Working Motherhood Isn't Just Return to Work, It's a Long Distance Run

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Hannah, a listener who's been in touch with us over emal hannah first wrote to us after hearing our episode managing parental leave. Hannah said the stories our colleague, erica trucker, shared in that episode helped her feel like she could manage the challenges of returning to work. A few months later, hannah offered to tell us how it's been going for her and we thought it would be great to get hannah and erica on the phone together.

You’ve heard the story: Motherhood and work are at odds, and women who pursue both have to make endless trade-offs and compromises. And yet, lots of women go for it, with great results for themselves, their families, and their careers. In fact, research suggests that parenting can enrich our careers, and vice versa.

Professors Danna Greenberg and Jamie Ladge talk about the benefits of being a working mom. They share advice around setting expectations, finding child care, asking for help, and advocating for ourselves as kids get older. Then, our fellow HBR editor Erica Truxler checks in with a listener about returning to work after parental leave.

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