'I sent emails during the worst contractions. This is the truth about not taking mat leave.'

Elysia's labour is probably not what most women would hope for. That July day, nearly everything went exactly the opposite of what she'd planned.

"My midwife told me the baby was coming fast — but then he just stopped," Elysia says. "He became stuck, so I was given an epidural and just had to wait. I wasn't feeling anything."

In that moment, everything slowed down. There wasn't anything to do. So, they did the one thing that felt natural to them.

"We got on our phones and started working again while the contractions were happening."

If you're thinking 'wait, what?!' you're not alone.

"I actually worked earlier that morning and I told my marketing team that if they don't hear from me for a few hours, they'll know why," the Melbourne mum-of-three and business owner says.

Watch: Dr. Mariam shares her candid perspective on birth preparation, while sharing her personal experiences with stillbirth and delivering twins. Post continues after video.

For most expectant mums, the day they give birth is full of emotions, pain, joy, and a hell of a lot of deep breathing.

For 36-year-old Elysia, however, delivering her baby boy, Cruz, was just one of the many things she had to do that day – and there was no way she was about to let any of them slide just because she was about to pop out a baby at any moment.

"On that day, we had issues with our ads and the web developers. If errors are happening, it can mean a really costly mistake with major financial repercussions," Elysia says of why she didn't take any time out from her side-hustle turned full-time biz, Meke Baby.

Elysia's business, Meke Baby. Image: Supplied.

Cruz was one week overdue, and ended up arriving by C-section on the very day that the company, which produces food and milk warming products, launched its latest design.

"I was lying there waiting to be taken into theatre, and all I could think about was how I was going to keep things going because of the long recovery," Elysia says.

"How would I be there for my baby, my girls and keep the business going if I'm bedridden for weeks?"

Despite her C-section delivery, Elysia spent little more than 24 hours in hospital before she returned home with Cruz to her two daughters, Armani, 5, and Giselle, 4.

And now, four weeks later, she is yet to take a single day of maternity leave — nor does she ever plan to.

"I had six months off when I had the girls as I was a CEO at someone else's company then," she says.

But it's very different when it's your own business. You can't just switch off.

Even with three children under five, Elysia says she is still working eight to ten hours a day, seven days a week.

"Whenever he's chill for five minutes, I grab every spare opportunity to work because, with a newborn, you don't have any set times, and you have to squeeze it in wherever you can," she says.

"The business is still in a start-up phase and not in a position where I can take the foot off the pedal. Do I want to be working as much? No. But sometimes, you just have to."

Exclusively breastfeeding, Elysia isn't relying on any paid support, either, just the helping hands of husband, Chris (who runs the Meke warehouse), and her mother-in-law, who helps look after the eldest two children.

"We aren't doing any childcare and Chris isn't taking any parental leave. We just make it work. We've definitely spread ourselves thin, but at the same time, we do spend a lot of time with them because we can work from home rather than having to go to a 9 to 5 job. When Cruz was a week old, we had so many orders come in, that I took him into the warehouse to help the team pack while he was in his capsule."

Elysia with her husband, Chris and their kids. Image: Supplied.

While her hectic schedule would make anyone dizzy, Elysia says running her business while having a newborn has actually helped her mental health.

"I feel like keeping busy and having different things to look forward to in the future is good for my mental health," she says.

"My boobs are so engorged and painful, and I've had no sleep, but I've been in meetings all morning, and it helps me feel okay, because I've got lots of good things happening.

"If I didn't have that distraction, I'd be thinking about how exhausted I am and how terrible last night was. I won't lie — some days I do crash, and I do nothing but cluster feed that day and stay in my PJs, but generally I'm pretty good."

In her quiet, contemplative moments, Elysia admits her "double life" can sometimes leave her ridden with guilt. However, she knows her daily actions will deliver her family the future she has long strived for.

"There have been nights where Armani would fall asleep, and I would cry because I've been so flat out during the day and I should have given her more attention, and I didn't," she says honestly.

"Then the second she's asleep, I feel guilty for it. I feel like so many of us mums live this double life that we are in constant battle with.

"The guilt is 100 percent real. I know the kids are growing up so quickly and the moments are so precious, I'm very aware of that. It's just about trying to find that balance that allows me to still work and grow a business, but also allows me to be present for them. And finding that balance is hard, because you still have to do everything else in life, too.

"I'm just grateful the business is going well and, hopefully, it puts us in a position to one day enjoy the kids the way we want to and travel the world with them."

Feature image: Supplied.