And I still like her even though she had a go at working mums last week. Even. Though. I. Am. A. Working. Mum. Because, I don't think what she said was incorrect. I just don't think it stands up as a sweeping statement. And I don't think she really understands that working mums work bloody hard. But there was a ring of truth about it all.

Armytage reckoned she had been given more work to do because she was unmarried and childless. That "bosses don't ask as much of you if you're a wife or mother".

"I've never shied away from hard work, but there was an expectation that Sam would do it because she's got nothing else going on," she told Stellar magazine. "[Sometimes I'd think], 'Well, actually, I'd get something else going on if you didn't make me do this'."

OK, fair enough, that's her experience. My experience is that having a partner never affected how much work I was given or not given. Children, yes, changed everything. But before we explore that, let's just remember working mums were once single (or maybe only ever single) and childless. There was a "before" in this picture.

And, yes, when single and childless these women no doubt got asked to do most of the less family-friendly stuff - the late shifts, the weekend work, the overnight trips, the overtime, the Christmas Day and Easter Sunday shifts.

I was a working journalist for 20 years before I had my first child and my work always came first. I'd go in early and come home late almost every day. I never wanted to take my leave on school holidays, no thank you. I worked weekends for years and my fair share of Christmases. I did one assignment that lasted 24 hours, with no breaks. Good times. I realise now I could have never sustained that workload with children, it's just not physically or logistically possible. Especially as I'm now doing it on my own, after my partner passed away. I know other working mums can do it, all power to them. Not me.

Before children, through, I had some remarkable opportunities with my work, such as travelling overseas and working on memorable assignments such as the Beaconsfield mine rescue. I covered the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia and Melbourne for all the Rural Press papers and, yes, it nearly broke me single-handedly trying to cover multiple athletes at multiple events, but it's something I look back on with pride that I was given that chance.

So, with children, I'm not covering murders now or the Assembly or anything remotely "breaking" because I need to manage my time. I've made the shift and I've always been supported by my, usually male, bosses. That doesn't mean I'm not working or not working hard or that I haven't dragged my kids along to plenty of out-of-hours work appointments.

And let's just acknowledge that working mums actually work three shifts, people - before work, at-work and after-work. There's no off button. Little chance for a pilates class or cheeky glass of white with the girls after work. Taking a step back does mean sometimes I feel like I'm not a real journalist anymore but then I hope some of the softer, good-news stories I now write do help or make a difference. I also feel I'm more efficient. There's no time for faffing about.

There's give and take too. My bosses will let me go to a school assembly and I'll catch up on work that night, for example. There are added stresses and guilt. I've probably had one or two sick days since I had my first child nearly 11 years ago. And if my own children are sick, I stay at home but still try to work. Sometimes I feel I have to fit a full-time job into part-time hours. It's all a self-imposed feeling you have to do it or you're letting the side down. But that's what working mums do. They get it done.

And, with International Women's Day on Monday, it's nice to know I've been supported along the way by many people, including my bosses. I've had a fun interesting career but also created a lovely family. I'm glad and grateful I've got to do both.