US women in politics spark conversation about balancing family and career

Last summer, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs began a medical procedure called egg freezing to give herself more time to have children in the future. At 37, Jacobs explained that the process involved harvesting eggs from her ovaries and freezing them. She found the experience challenging, with her body hurting and hormones fluctuating, feeling like a mix of puberty and menopause.

Jacobs announced her plans in 2021, a time when few lawmakers were openly discussing the topic. This week, fellow Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also began the egg freezing process, sharing details about the daily injections of hormones on social media. The announcement sparked conversation about the difficulties of balancing motherhood and a demanding career.

The White House Press Secretary for the Trump administration, Karoline Leavitt, recently announced she would leave her position to spend more time with her family, including her infant. Leavitt expressed that returning to the White House after her daughter's birth made her realize she couldn't be the best mother her children needed while fulfilling her duties at the White House.

Leavitt's comments come as several women with busy careers spoke with the BBC about the challenges of juggling motherhood and their professional lives. In the United States, one of the few industrialized nations without paid parental leave, less than a quarter of workers have access to paid family leave through their employer. However, over 120 countries around the world - including all European countries - provide paid maternity leave.

Global trends indicate that women are increasingly having children at older ages and choosing not to have children at all. From 2016 to 2023, the average age of mothers giving birth in the US rose from 28.7 to 29.6. Michele Heisler, a professor at the University of Michigan, gave birth to her first child after returning to medical school at 30.

She credits her ability to balance her career and motherhood to resources like nannies and a supportive husband. However, Heisler emphasized that unless both parents are equally involved in childrearing, the responsibility often falls on the woman, potentially requiring her to step back in her career. Seema Patel, a law professor, also stays up late to finish her work so she can spend time with her children.

Despite having access to paid parental leave as a worker's rights lawyer, Patel still advocates for more support for lower-wage workers who lack such benefits. She took advice from her boss to save vacation days for potential future use when starting a family. Nonetheless, even with paid leave and a dedicated partner, balancing work and family remains a challenge for Patel, especially as her children have grown older.

Congresswoman Jacob's plans to have children remain uncertain, given the demands of her job, which requires her to travel frequently between California and Washington. She hopes to share in the responsibility of childcare with her spouse once the time is right.