About me

So much of a parents journey often starts before they even know they are going to become parents. We need to normalise conversations about conception and miscarriage to support individuals before the formal ‘parental support schemes’ even start, and understand how rigid rules are hindering progression.

Here’s my story. As soon as we started to think about having children, I stayed in a company longer than I might have done, solely due to the restricted government rules on Statutory Maternity Leave. This affects every woman of childbearing age having to plan career moves around when they might have a child and ultimately preventing freedom of progression across organisations.

In the end, after experiencing two traumatic miscarriages, I moved to a new company while I was pregnant. I had to put my career move first over and above what might happen with this pregnancy and sticking around just for the maternity pay. Making this move meant that I was financially hindered but mentally better off. I don’t regret my choice for a second. I was fully supported and took shared parental leave with my husband. Sadly, he got the raw end of the deal with his paternity leave beginning the week after we went into our first Covid-19 lockdown. 

I now have two beautiful children, have navigated senior leadership roles part time and worked in a client service industry that is unpredictable and demanding. Ultimately, I wanted to build more control over my week while my children are young which in part led me to where I am now. I'm proud of what I've achieved so far, and excited to see how my working parent journey continues to evolve. 

I’m sharing my story to highlight some of the decisions and choices women have to make at every step of their career journey.  If any of this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your story.