Redundant and pregnant: How I navigated this unexpected journey

Last May, my partner Danny and I returned to the UK for a month-long visit, eager to share the news of our pregnancy with our families.

Being able to share this news in person meant so much to us, as living on the other side of the world means we miss out on so much of each other's lives. So seeing my mum's joyful face in person and feeling her arms around us was an incredible experience.

What I didn’t expect to be sharing with them is that I was also jobless.

Within just a few hours of sharing the pregnancy news with our families, I received an email with the subject line Information regarding your role at Linktree. I instantly got a pit in my stomach—does this mean what I think? I scanned a few lines, which confirmed my fears. As I passed Danny the phone, my excitement from sharing our pregnancy news quickly gave way to shock and disbelief. The trip we had been looking forward to suddenly felt overshadowed by uncertainty and the joy of the moment was tempered by the reality of my unexpected job loss.

As you’d expect, the next few days were a bit of a blur, with a mix of emotions swirling around. Luckily (or unluckily), I wasn’t the only person laid off, which meant we could connect and build a support network. This network became pivotal over the next few weeks. I’m truly grateful to have had this group to process everything together and support each other in whatever was next.

During this time, I decided to write a LinkedIn post detailing what I believed I could bring to a company and what I was looking for. This is something I’d usually feel pretty lost doing, but the situation made writing that post surprisingly easy.

The amount of support on LinkedIn was overwhelming. Amid the uncertainty, the response filled me with an unexpected sense of pride. People from all stages of my career reached out, offering support and sharing opportunities. It was an amazing reminder of the kindness people are capable of and the immense value of connecting with your network. I never realised the lasting impression I had made—I’m sure it will forever remain my top LinkedIn post.

Whilst in the UK, I didn’t waste any time following up on potential opportunities and arranging catch-ups in the small cross-over window with Sydney. Reflecting on that time now, I realise I was in survival mode. It wasn’t until the long 23-hour flight back to Sydney that I started to process everything and figure out my next steps.

With 23 weeks until my due date, Danny and I looked at various scenarios and worked out when I should make the call to stop looking for a permanent role and switch efforts to focus on freelance or contract work. We also worked out realistically how long we could afford for me to be on unpaid maternity leave; after all, we had planned for 18 weeks of paid leave, plus government-paid parental leave.

With the hope of finding a permanent role, I reminded myself that while the thought of paid and extended maternity leave was tempting, long term, that wouldn’t matter. What I needed was a flexible company that would support me in being a new parent and in my career goals to transition from engineering to product.

To find that company, I knew I needed to be upfront about my situation. The first prospective company I told I was pregnant responded surprisingly positively. While that opportunity wasn’t the right fit, it gave me the confidence that being open was the right choice.

Fast forward about six weeks post-redundancy and I received a LinkedIn message with a remote opportunity at Liveheats , an action sports tech start-up looking for an Engineering Lead. While I knew I didn’t want to stay in Engineering long-term, the company and product sounded interesting, and they offered flexible hours and remote working, so I decided to move forward with an interview.

In that interview, I told them about my career goals and that I was pregnant. Once again, the response was encouraging. After a series of further interviews and a review of my GitHub, I was offered the role and started at Liveheats the following week.

Starting this new role brought a mix of excitement and relief. It wasn’t just about finding a job—it was about finding the right fit for both my professional ambitions and my growing family. The journey wasn’t easy, but it taught me the importance of resilience, honesty, and the incredible support that can come from unexpected places.

And now? In June, I returned to Liveheats as their first Product Manager, embracing this new chapter with a sense of fulfilment and optimism. I’m incredibly grateful to Liveheats for taking a chance on me, not just as a professional, but as a soon-to-be parent. Their trust and flexibility have made all the difference, and I’m excited to grow with a company that truly supports its people in all aspects of life.

This experience has shown me that even in the face of unexpected challenges, there is always an opportunity to find the right path forward. Liveheats' belief in me reaffirmed that when one door closes, another truly does open. ??