Motherhood And Me: How Being A Mum Became More Demanding

Working motherhood is still one of the biggest challenges a woman faces. In fact, research suggests that no matter how much we prepare ourselves practically – by taking parenting classes, investigating childcare options early and meticulously planning our return to work while pregnant – once baby arrives, the juggling act is harder than it has ever been.

The New York Times summed up the pressures perfectly. “Motherhood became more demanding [in the last 20 years],” they wrote. “Parents now spend more time and money on child care. They feel more pressure to breastfeed, to do enriching activities with their children and to provide close supervision.” And, while shared parental leave is aiming to make responsibilities more equal, and fathers are playing a bigger and more active role than ever before, in reality the majority of this burden still falls on mothers. They’re often the ones who take unpaid leave when their child is ill, or dash out the door to get to pick-up on time.