This chapter explores the complex realities faced by part-time working mothers in healthcare higher education (HE), drawing on personal narratives and theoretical frameworks to examine themes of work-life balance, maternal presenteeism, and identity transformation. Framed through the lens of ‘matrescence,’ the developmental transition to motherhood, we interrogate how cultural expectations, institutional structures, and gendered social norms intersect to shape the experiences of academic mothers. The chapter also considers the implications of part-time work on visibility, career progression, and mental load, while acknowledging the role of social support, identity negotiation, and feminist theory in understanding and challenging dominant discourses. Ultimately, this chapter highlights the tensions, contradictions, and resilience that characterise the lives of working mothers in academia, offering both critique and hope for more equitable futures in HE.