
The Power Pause
How to Plan a Career Break After Kids—and Come Back Stronger Than Ever
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Neha Ruch
-
By:
-
Neha Ruch
About this listen
INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
A paradigm-shifting guide to career breaks after kids that rebrands stay-at-home parenthood for a new generation of women and families.
"So, what do you do?"
When Neha Ruch had to answer this seemingly innocent question for the first time after leaving her corporate job to care for her infant son, she drew a shameful blank. She couldn’t find the words to describe this new stage of life she’d just embarked on. She wasn’t a 1950s June Cleaver type, nor was she one of today’s updated stereotypes. (Craft Project Mom? Exhausted-in-Sweatpants Mom?) How, then, was she to navigate this identity shift?
Frustrated, Ruch embarked on a mission to rebrand the stay-at-home mother for a new generation of women who don’t want to leave their ambition behind just because they decide to pause or change their careers post-kids. Her online community, Mother Untitled, has become the leading voice and resource for women navigating this transition. In The Power Pause, Ruch addresses all the questions women face at this inflection point, such as, Can I afford to pause? Who am I without my career indentity? How do I find meaning in the role? And can I ever transition back to paid work?
With expert advice and diverse stories of stay-at-home mothers who buck every stereotype, as well as interactive exercises to help the listener plot a course for the long term, The Power Pause is an essential handbook for a new generation of caregivers.
©2025 Neha Ruch (P)2025 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Matrescence
- On Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood
- By: Lucy Jones
- Narrated by: Lucy Jones
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this important and ground-breaking, deeply personal investigation, Jones writes of the emerging concept of “matrescence”—the wholeness of becoming a mother. Drawing on her own experiences of twice becoming a mother, as well as exploring the latest research in the fields of neuroscience and evolutionary biology; psychoanalysis and existential therapy; sociology, economics and ecology, Jones writes of the physical and emotional changes in the maternal mind, body, and spirit and shows us how these changes are far more profound, wild, and enduring than have been previously explored.
-
-
Please read with caution if you’re pregnant.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-17-24
By: Lucy Jones
-
Elevating Child Care
- A Guide to Respectful Parenting
- By: Janet Lansbury
- Narrated by: Janet Lansbury
- Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A modern parenting classic—a guide to a new and gentle way of understanding the care and nurture of infants, by the internationally renowned childcare expert, podcaster, and author of No Bad Kids.
By: Janet Lansbury
-
Bébé Day by Day
- 100 Keys to French Parenting
- By: Pamela Druckerman
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 1 hr and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Bringing up Bébé, journalist and mother Pamela Druckerman investigated a society of good sleepers, gourmet eaters, and mostly calm parents. She set out to learn how the French achieve all this, while telling the story of her own young family in Paris. Bébé Day by Day distills the lessons of Bringing up Bébé into an easy-to-listen-to guide for parents and caregivers.
-
-
A listing guide
- By Erin on 05-07-19
-
Simplicity Parenting
- Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids
- By: Kim John Payne, Lisa M. Ross
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne comes an eloquent guide that seeks to help parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need for their individuality to flourish.
-
-
A worthwhile listen for new parents
- By Kathy K on 07-30-12
By: Kim John Payne, and others
-
Raising Good Humans
- A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids
- By: Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE, Carla Naumburg PhD
- Narrated by: Jennifer Gilmour
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With this book, you’ll find powerful mindfulness skills for calming your own stress response when difficult emotions arise. You’ll also discover strategies for cultivating respectful communication, effective conflict resolution, and reflective listening. In the process, you’ll learn to examine your own unhelpful patterns and ingrained reactions that reflect the generational habits shaped by your parents, so you can break the cycle and respond to your children in more skillful ways.
-
-
Great Book About Parenting and Teaching Kindness!
- By Ma P on 09-11-20
By: Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE, and others
-
Raising Securely Attached Kids
- Using Connection-Focused Parenting to Create Confidence, Empathy, and Resilience
- By: Eli Harwood
- Narrated by: Eli Harwood, KJ Althoff, Te Anna Brown, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Therapist and wildly popular attachment research expert Eli Harwood (a.k.a. Attachment Nerd) illuminates attachment theory as foundational to the only parenting approach proven to have a lasting impact.
