Past research has shown that
Useful Resources
babies do matter in terms of
time to graduate and future
careers in academia and
industry. Not only does bias
play a part, but also having to
deal with new responsibilities
on top of work-life balance
presents an entirely new set
of challenges in the generally
laissez faire climate of
graduate school. In this flyer
we hope to provoke questions
and provoke thoughtful
resources about a) whether
graduate school is a ‘good’
time to become pregnant, and
b) what should future
graduate student mothers
know before and a(er
becoming pregnant?
Baby Loading...
These are some readings that we have found helpful to give
some insight into pregnancy, academia, and being a mummy.
Mama Ph.D.: Women Write
Please Wait:
About Motherhood and
What to consider
Academic Life.
This book gives a lot of good contemporary when thinking about
stories that are up-li(ing and provide a
good amount of advice. There is also a blog
having a child in
with women who are still in academics and
those who have moved on contributing.
graduate school
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/mama_phd
Motherhood, The Elephant
in the Laboratory: Women Laurian Vega & Mara Silva
Center for Human-Computer Interaction at Virginia Tech &
Scientists Speak Out Graduate Student Mummies of Cameron and Thomas
While definitely not as encouraging as the
last book, this one shows that not all paths
lead to tenure, but they do all lead to
happiness. The chapters are divided to give
a sense of change across the decades.
The Happiest Baby on the
Block
For computer scientists who like methods
and procedures, this is the tool for you.
People think we joke, but this DVD (the
book isn’t as useful) changed how our
babies reacted to sleep and crying. It will
teach you how to swaddle, the power of
white noise, and everything an academic
needs to know about how to keep your
baby happier and you a bit more sane.
Articles
•Rosser, S.V. and M.Z. Taylor (2008) Expanding Women’s
Participation in US Science. Harvard International Review 30.
This article makes the argument for why women need to be more
fully incorporated into science and engineering.
•Mason, M.A. and M. Goulden, Do Babies Matter (Part II)?
Closing the Baby Gap. Academe, 2004 (November-December). Presented at the 2009 Grace Hopper:
This article presents some of the statistics behind being pregnant Celebration of Women in Computing
in graduate school or while running for tenure.
Timeline of
considerations
When thinking about
becoming pregnant
Your timeline. If you have a
chance to actually plan
when to have a child or
children, thinking about
your timeline is your
number one concern. It is
our recommendation to
think about when you can
be taking classes and the
location of classes. For
example, it might not be a
good idea to take a class
that requires walking across
campus at night in the
snow. The best time for us
to become pregnant was
a(er we had finished all
courses and were “all but
dissertation”
Your area. Make sure you
aren’t working with
hazardous materials when
becoming pregnant
Your Health. Start walking
daily. Take prenatal
vitamins (they are good for
you even if you decide not
to become pregnant).
When you find out you
are pregnant
Your advisor and
committee. Figure out
when is the best time to tell
your advisor. Most people
we know waited until their
first trimester, but
sometimes you can’t wait
that long. Make sure to
know your rights by
contacting you graduate
school as well.
Your childcare needs. If you
are going to use a daycare
or a type of childcare, we
suggest adding your name
to wait-lists as soon as
possible. Start thinking
about your new needs as a
family.
Your Funding. If you are
funded, see what are the
possibilities to defer
funding for a semester or to
only work part time.
Before giving birth
Your time off. Talk to your
advisor and committee
about how much time you
plan on taking off a(er
giving birth. Even if you
don’t take all that time, or if
you need more, they will
know what to expect of
you.
Your work. Prepare to put
things on hold for a while.
Know that you can come
back to your work and feel
comforted that it will be
there when you return.
Your support. If you can, we
highly recommend joining a
support group for new
mothers - even one that
isn’t formal. You’ll be
surprised at how much
comfort you find in the
trials and tribulations of
those in a similar
circumstance. Also, a
working mother’s support
group might be useful.
A(er giving birth
Your joy. Relish in how cute
your baby’s toes are.
Your facilities. If you decide
to lactate, contact your staff
and make sure there are
facilities available for you.
Contact a Le Leche league.
Your strength. Know that
you are not alone.
Returning to work is not
like getting back on a bike...
unless that bike is highly
hormonal, sleep deprived,
and feels guilty about not
paying full attention to it’s
tricycle.
Your return. Talk to your
advisor and reassess or
reaffirm your plans for
graduation.