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He is unbelievably awesome.

More than half (55%) of working mums want to change workplace lingo, as insensitive or ill-thought comments from colleagues can add to their challenges, new research has found. Remarks by co-workers made towards working mums ranged from ‘she’s only part-time’ and ‘I forgot you leave early’, to ‘I wish I could have Fridays off’ and ‘I bet it feels like a break coming into the office’ – according to the survey of 1,000 working mothers commissioned by Maltesers, which has just launched its #MotherLover campaign to help lighten the load and encourage support for working mums. The poll found 63% of working mums feel they need to work harder to prove themselves, and 46% say they need to convince co-workers that their change in hours doesn’t impact their output. Nearly two-thirds (63%) believe colleagues mean no harm when they make insensitive comments however, and 26% admit a co-worker has corrected themselves midway through saying something ill-informed to working parents. “It’s no surprise many of these comments are about part-time work. There is a pervasive stigma that working part-time means a lack of commitment and ambition in the workplace,” said Catherine Gregory, head of marketing and communications at the Working Families charity. “To change the often-negative narrative around women – especially mothers – working part-time and flexibly, we need a radical shift in workplace culture. Not only could this curb negative comments about mothers at work, but it could also support mothers’ career progression.” Maltesers has teamed up with women’s online community Peanut to create the Work & Motherhood content hub, providing advice about the challenges working mothers face. “Every day on Peanut, women talk about the harmful phrases that have become so normalised in reference to mothers and motherhood – making change in this area is long overdue,” said Peanut founder and CEO, Michelle Kennedy. “As a mother of two myself, I understand the impact these phrases can have. When I attend networking events I’m often asked, ‘Who’s taking care of the kids?’ or ‘How do you balance it all?’ and I’m pretty sure male founders aren’t asked the same questions.” Kennedy points out that working mums are constantly juggling. “Harmful phrases and assumptions can really feed into feelings of guilt and perpetuate this idea that women should take on the bulk of responsibilities,” she adds. “The reality is, words matter. Juggling parenting alongside work can be a struggle, and we need to shift the focus in attitudes, empathy and terminology.” These are the comments the survey found working mums want to stop hearing… ‘You look tired’Kennedy says it’s OK to acknowledge you’re tired at work, but points out: “Colleagues might be forgetting quite how much you’re juggling every day. Sharing some insight with your colleague or employer might help them understand.” ‘She’s only part-time’Part-time work is undertaken by 38% of women, compared to 11% of men, says Kennedy, who stresses women often work part-time so they can manage looking after their family. “Challenging assumptions about part-time work can break down the stigma that part-time work is a reflection of commitment, rather than a way to manage responsibilities,” she says. ‘I forgot you leave early’It can work well if mothers map out their availability in their calendar to help alleviate comments like this, Kennedy suggests. “It’s a good reminder for colleagues. Also, don’t be afraid to remind colleagues ahead of time when you’ll be leaving for commitments – even a quick reminder at the start of a meeting that you need to round up on time can be really effective.” ‘Wish I could have Friday off’ Kennedy says the Peanut community advises other mums to respond to these types of comments positively. “It’s likely your colleague means well, but remind them why you have Fridays off and what this allows you to do in terms of childcare,” she says. ‘I bet it feels like a break coming into the office’“Reply honestly – for many, having space away from home can be a much-needed distraction,” Kennedy points out. “Mothers who care for their children full-time are doing an unbelievable amount of work as well!” ‘I could never do that’Kennedy says it can sometimes seem impossible to avoid motherhood shame, but she stresses: “There are no winners in the debate of work-life balance and professional choices. Do what’s best for you and your family – never allow the negative narratives to deter you from doing what’s best for you.” ‘Enjoy the rest of the week off!’ The rest of your ‘week off’ is likely to involve changing nappies, juggling schedules, and trying to maintain some semblance of self-care – and Kennedy points out that research suggests motherhood is equivalent to 2.5 full-time jobs. “Motherhood is no joke!” she says. “While comments like this may mean well, many women on Peanut have used this opportunity to have frank conversations about the challenges motherhood can bring.” ‘Must be nice to get a lie-in’ If you’re part-time or on flexi hours, Kennedy suggests mums have an open conversation with your colleague or employer around comments like this – “to shine a light on the realities of being a working mum. For many mothers, lie-ins are a thing of the past,” she adds. ‘Can your partner do any of the childcare?’Again, Kennedy stresses it’s best to be open and honest about your circumstances. “For example, some mothers on Peanut have shared how their partner’s organisations don’t offer progressive policies for parents.” ‘It must be busy having the children home during the school holidays’If you’re working from home, school holidays can impact your response time or working hours, Kennedy points out. “It’s important to communicate that you will be busy and have a few more balls to juggle – between meets, sports clubs and lunches. Remember it’s ok to foster discussions about your needs.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Get up and glow with this energising morning workout Support with mental health issues and finances should be linked – Martin Lewis Why does my washing machine smell so bad?

