Before I got pregnant, I was a Content Manager at Asia’s third largest PR agency. From a great husband to a great job, some would say that I had everything going for me. Even after I had conceived, I worked dedicatedly till the very last day of my pregnancy. To give you context – my baby was born on 13th February, 2020 and my last working day was just the day before – 12th February, 2020!
It is often assumed that new mothers leave their passion, ambition, and goals in the delivery room. For most working women, that’s far from the truth. Recent research by Amy Henderson of Tendlab proved that “parenthood neurologically primes us to develop specific skills which are not only relevant – but also necessary – for success in the workplace.”
Here’s a quick preview of how becoming a mother made me better at my work!
- Caring for a baby made me more empathetic
I was always driven and focused on my goals. You could even say that I had blinkers on that put everything that didn’t contribute to my professional growth out of my vision. But when I had my baby, my softer side came to the fore. I understood that in addition to being great at what you do, you need to be a people’s person to truly get ahead. Being a great manager is all about being great with people. And empathy can help you build great relationships and better manage people.
- Wanting to provide for my baby made me more driven
Every parent wants to be able to give the very best to their children. But fancy toys and fancier schools cost money. When my 6-month maternity leave ended on 12th August 2020, I resumed work the very next day. This time, I was back with a killer drive. I wanted to be the best version of myself and make the most moolah – not just for me, but mostly for my baby. I was asking for more work, taking on new clients, and dabbling into and winning projects I had no previous experience with!
- Doing 10 things at once for my baby made me a multi-tasker
I remember this one time when I was feeding my 3-month-old while also ironing my husband’s shirt and making sure the vegetable stew that I was cooking didn’t burn! Whew, new mothers can multi-task like no one’s business. Thanks to the multi-tasking skills that I developed as a new mom, I was able to juggle between and ace several projects simultaneously when I resumed work.
It is wrongly assumed that pregnant women and mothers will be unable to focus on and commit to work. Did you know there exists something called “motherhood penalty”? it results in working mothers being less likely to be hired, less likely to be perceived as competent at their jobs, and less likely to receive equal pay. When in reality, the opposite is true. New moms are more driven to make an impact, to grow businesses, and to work for something that’s bigger than themselves. At the end of the day, it is not about work-life balance; it’s about work-life integration!
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