My Story

I’ve lived it, studied it, then wrote the book on it.

I became a mom of four while building a career as a veterinarian. My first pregnancy came right at the start of my professional life, when I was still trying to prove myself and find my footing. I was thrilled to be having a baby and completely clueless about everything else. I didn’t know how to announce my pregnancy at work, what my rights were, how to stay safe during pregnancy, or what to expect when I returned. The people around me were generally supportive, but they didn’t have the answers either. I felt isolated and alone.

More than a decade later, when I had my third and fourth children, I expected things to be different. They weren’t. I went through all four pregnancies without paid parental leave and without knowing how to advocate for myself. The resources simply weren’t there.

Those experiences inspired me to write my book on working in veterinary medicine during pregnancy and as a new parent, so that others would have what I didn’t. And as I researched, I became obsessed with something bigger: the way parental leave policy, or the lack of it, shapes the entire experience of becoming a parent while building a career.

I learned how much workers depend on their state and their employer for support. I learned how a strong policy can reduce turnover, close gender gaps, and build the kind of workplace people actually want to stay. And I got certified as a RETAIN Parental Leave Coach through the Center for Parental Leave Leadership so I could do something about it.

Now I use my professional experience listening to others and brainstorming solutions that meet their needs, along with my knowledge of parental leave, to create policies that work for employers and parents and provide working parents the support they need as a RETAIN Parental Leave Coach.