Working mom misses baby's first sit-up, breaks down after seeing it on the baby monitor: 'A daily struggle...'

Being a mother isn't easy, especially when you're juggling childcare duties and professional commitments all alone. On a related note, an American woman (@brookiethecookie), experiencing the struggle firsthand, has taken to her TikTok page to share her ordeal and help other working moms going through a similar situation.

In July 2025, the mom shared an emotional video of her tearing up at work, thinking about how she's forced to watch her child sit up for the first time, not in real life but through the baby monitor. She broke down, as the thought of missing out on her kid's substantial milestones overwhelmed her. "Being a working mom is so much harder than I could’ve imagined," the woman confessed. Once she went viral, the mom posted another video, introducing herself and talking about why she wanted to share her journey and struggles of being a working mom online. She said, "I wanted to find more people with whom I could share my life with and connect with, and build a community."

The woman said she is young, married, and a mom to a beautiful baby she always wanted, but the guilt of missing out on her kid's milestones is her biggest regret. In yet another heartbreaking video, she gave a shout-out to all the moms who are working continuously and don't get to spend every passing minute experiencing beautiful moments with their children. Just like her, many women feel 'mom guilt' the moment they step out to work, leaving their kids at home or in daycare. In a survey conducted by APCO Worldwide, 4 in 10 moms who want to change their jobs or quit working, roughly cite burnout or their desire to spend more time with kids as the reason. Moreover, they also found 64% of the working moms didn't want to return to work after having their child, but they had to because of financial stress. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the mom's journey, @kellyrowe.co commented, "I always imagined working after having kids… until I had them, and I couldn’t imagine leaving them. It’s so hard!" Similarly, another working mom, @cecebrowning, resonated with her and wrote, "A daily struggle for me. I cannot believe I’m sitting here working on a spreadsheet that doesn’t even matter and missing out on my babies all day." @shelbymommie said, "As a working mom who cannot quit, the 'quit' comments are sometimes more discouraging. You’re a great mom regardless! I hope you find joy in whatever adventure you have!"

A user, @dgdiaz789, shared, "I went through the hardest postpartum depression when my son started going to daycare full time. I fought with myself every day. To help me feel better, I signed up for a 'mommy and me' class for a month. I took a half-day weekly to attend. The class was full of mostly stay-at-home mothers' families. Listen to me when I tell you: the vast difference between how developed, social and happy, etc., my son was vs. the others completely snapped me out of my sadness. I found that if you have a daycare you trust that engages the children in activities, your children will be okay. I know it’s hard, and platforms like TikTok are full of people who post things like 'Every time you leave your child at daycare, they think you die,' and it destroys you, but do what’s best for you and let everything else roll off your shoulders."

You can follow @brookiethecookie on TikTok for more parenting content.