-
-
Best Book I've EVER listened To In The Therapeutic Space!!
- By SuperBabe on 09-09-24
By: Eli Harwood
-
Matrescence
- On Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood
- By: Lucy Jones
- Narrated by: Lucy Jones
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this important and ground-breaking, deeply personal investigation, Jones writes of the emerging concept of “matrescence”—the wholeness of becoming a mother. Drawing on her own experiences of twice becoming a mother, as well as exploring the latest research in the fields of neuroscience and evolutionary biology; psychoanalysis and existential therapy; sociology, economics and ecology, Jones writes of the physical and emotional changes in the maternal mind, body, and spirit and shows us how these changes are far more profound, wild, and enduring than have been previously explored.
-
-
Please read with caution if you’re pregnant.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-17-24
By: Lucy Jones
-
Elevating Child Care
- A Guide to Respectful Parenting
- By: Janet Lansbury
- Narrated by: Janet Lansbury
- Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A modern parenting classic—a guide to a new and gentle way of understanding the care and nurture of infants, by the internationally renowned childcare expert, podcaster, and author of No Bad Kids.
By: Janet Lansbury
-
Bébé Day by Day
- 100 Keys to French Parenting
- By: Pamela Druckerman
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 1 hr and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Bringing up Bébé, journalist and mother Pamela Druckerman investigated a society of good sleepers, gourmet eaters, and mostly calm parents. She set out to learn how the French achieve all this, while telling the story of her own young family in Paris. Bébé Day by Day distills the lessons of Bringing up Bébé into an easy-to-listen-to guide for parents and caregivers.
-
-
A listing guide
- By Erin on 05-07-19
-
Simplicity Parenting
- Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids
- By: Kim John Payne, Lisa M. Ross
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne comes an eloquent guide that seeks to help parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need for their individuality to flourish.
-
-
A worthwhile listen for new parents
- By Kathy K on 07-30-12
By: Kim John Payne, and others
-
Raising Good Humans
- A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids
- By: Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE, Carla Naumburg PhD
- Narrated by: Jennifer Gilmour
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With this book, you’ll find powerful mindfulness skills for calming your own stress response when difficult emotions arise. You’ll also discover strategies for cultivating respectful communication, effective conflict resolution, and reflective listening. In the process, you’ll learn to examine your own unhelpful patterns and ingrained reactions that reflect the generational habits shaped by your parents, so you can break the cycle and respond to your children in more skillful ways.
-
-
Great Book About Parenting and Teaching Kindness!
- By Ma P on 09-11-20
By: Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE, and others
-
Raising Securely Attached Kids
- Using Connection-Focused Parenting to Create Confidence, Empathy, and Resilience
- By: Eli Harwood
- Narrated by: Eli Harwood, KJ Althoff, Te Anna Brown, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Therapist and wildly popular attachment research expert Eli Harwood (a.k.a. Attachment Nerd) illuminates attachment theory as foundational to the only parenting approach proven to have a lasting impact.
-
-
Best Book I've EVER listened To In The Therapeutic Space!!
- By SuperBabe on 09-09-24
By: Eli Harwood
-
The Wild and Free Family
- Forging Your Own Path to a Life Full of Wonder, Adventure, and Connection
- By: Ainsley Arment
- Narrated by: Emily Ellet
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As parents, we dream of creating a magical childhood for our kids, yet it can be so easy to slip into autopilot. Ainsley Arment-- a mother of five, founder of the thriving community Wild + Free, and bestselling author-- is no stranger to the barrage of decisions, opportunities, and daily tasks that each day brings. But what Ainsley has discovered is that the magic of life isn’t found in the hustle and bustle of constant activity but in the intentional ordinary decisions of our days.
-
-
Judgmental despite what the author claims
- By Jenna on 01-16-24
By: Ainsley Arment
-
To Have and to Hold
- Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma
- By: Molly Millwood
- Narrated by: Molly Millwood
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A clinical psychologist’s exploration of the modern dilemmas women face in the wake of new motherhood. When Molly Millwood became a mother, she was fully prepared for what she would gain: an adorable baby boy; hard-won mothering skills; and a messy, chaotic, beautiful life. But what she did not expect was what she would lose: aspects of her identity, a baseline level of happiness, a general sense of well-being.
