Labor MP Tanya Plibersek hopes her decision not to run for the Labor leadership did not send the message that politics is incompatible with having children, but says ultimately, women must make the career choices that are best for them.

In a podcast with former prime minister Julia Gillard, Ms Plibersek explained she had observed the Labor leadership for six years as the party's deputy and was put off by the extra travel the job would involve.

Tanya Plibersek and Julia Gillard discussed how women "can't win" when it comes to having kids - or not having kids - and a career.

"It's a lot of time on the road. It's a lot of time away. And it just wouldn't have been right for our family at that time," Ms Plibersek said in an interview with Ms Gillard, to be released on Monday.

The former deputy Labor leader has three children: Anna, 18, Joseph, 14 and Louis, 8. She described public offers from people to quit their jobs to look after her kids so she could be Labor leader as "gorgeous, but kind of misses the point".