A New Professional Mother

Just had lunch with a dear friend who is also a new professional mother. Her dear little one is only a few months old and she's been back on the job for two weeks. It's amazing to find out how quickly having a child will affect not only your job, but your entire life. Everything changes. (Reminds me of those Johnson & Johnson commercials. The sentiment is so true.)

My dear friend is facing all the same issues that we professional mothers face. There's always the issue of placing your family ahead of your job and having to explain that change to your supervisor. There's the issue of taking off time with a sick child. There's the consideration of whether to go part time. There's the impossibility of explaining to your male counterpart that maternity leave is not a vacation. There's the incessant nagging of guilt as you risk the possibility of missing your child's first words, first steps, first lost tooth, first scraped knee, or any other first. And for me, at least, there's the idea of wanting to be more than a mother while still maintaining your status as "The Best Mom in the World." (The title is self-given and obviously an aspiration as opposed to a reflection of the truth).

This mothering thing is a complicated business, and it just gets more complicated when you throw a career into the mix. So, for all of you new professional mothers, welcome to this wild ride. Hang on tight!