-
-
Pretty good
- By C Sandell on 03-07-21
By: Molly Millwood
-
The Let Them Theory
- A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About
- By: Mel Robbins
- Narrated by: Mel Robbins
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her latest groundbreaking book, The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins—New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's most respected experts on motivation, confidence, and mindset—teaches you how to stop wasting energy on what you can't control and start focusing on what truly matters: YOU. Your happiness. Your goals. Your life.
-
-
Let Her
- By Paula on 01-02-25
By: Mel Robbins
-
Oh Crap! Potty Training
- Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right
- By: Jamie Glowacki
- Narrated by: Meredith Mitchell
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Let Jamie Glowacki show you how potty training is done. Her six-step, proven process to get your toddler out of diapers and onto the toilet has already worked for 10s of thousands of kids and their parents.
-
-
Very snarky and anti-parent
- By Katrina on 01-25-16
By: Jamie Glowacki
-
Activate Your Future Self
- The Secret to Effortlessly Becoming the Happiest, Healthiest and Wealthiest You
- By: Mimi Bouchard
- Narrated by: Mimi Bouchard
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this transformative audiobook, Mimi Bouchard, founder of the revolutionary Activations app, offers simple but powerful strategies to shift every aspect of your life–from your health and relationships to your career and finances–and help you become the happiest, most successful, most abundant version of yourself.
By: Mimi Bouchard
-
BoyMom
- Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity
- By: Ruth Whippman
- Narrated by: Ruth Whippman
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the culture wars rage, and masculinity has been politicized from all sides, feminist writer and mother of three boys Ruth Whippman finds herself conflicted and scared. While the right pushes a dangerous vision of fantasy manhood, her feminist peers often dismiss boys as little more than entitled predators-in-waiting. Meanwhile her home life feels like a daily confrontation with the triumph of nature over nurture.
-
-
"consent is a murky concept"
- By somethingusual on 12-06-24
By: Ruth Whippman
-
The Whole-Brain Child
- 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind
- By: Daniel J. Siegel M.D., Tina Payne Bryson
- Narrated by: Daniel J. Siegel M.D., Tina Payne Bryson
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures.
-
-
Several comments on the brain were incorrect.
- By Abelle on 04-18-23
By: Daniel J. Siegel M.D., and others
-
Good Inside
- A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
- By: Becky Kennedy
- Narrated by: Becky Kennedy
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over the past several years, Dr. Becky Kennedy—known to her followers as “Dr. Becky”—has been sparking a parenting revolution. Millions of parents, tired of following advice that either doesn’t work or simply doesn’t feel good, have embraced Dr. Becky’s empowering and effective approach, a model that prioritizes connecting with our kids over correcting them. Parents have long been sold a model of childrearing that simply doesn’t work. From reward charts to time outs, many popular parenting approaches are based on shaping behavior, not raising humans.
-
-
Sounds Wonderful, Does Not Work
- By R. Humphrey on 01-08-23
By: Becky Kennedy
-
Thrivers
- The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine
- By: Michele Borba Ed D.
- Narrated by: Michele Borba Ed D.
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Michele Borba has been a teacher, educational consultant, and parent for 40 years - and she's never been more worried than she is about this current generation of kids. The high-achieving students she talks with every day are more accomplished, better educated, and more privileged than ever before. They're also more stressed, unhappier, and struggling with anxiety, depression, and burnout at younger and younger ages - "we're like pretty packages with nothing inside," said one young teen.
-
-
Buy the book, NOT the AUDIOBOOK
- By AllieSmith on 02-23-24
-
How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen
- A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7
- By: Joanna Faber, Julie King
- Narrated by: Heather Alicia Simms, Michele Pawk, Candace Thaxton, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What do you do with a little kid who...won't brush her teeth...screams in his car seat...pinches the baby...refuses to eat vegetables...runs rampant in the supermarket? Organized according to common challenges and conflicts, this book is an essential emergency first-aid manual of communication strategies, including a chapter that addresses the special needs of children with sensory processing and autism spectrum disorders.