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Montana Brown has opened up about the struggle to get pregnant with her first child despite being in her twenties. The former Love Island star, 27, gave birth to her and fiancé Mark O’Connor’s son Jude last month – but said she was shocked that it was difficult to conceive in the first place. Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on herHappy Mum Happy Baby podcast, Brown said she thought “something was wrong” with her when she first started trying to get pregnant but couldn’t. “I thought, ‘We’re young, this is going to be really easy’… for the first four months we’d used ovulation sticks, and then I’d do a pregnancy test and it’d be negative,” she recalled. “And I’d be like, ‘Oh my God, that is so hurtful’ and then you do that month after month. “Then I was kind of overthinking, is there something wrong with me, should I be getting checked?” Brown joked that she also sent O’Connor to the fertility clinic to check his sperm and recalled: “I said, ‘There’s something wrong with your sperm! You need to get it checked out, it’s not me!’” But in the end, both parties went to check their fertility and found that “everything was fine”. “So, Mark loves going in the sauna and also he’s an avid cycler, two things which are not good for sperm, which I did not know,” the reality star continued. “I also found out I had no oestrogen and no testosterone. It kind of left me a bit like, ‘Oh, I can be young, fit and healthy, and still really, really struggle to conceive’.” When she did eventually fall pregnant, Brown said it was a surprise and she thought her symptoms – which included tiredness, nausea and hot sweats – were because of food poisoning. “For some reason, like clockwork in the evenings, I was having hot sweats,” Brown said. “I had stabbing pains. And I was being sick every night. “I said to Mark, ‘I’ve got food poisoning’. And he was like, ‘I don’t think you do… you’re definitely pregnant’. “I said, ‘Mark, please, come on, we had sex that one time… this is not happening, there’s no way’. So I really avoided taking a pregnancy test. I genuinely was so convinced I was just ill.” However, O’Connor insisted that she take a pregnancy test and ordered her one via Deliveroo. Brown said she agreed to take the test “just to shut [him] up”. “I just remember weeing on the stick and just being like, ‘Yeah, it’s not loaded yet’. Just kind of a bit blasé. And then I just remember seeing it and I was like, ‘Oh my God’.” According to Brown, O’Connor, who was FaceTiming her as she took the test, was in disbelief even though he had been right. “He was like, ‘No, you’re joking’. I was like, ‘I’m not joking, it says pregnant!’” The couple welcomed their baby boy, named Jude Isaiah O’Connor, on 23 June and said they were “so smitten”. In the early days of her pregnancy, Brown said she experienced “excruciating pain”, which led her to think she had “a gall stone or appendicitis” rather than being pregnant. Montana and O’Connor announced their engagement in April, after he proposed to her on a beach in Bermuda. They met in 2020 and went “Instagram official” with their relationship the year after. She was a contestant in series three of the ITV reality dating show, where she was coupled up with Alex Beattie by the end of the series. However, the pair broke up shortly after leaving the villa. Read More Sorry lads, we just can’t afford any more reckless, middle-aged adventurers Cruise line apologises after passengers witness dozens of pilot whales being slaughtered Woman’s response to Tinder match asking her to go on an ice cream date sparks debate Margot Robbie has fangirl moment over Love Island stars Ekin-Su, Davide and Liberty Maya Jama reflects on ‘importance’ of her relationship with ex Stormzy Inside the famous Love Island villa near Majorca