A picture of 1,000 words.

A few days ago, I posted a short survey to help collect data for the book.  I've been interviewing TONS of women about being pregnant while working and transitioning back to work after maternity leave, but I've always wanted to make sure I'm looking at the whole picture.  

I haven't had time yet to do a deep dive into the responses, but one of the questions I asked was "What's the first word that comes to mind when you think about your maternity leave?" I dropped the first 1,000 responses into a Word Cloud generator, and this is what came back: 

Short, bonding, lonely, exhausting, necessary: pretty much sums it up.

If you haven't joined the fun yet, you can take the survey here.

 

Want more? Order Here's the Plan: Your Practical, Tactical Guide to Advancing Your Career During Pregnancy and Parenthood on Amazon.

 

For many women in their 20's and 30's, the greatest professional hurdle they'll need to overcome has little to do with their work life. The most focused, confident, and ambitious women can find themselves derailed by a tiny little thing: a new baby. Here's the Plan offers an inspiring roadmap for working mothers steering their careers through the parenting years. Author Allyson Downey—founder of weeSpring, the “Yelp for baby products,” and mother of two young children—advises readers on all practical aspects of ladder-climbing while parenting, such as negotiating leave, flex time, and promotions.