Reply to Feel like the choice is binary re: whether to work or not after baby is born

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[quote=Anonymous]My experience is that when you are well established in your career, have good working relationships, and especially if you have some specialized expertise, it's not hard to re-enter the workforce after a year or two off. I wound up being headhunted back into work after taking a couple years off, because some former colleagues had started a new firm and wanted someone with my skill set. And then I was in the opposite situation -- I didn't HAVE to go back to work, and was planning on it eventually, but had to make a decision fairly quickly about whether I was ready to put my DD in childcare and go back. I wound up negotiating a part-time situation for a few years until she started school and then went to a 30 hr/wk schedule (it's built into my contract and I still get benefits). It basically couldn't have worked out more perfectly.

I had my baby at 37 and was grateful for the flexibility. My standard recommendation to women who are having kids later with established careers is that if you want to take time off, do it. You are a skilled professional. Two years out of the workforce is not the stigma it once was, and there are more women in positions of authority, and more men who understand the value and importance of family time, so in most industries you will get far less criticism for doing this. You may still get criticism (I had a couple friends/colleagues who literally gasped when I told them I was quitting my job to stay home, and my [female, but childless] boss was actually incredibly mean about it), but you will not torpedo your career.

Almost everyone I work with now is a mom, and I feel super supported in my career decisions. There are other firms within my industry at which this would not be true, but I don't think I'd want to work there as a person with kids anyway. So in many ways, taking those years off and prioritizing family as I re-entered the workforce ensured good work-life balance for me. Whereas toughing it out at my former company would have made miserable anyway.

Obviously this is just one person's experience, but hopefully it is helpful to you.[/quote]

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