This morning I connected with a former client and she proudly told me she stole my job because she was holding a newborn. It is most definitely a job filled with joy. And so ironic that often it is meeting moms that are so exhausted, overwhelmed and alone. I told her my favorite clients are the ones that call me crying as I was suddenly reminded of a phone call requesting services last summer with a very emotional new mama. It is an odd thing to say that those are my favorite calls but my reason for that is simple. You’re starting with a mom at the bottom. And part of the joy of the job is watching them discover themselves as moms, build confidence and then reach a point where they are ready for you to go. That is the job in a nutshell: watching new mamas gain their wings and it is such an honor to watch. 

Today, for example, I am working with a client that I worked with in the fall when her infant son was a newborn. Now she is proudly back at work. I have seen this dynamic a lot lately, where moms I have worked with are going back to work with excitement. And what I am seeing is different than what I have seen in the past where they feel immensely sad to leave their new babies with another childcare option. I am seeing women secure in their roles as working mothers and eager to get back to this previous constant. It is different than their newest identity, and likely more comfortable and more familiar than what they encountered during their maternity leave. And they are confident and comfortable saying they are happy to go back to work. This deviates from the pressure moms feel being in the workplace and figuring out how to do it all. Fortunately, women are realizing they cannot do it all and that is so important. Delegating household tasks to spouses, hired professionals and others is crucial for maintaining mental health and quality of life. It is simply not realistic to be able to do it all. By accepting this and feeling less pressured to do everything, women are able to more confidently navigate their careers alongside motherhood. 

Companies are figuring out that their women employees are more successful, ultimately leading to the companies being more successful when womens’ needs are met so they are developing more programs to support women and allocating more resources to support these growing families. 

When women are taken care of in their places of employment, they have greater rates of retention and loyalty as well as more growth. This is definitely changing the dynamics of the workplace. Women were not previously valued as employees and their worth was what they contributed to their family.

I am seeing this change more frequently and it is exciting as well as deeply necessary. I appreciate when women tell me they are glad to go back to work and resume their careers. And I am proud of them when they are unapologetic. Another thing is also happening. Men are getting longer paternity leaves. Their place in the home is also extremely important and men are learning how much their wives and partners manage and the importance of their presence. When companies make this acknowledgement and find ways to provide more appropriate maternity and paternity leaves they win awards such as “best place to work” or “top companies to work for”. These become sought after companies and are recognized by employees and prospective employees as places that accept their whole selves – also a newer concept to the workplace.

I am fortunate to be able to watch families from pregnancy until a few weeks or months into the postpartum period. It is not an easy time for a new family and that provides me with such fulfillment as I love to step in and find where I can make a difference in their lives. When I get to watch this whole evolution from pregnancy to birth, women finding their roles as new moms and slipping back into their former roles and blending it with their new roles, I am always in awe. They do not always see all they are accomplishing or the growth that is occurring and as I slowly fade into their past, I try to make sure they are cognizant of these beautiful changes.