either the office, a dash to David Jones to visit Nala in-store, or just locking myself in our study to get some work done,” she says.

It’s a narrative we hear often – that the introduction of a little person into your life guarantees less focus and productivity. The phrase ‘baby brain’ plagues those who are balancing the mental load of motherhood and work (even if some things do become more chaotic). However, we rarely speak about how becoming a mother can sharpen your clarity, and how we can thrive when forced to work within tighter constraints. “Becoming a mum has made me more efficient,” says Chloe. “I prioritise more and only attend meetings I need to.” It’s also made her a better leader and colleague, “I’d like to think it’s made me more compassionate, especially to other parents in the team,” she adds.

The early months postpartum are overwhelming at the best of times, let alone with work in the mix. Chloe’s experience is a reminder that support, flexibility, and self-compassion matter more than ever during this season. “Looking back, the most challenging time was going back to work at four months, right when our baby decided to stop sleeping,” says Chloe. “I was a zombie, trying to juggle work with breastfeeding, pumping and settling, all on no sleep. The mental load was so much heavier than I ever imagined. There were a lot of tears!”

For Chloe, the thing that surprised her most during this first year of being both a founder and a mum was actually the amount of women who manage to make it all work. “My life feels like a hot mess most of the time and I admire all the mums who have navigated this transition with so much grace,” she says. “Wow oh wow, it’s a lot.”

While motherhood has changed a lot about Chloe’s life, it hasn’t changed how she defines success. “Success for me has always meant finding fulfilment in what I do, helping others and being surrounded by a loving family… The way I approach this has changed with my time being split between motherhood and work, but I’m still striving for the same goals.” The same perspective applies to her approach to Nala’s values, and the kind of brand she wants to build since having a child, “It solidified Nala’s values. It’s always been our goal to make women feel great, to feel confident, sexy, and strong. Mothers are incredible, they put everyone before themselves and often sacrifice their own sense of self. How incredible to give mothers a chance to reclaim this! I won’t stop until I make every woman in Australia feel like the hot bitch they are. And then, the world,” she laughs.

Boundaries is the buzzword of the decade, both in a personal and professional sense – and for good reason. As work-life lines continue to blur, especially in the age of remote work and side hustles, carving out clear separation between the two has become essential for wellbeing. But it’s easier said than done when you’re married and share a child and a business with your partner. “When at home, Phil and I always check with each other before asking a work question,” says Chloe. “Otherwise, it can take us out of the moment and throw us into a work rabbithole. Family time is sacred, and I treasure it. I don’t want our kids growing up around our laptops so we try to create as much space as possible.”

Before babies, self-care might involve a massage, a leisurely brunch with friends or solo time perusing shops, but this can change postpartum. “The self-care bar has been significantly lowered since having a baby! If I’m honest, it’s a long hot shower once the baby is down for the night. That used to be called self-hygiene – now it feels luxurious! Otherwise it’s a long walk with Phil and the bub, a coffee in the park or a pilates class, when there’s time.”

There’s a messy complexity in navigating the first year of motherhood while having to consider work. We can love our jobs while also wishing we had more time at home. Different mothers will experience maternity leave in different ways, and will feel differently about returning to work – sometimes all at once. There’s no right way to do it – only the way that makes the most sense for you, your baby, and your life in that moment.

If she could turn back time and give her past self some advice before stepping into the first year of motherhood, Chloe says it would be, “Stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Release the expectations and embrace the changes of this new season. Also, avoid wearing nice clothes because of the vomit stains.”