
Back to Work, Baby! The Emotional Whiplash of Rebuilding Your Career & Leaving the Baby Bubble
From Bottle Service by Sarah Merrill Hall
May 18, 2026 · 36 min
About this episode
Sarah discusses the challenges of returning to work after years of focusing on motherhood and the emotional complexities involved.
For the first time in four years, Sarah officially doesn’t have a baby at home anymore… and instead of feeling liberated, she’s..well.. lost 😅 In this episode, Sarah opens up about the unexpected identity crisis that can come with re-entering “full-time work” after years in the baby bubble. Navigating freedom, guilt, ambition, pressure, and the weird realization that you no longer have motherhood as the built-in reason your career has been on the back burner. Sarah talks honestly about feeling behind professionally, struggling to find direction again, and what it’s actually like trying to rebuild momentum after years of surviving in reactive mode. PLUS, we tackle truly important cultural conversations like The Valley and why we all need to normalize asking our friends for their hand-me-down baby gear. Resources from this Episode: Get on SHOPMY Email your questions to Sarah@bigkidproblems.com for a chance to be featured on the show! Want more from Sarah? Personal Instagram: @SarahMerrill_Hall Share some Laughs: @bigkidproblems Check out our new Show IG! @bottleserviceBKP Shop Sarah's Pregnancy/ Postpartum Must Haves on Amazon Shop…
People in this episode
Host: Sarah Merrill Hall
Topics covered
- career transition
- parenting
- identity crisis
- work-life balance
- cultural conversations
Keywords
- career
- motherhood
- identity
- freedom
- guilt
- ambition
- baby gear
Sponsors
Quince, RULA, Little Spoon
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: bigkidproblems
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