A single mum who describes herself as "obsessed" with work has claimed she once requested to go back to her job just three weeks after giving birth - and answered her work emails as soon as she left the hospital.
Lydia Mujuru, 49, said she didn't realise how much she loved working until she felt as though something was missing in her life while on maternity leave with her eldest son Damien, now 23.
The mum-of-two returned to work six weeks after giving birth to Damien thanks to help from family and childminders to look after her baby - but took things to another level once she gave birth to her second son Sean, now 17.
When Sean was born, Lydia started checking her work emails as soon as she was discharged from hospital, and claims she even called her office to ask if she could return to work three weeks after giving birth - but was refused.
But the mum, who owns an imaging diagnostic company, said she's "proud to be a workaholic" as she believes her dedication to her job has "paid off".
Lydia, from Birmingham, said: "I didn't realise I was so obsessed with work. After giving birth I felt like something was missing. Before I knew it I was contacting colleagues in the first few days of giving birth.
"I never thought anything of it. I put it down to being scared of being a mum for the first time.
"With my second son, I started checking my emails as soon as I was discharged. I felt irritated. But I balance raising the kids with work. I still have a life. I am proud to be a workaholic as it has paid off."
At the time of her first son's birth, Lydia was working as a personal assistant and couldn't wait to go back to work as quickly as possible - even though doctors had advised her to wait six to eight weeks.
She added: "I offered to help with anything I could help with whilst on maternity leave. By the start of the sixth week, I couldn't bear it anymore - so I went back to work."
And when her second son was born, Lydia was working an admin job in Inverness, Scotland, and found it "challenging" when bosses told her to take a month of her maternity leave before giving birth.
"I remember in my third week I called work to check if I could go back, and they advised me to start on reduced hours after six weeks of the delivery date," she explained.
"On the night before I was due in, I couldn't sleep. The excitement was just too much. The next day I woke up early, got ready and I was at work bright and early. By the time other staff came in, I had started working through my emails."
Lydia moved to Birmingham in 2009 to pursue a career in childcare, where she started as a ward clerk in the NHS before taking a job in the radiology department and making her way up to a management role.
She studied a degree in healthcare while working six days a week and raising her boys, and in 2022, she took the plunge and set up her own company.
And although she "loves working", the mum-of-two still ensures she has a balanced life by taking walks on her lunch breaks and carving out time to spend with her sons.
She said: "We are shamed as single mums. People are surprised at how my sons have turned out. They are well-mannered and supportive. See your dreams through - whatever they may be."
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