-
-
The message is great but the narration and writing style cringey
- By Elliott Family on 07-23-19
By: Joanna Faber, and others
-
The Power of Showing Up
- How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired
- By: Daniel J. Siegel MD, Tina Payne Bryson PhD
- Narrated by: Daniel J. Siegel MD, Tina Payne Bryson PhD
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the very best scientific predictors for how any child turns out - in terms of happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships - is whether at least one adult in their life has consistently shown up for them. In an age of scheduling demands and digital distractions, showing up for your child might sound like a tall order. But as best-selling authors Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson reassuringly explain, it doesn’t take a lot of time, energy, or money. Instead, showing up means offering a quality of presence.
-
-
Great Educators
- By Bored on 02-26-21
By: Daniel J. Siegel MD, and others
-
Siblings Without Rivalry
- How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too
- By: Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When parenting authorities Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish sat down to write the national best seller How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, they found they could not contain their chapter on sibling rivalry. No matter how much they tried to pare down their advice, they found the subject inexhaustible—and parents agreed! Siblings Without Rivalry guides the way to family peace and tranquility with humor and compassion for both parents and children.
-
-
Doesn't Get to the Heart
- By D. Winn on 11-12-17
By: Adele Faber, and others
Critic reviews
One of Oprah Daily’s 25 Best Self-Help Books for Personal Growth in 2025
"This book is a gift. Gender equality, strong families, and successful economic and social policy all require us to reframe how we think about work and family. The Power Pause helps show us how, in a how-to format that mothers will love."—Ann-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America and author of Unfinished Business
“Neha is a powerful advocate for an underrepresented yet enormous segment of the mom population…They need her voice and encouragement now more than ever.”—Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play
"The Power Pause reinforces that there's no one ‘right’ answer, instead giving mothers a more expansive way to think about ambition and family. Neha Ruch provides a clear guide to creating a rich, strategic family life so women can grow and thrive alongside their kids."—Dr. Aliza Pressman, New York Times bestselling author of The 5 Principles of Parenting
What listeners say about The Power Pause
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Adam G.
- 02-01-25
Inspiring, thought-provoking
I truly loved every minute of this audio book! Listening to (and taking notes on) Neha’s approach as I contemplate this move has been the extra push I needed to consider pausing as a true possibility for me and for our family. Not to mention how easy her voice is to listen to! Thank you!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fernanda moreno
- 02-09-25
Súper útil
Me encantó escucharlo en esta etapa donde estoy por vivir un cambio total y enfocarme un tiempo a mi maternidad y buscar a mi tercer bebé
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ACM
- 03-10-25
Relatable journey of balancing ambition and motherhood
Thank you for publishing this book right when I needed it most! I’ve worked in some capacity for 32 years and found myself evaluating a career pause to care for our household of three children (3, 5 & 8). This book has helped give me the confidence to own that decision and hopefully emerge stronger on the other side. I particularly enjoyed the tips and “homework” to keep me accountable.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Caroline Gully
- 02-01-25
Perfect timing!
This book came out during my extended maternity leave, and I’m so filled with ideas about how to move forward with work. I have a feeling I’m going to come back to this book again and again as I navigate the transition to more flexible work. I’m grateful to the author for sharing her story and the information presented here.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lindsay Mayuga
- 03-29-25
If you want anyone else to respect, honor and to value your choice to stay home, it begins with you.
This is a must gift book for any pregnant woman you know. It doesn’t matter if you choose to stay home or not, it’s a must read. I love that I can take aspects of the power pause and infuse it into my working life. I also love the part about funding 401k’s and how women need to prioritize their futures as well as their present day life. This book empowers mothers to go in eyes wide open and to value their contribution!🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Aaron Modic
- 04-09-25
Great read for SAHMs or those contemplating the transition!
I wish this book was available when I first entered stay at home motherhood. I read it as I am slowly transitioning back into part time work, and the past version of me as a mother in the ‘trenches’ of the beginning of being a SAHM felt so seen, and wished I could have heard this during that time! Either way, still so, so impactful. Love it! Recommended to anyone contemplating being a SAHM or newly one. You got this!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jessie L.
- 02-28-25
Very Disappointing
I had hoped this would be about pausing work and finding peace in that but its still making excuses as to why a pause is not ok or not enough for society
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!