What would you do if your doctor told you that if you had sex you could die?  No, he didn’t say this because he was a sadist with a sex fetish, but because sex or coming close to orgasm, would probably kill you.  He wasn’t kidding.  Well, this was exactly what happened with my second, high-risk pregnancy.

I never had paid maternity leave. I had the basics of job protection but to get any income during leave, I had to use my sick days and vacation. Two of my three boys were born early in the calendar year (January and February) when I hadn't accrued enough sick or vacation time to pay me for the full six weeks off that the medical community recommends. During my unpaid days off, I was actually required to pay for my own health insurance. I felt frustrated and confused by these arrangements, but never pushed for more.

Paid parental leave is a hot topic these days—especially here at Working Mother. Our campaign for paid parental leave in the U.S. is heating up (sign our petition here), and we just hosted an important Tweet Chat on the topic, partnered by the National Partnership for Women and Families, which commissioned a groundbreaking new study—just released.

Environments Where Executive Working Mothers Thrive
Flexibility, People and Culture. According to a study recently published by three female Harvard MBA students, these are the main enablers of success for working mothers. Just as important as salary and job content, it is clear that many of the less tangible aspects of a role and employer make a huge difference for those concerned with work/life fit.

By Michelle Friedman, CPCC on behalf of the Museum of Motherhood

Environments Where Executive Working Mothers Thrive

Flexibility, People and Culture. According to a study recently published by three female Harvard MBA students, these are the main enablers of success for working mothers. Just as important as salary and job content, it is clear that many of the less tangible aspects of a role and employer make a huge difference for those concerned with work/life fit.

This post was first featured on Double X Science.  For more visuals and videos, visit this post where it lives!

OK, so here I am, a thirty-something year old mother of two, who, up until I became a mom was sure I wanted to work full time outside the home and come home at night to tuck my little ones into their own beds, then enjoy some quality time with my hubby.  Because what could possibly be more satisfying in life than a thrilling career?  I worked hard to become a registered nurse.  An angel of mercy, have you.  Saving lives, bringing home the (vegan) bacon, and enjoying a little family time on the side.  

September 29th, 2011 marked the last time that my daughter suckled from my breast.  I felt that 27 months and 11 days of breastfeeding was a solid offering of immune boosting nutrition, warmth, and comfort, the likes of which can only be provided by a mother.  The end of this breastfeeding era was bittersweet as it signified the official transition from baby to child.  However, this date also marked the beginning of the end of what I considered to be a pretty sweet rack.