Work Like a Mother

After the birth of her first son, and following a standard 3-month maternity leave, Lauren returned to work as an editor at Glamour. It was hard, and she never felt a need to pretend it was easy. She didn’t go around broadcasting her struggles in the office, but she didn’t feel like she had anything to hide either. Soon coworkers started to acknowledge her and even thank her for being a role model and “speaking up.” Those small moments and recognitions made Lauren realize there was a much bigger story here that needed to be told. A journalist at heart, Lauren dove in and researched all aspects of working-motherhood, particularly the return to work phase that she would come to call the “fifth trimester.” Since 2017 her book and consultancy of the same name have brought these insights and conversations to offices, boardrooms, and living rooms across the country, and helped thousands of women, myself included, navigate and understand what it means to return to work. 

Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins has smashed through the proverbial glass ceiling more than once. As the first woman to serve as DA in Suffolk County, and the first woman of color to serve as DA in all of Massachusetts, she’s a role model to many and a vocal advocate for women’s empowerment and social justice. And yet, when we sat down to reflect on her career, she shared that the accomplishment she’s most proud of is being a mom. DA Rollins explains why being a mom makes women better executives, explains her role as both DA and a social justice champion, and the importance of raising “good, kind people.”   

When she sets her sights on a goal, Dr. Lauren West-Livingston doesn’t miss. She’s a go getter. So even after many months of fertility treatments and multiple miscarriages, when she finally did get pregnant (IVF) she wasn’t planning to slow down. But morning sickness hit her hard and she realized that she couldn’t just keep taking on more and more. So while three months pregnant and preparing to defend her dissertation, Lauren switched gears. No more apologizing, no more “I hope it’s ok if…” - she asserted herself, let others help her out, and set boundaries that worked for her. Along the way she received plenty of well-intentioned “advice” and ultimately had her baby girl, Joy, just a few weeks after defending her dissertation.   

Postpartum depression affects over half a million new moms every year, and Carina was one of them. When traditional therapy didn’t feel right, Carina circled back to something her own mother shared with her many years ago: yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. But with a newborn at home, she couldn’t exactly go out to a 90-minute yoga class. Instead she found strength in “sips of self-care” and small habits, practiced regularly, that have helped her redefine her life. Carina shares a beautiful story of struggle, strength, finding her calling, and the creation of Mindful Mamas to help thousands more do the same.

Every morning Janelle hops in her car and drives an hour to the hospital, where she manages a team of 150 essential workers. Every evening she drives an hour home, where she’s mom to 4 children and partner to an equally busy husband. If that routine sounds grueling, that’s not how Janelle would describe it. She likes to work; always has, and has always done well. And she loves being a mom. Followers on Instagram may know her as “Her Fabulous Mess” but Janelle’s approach to working motherhood is graceful, impressive, and inspiring. 

Returning from maternity leave looks different for everyone. Some feel ready, some feel pure dread, most of us feel something between exhaustion and delirium. But not many moms I know feel energized and ready to polish up the resume and pursue a fifth-trimester career move. But it seems to work for Christina, because she’s now done exactly that, twice. Each time she found a bigger opportunity that pushed her personally and professionally, and ultimately landed her her current role with Folia Health where she’s able to leverage her health-tech expertise for a mission that is near and dear to her heart. Christina reflects on her journey and the advice she shares with future moms.  

I’m thrilled to welcome Sarah DeHaan, owner of owen + sage, to Work Like a Mother. This week we’re also joined by Jackie, her 3 year old son who decided that today wasn’t a nap day. We already said these would be real-life conversations with working-moms 😉. So let’s dive in.

Sarah loved retail and was rising through the ranks at Athleta until her first, Jackie, came along and made her start to question everything. She found herself feeling stuck. The career she loved just wasn’t allowing her to be the mom she so wanted to be. With the birth of Finley, her second, she was determined to find an alternative that would work for her and her family. Now the owner of owen + sage, a modern baby outfitter, Sarah shares how the pressure of corporate retail led her to become an entrepreneur and discover a career she can love again.

This week, after a tough fourth trimester during covid-19 with my new son Brooks, I went back to work. At home. WFH and Zoom jokes aside, this is my second child, my second maternity leave, and my second time going back to work.  I’ve done this before. I felt (more) prepared. I’ve got this. Ha. Well, this week I remembered that there is no playbook for working moms.  Not the first time, not the second time.  Maybe never?  The one thing I do have is an incredible community of fellow working mamas, and being able to learn from them and share with them has given me comfort, support, and the courage to charge ahead.  They’ve been invaluable to me on this journey so now I want to share them, and their stories, with all of you – check out our big announcement at the end.

Check out the whole series: Work Like a Mother and follow us on Instagram for the video recordings and upcoming IGTV appearances.  

Bridget Garsh huddles over her mic after putting her boys to sleep to sneak in this preview of NeighborSchools' new show.  Join us.