![Patricia Howard was caught between a rock and a hard place](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/9/0/e/e/image.related.landscape.380x253.gq370u.png/1469151982903.jpg)
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![Working pregnant woman](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/1/h/e/9/z/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.1hd74.gmykql.png/1457067770567.jpg)
Career after baby? What career?
You can skirt around the issue of returning-to-work after baby with whatever fancy, politically correct phrases you like, but when it’s reduced down like a Masterchef-style jus, the stress, the negotiation, the juggle and the guilt make the whole process, simply, crap.
!["Kids are a lot. Pick a category - money, time, energy, emotion, peace - and you better believe kids take up a lot of ...](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/3/j/2/z/v/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.11dbe4.gmykql.png/1458707840206.jpg)
Should you have a third child or not?
I thought our family had been complete with our two boys. I had no idea how much I needed my daughter until she was here.
![eb-gradpic-thumb](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/2/z/8/x/o/image.related.landscape.120x80.2z8uf.gmykql.png/1457067770567.jpg)
![Nannies may be a more affordable option than you think](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/s/5/i/2/image.related.landscape.120x80.s5ez.gmykql.png/1457067770567.jpg)
![140x93_pregnant_work](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/k/t/j/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.35uja.gmykql.png/1457067770567.jpg)
![Tania Titman](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/1/z/4/6/a/image.related.landscape.120x80.1z464.gmykql.png/1457067770567.jpg)
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Worried women
Why do women overwhelmingly carry the stress about household finances?
Kasey Edwards thinks it could have something to do with 'deadbeat dads' who are just as prevalent in well-off homes as on struggle street.
![Anouk Sireude with her children, Mila Hauptmann, 5, and Bill Hauptmann, 6 weeks, in their Bardwell Park, Sydney home.](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/t/w/2/e/image.related.landscape.300x200.gpspzs.png/1467340555552.jpg)
Major parties 'neglecting work, family issues'
Anouk Sireude resigned from her job when she was 12 weeks pregnant because another company offered her an extra month of paid parental leave.
![Sarah Armstrong.](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/t/2/d/6/image.related.landscape.300x200.gpt1vt.png/1467507402635.jpg)
Creative parenting
Motherhood needn't be the 'enemy' of creative pursuits
There's a tension between writing and family responsibilities, but it can be a productive one, writes Sarah Armstrong.
![Canvas_Version:3.0.9](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/r/x/a/1/image.related.landscape.300x200.gpp8am.png/1466995462579.jpg)
Why you're really being spied on in shops
And it isn't to make sure you don't steal. Welcome to modern retailing.
![Aldi generic](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/n/f/c/w/image.related.landscape.300x200.gpndqo.png/1466547580304.jpg)
WAtoday puts Aldi to the test: Is the discount giant really cheaper?
The verdict is in: Shopping at Aldi is indeed cheaper than at the major two supermarkets and can slash up to a quarter off the grocery bill for an average WA family.
![Alexandra Cain](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/n/z/o/g/image.related.landscape.300x200.gpo1ln.png/1468987275057.jpg)
Where unwanted wedding frocks go
More than $10 million in dresses has sold through this site.
![Balancing act: Rob Hango-Zada founder Shippit makes the time for family.](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/k/o/r/k/image.related.landscape.300x200.gpkoiq.png/1467246765054.jpg)
Fatherhood a tough business
Rob knew he couldn't keep working so many hours when he became a new dad.
![Analysts says Woolworths' turnaround under CEO Brad Banducci will take longer and cost more than expected.](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/0/w/6/o/image.related.landscape.300x200.gp7w7i.png/1469511581334.jpg)
Woolworths now cheaper than Coles
Woolworths and Coles are still more expensive than Aldi, but the gap has fallen sharply as the big chains invest more than $1 billion into shelf prices.
![<p>](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/5/m/b/u/image.related.landscape.300x200.gp4c0t.png/1468376477342.jpg)
Save on winter heating
Winter officially arrives this week and many households will be worried about the cost of keeping warm.
![Owning a home can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with a fair amount of financial responsibility.](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/o/u/7/9/c/image.related.landscape.300x200.gougb7.png/1463177824691.jpg)
TIP OF THE WEEK
5 ways to pay off the mortgage super quick
Stories about people who pay off sizeable home loans in record time are always talked about – but what are some of the tricks to making this happen?
![A childcare centre is among community facilities slated for Coombs.](/web/20160806064725im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/6/b/0/d/image.related.landscape.300x200.golh4i.png/1469028588534.jpg)
What does Budget 2016 mean for families?
Families will find little joy in Scott Morrison's 2016 budget, with childcare subsidies pushed back to 2018 and paid parental leave entitlements left in limbo.
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