Pregnancy is not a disease

I had an interesting conversation today with a very intelligent young girl who is very focused and driven. She finds herself pregnant (not planned)and it was interesting to hear how other women have reacted to her news. She will need to re-assess her goals, pregnancy is never easy, having kids changes your life, you will need to give up a lot, how are you going to balance your career and have a child as well, you of course will need to take 12 months off - is what she has been hearing.....WHAT HAPPENED TO HAVING IT ALL FOR GOODNESS SAKE.

Pregnancy is not a disease. I know many successful women who have had children and balance motherhood with a career, our kids have not grown horns or do poorly at school. In fact one could argue that we encourage them to be self thinking, independant and free spirited souls who are taught to be self reliant and confident from an early age. Their parents are still there as a safety net and are these qualities really that bad? And are they really any different to kids whose mums do choose to stay at home?

I respect mothers who choose to stay at home as I think they actually have a tougher job but women need to stop making each other feel guilty. We need to work as a team, stand together and support each other and understand that sometimes we do not have a choice, financially we need to go back to work, secondly some of us make better mothers when we work and play and thirdly many of use enjoy being the CEO of households... we are all equal and whatever we choose it is OK from time to time to put ourselves first.

This young girl will make a terrific mother and I look forward to the day when she has her own extremely successful business!
And she would have achieved it all her way, on her terms with no guilt and what a terrific role model she will be to other women.