It’s 5 a.m. and the alarm clock goes off. This alarm is not your typical alarm. It’s the wails of your infant son, deciding that now is when your day will begin. He was up just two hours ago, and two hours before that. But he is all smiles, and, as tired as you may be, his smile is all the (pre)morning motivation you need to start your long day as a career-focused, new mother … or is it?

I had my son in April 2017, after practicing law for eight years. I was fortunate. My firm is very family-oriented and offered me three months of maternity leave to spend with my little one. I had a plan: prepare an exit strategy for the handling of my workload while on maternity leave; stay informed to some extent; return happily to work; and expect the unexpected. I was so sure I knew how this was going to work, I even wrote an article about it! See Getting Ready to Become a Working Mother, (March 1, 2017). My firm and coworkers were supportive of my plan and encouraged me to take the time I needed to adjust to my new life as a mother.