US women in politics spark conversation about balancing family and career

Last summer, Representative Sara Jacobs underwent a medical procedure to freeze her eggs, a decision she described as empowering. The process, which can cost over $10,000 and is rarely covered by insurance, involves harvesting and freezing eggs from the ovaries for future use in pregnancy. Jacobs, who announced her decision in 2021, noted that the procedure was challenging, likening the experience to both puberty and menopause simultaneously.

In the same week, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced her own plans to freeze her eggs, sharing the process on social media. Her announcement sparked a conversation about the difficulties of balancing motherhood and a demanding career, as the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also revealed she would be leaving her position to spend more time with her family, including her infant.

Several women with demanding careers spoke to the BBC about the challenges they face in juggling their work with motherhood. In the United States, which is the only industrialized nation without mandated paid parental leave, less than a quarter of workers have access to paid family leave through their employer. The average age of mothers giving birth in the US increased from 28.7 in 2016 to 29.6 in 2023, according to the CDC.

Michele Heisler, a professor of internal medicine, gave birth to her son while in medical school at the age of 30 and attributes her ability to balance her career and motherhood to resources such as nannies and an equal partner in parenting. She emphasized the importance of flexible schedules and full parental involvement to make such a balance possible.

Seema Patel, an associate professor of law, also stays up late to work so she can spend time with her children. Despite the challenges, she acknowledges the fleeting nature of her children's early years and the need to make the most of the time available. Heisler and Patel both expressed concerns about the unequal distribution of domestic work in their respective fields and the need for a more equitable approach to family and career balance.