Natasha Heger on being made redundant during parental leave and why putting ourselves last diminishes our place in the family

Natasha Heger had been with the company she worked at for 10 years before she went on parental leave, and just the day before she was originally due to return, she was made redundant.

What followed was a longer than anticipated break from the workforce and a search for a new role, but this time, not just as Natasha, but as mum, too. Not one to settle for any old role - which is such a common experience for mothers who feel like they don't have much choice - she was set on finding a workplace that understood and valued the work of a mother. And as someone who admits to having some dark moments in motherhood, she's incredibly candid when she reflects on those early days.

Here, we talk about why she wasn't sure she wanted children, what happened when she was made redundant, how she went about finding paid work, and how she - even as a mo ...