We can have it all. Just not all at once.
In the last weeks, several people in my circle told me they are expecting a baby.
My outer reaction is the one society expects: Congratulations. I’m so happy for you. What a beautiful journey ahead!
My inner reaction is quieter:
I hope you’ve talked about what this means for your career.
I hope you’ve talked about identity.
I hope you’ve talked about where you might consciously slow down or step back.
Because it’s 2026 and we still don’t say clearly enough that parenthood reshapes careers, not just lives.
I thought I was prepared. As much as one can be. I had read, observed, discussed. I was living abroad when we had our children, far from close family and long-time friends. Many people around me were not parents yet. That certainly limited access to transparent insights. But what struck me later is that even when people are surrounded by family and caregivers, these conversations often don’t happen before you’re expecting.
The biggest surprise for me was how invisible the professional implications were. Only once you are living the experience do people start speaking openly.
The idea that we can have it all is appealing. But time, energy, and attention are finite. For several years, priorities shift and trade-offs are inevitable. We don’t discuss the career impact enough: who accelerates, who pauses, who silently recalibrates, and how that compounds over time. The invisible labor. The shifts in identity, energy, and self-perception. I underestimated how much my own focus would change.
In my work with senior professionals, I still notice how rarely these conversations happen proactively. I’ve witnessed high performing women misjudge the long-term impact on their careers. I’ve seen parents quietly struggle with expectations they never voiced. No matter the family model, the complexity is real.
Not because they regret their children. But because no one helped them think it through deeply enough beforehand.
If you’re considering children, talk openly about career scenarios before you’re inside the transition.
If you already have them and feel overwhelmed, be gentle with yourself. Asking for support can be a powerful first step to reconnect with yourself and others.
What changed in your career after becoming a parent? And what would you tell your pre-parent self today?
These are the conversations I wish we normalized before life makes the decisions for us.
#ParenthoodAndCareer #LeadershipConversations #WorkingParents #CareerTransitions #InvisibleLabor
Hi, I'm Yvonne 👋
I support experienced professionals in making meaningful career choices and navigating growth, transitions, and leadership challenges.
If you’d like a thoughtful space to reflect, gain clarity, and shape what comes next, you can learn more about my coaching approach here.
