The Pressure on New Mums
A growing and largely unnoticed issue is impacting Australian families, particularly new mothers, as the cost of living crisis intensifies. The soaring costs of daily life have pushed many families into a difficult position, where surviving on a single income is no longer feasible.
As a result, new mums are returning to work just a few months after giving birth, rather than spending time with their newborns during one of the most precious times of their lives.
Emily’s Dilemma
Take Emily, for example (not her real name), a mother from Sydney who faced this harsh reality. She could only take four months of maternity leave before financial pressures forced her back to work.
Fourteen months later, despite both her and her partner working, their financial situation remains dire.

The family, originally from the UK, was in the process of securing permanent residency but is now considering leaving Australia for good.
The constant stress of affording rent, bills, childcare, and the dream of owning a home has become overwhelming.
Despite inflation in the UK, Emily and her partner believe they would be better off returning there, where the cost of living, though high, may still allow them to support a growing family.
Source news.com.au