I've been married for a little over five years, am approaching thirty, am currently transitioning careers, and eventually want to have a family. Financially, it's wonderful to be able to get some kind of parental leave pay, but at this point, I don't know if I can bank on that. I've considered contracting and pursuing additional education while pregnant and/or rearing pre-school kids, since it provides more flexibility. But I also really want to teach full time and I worry about how it will be perceived by (and, of course, how it will affect) my students and colleagues if I am able to secure a teaching job and then start my family shortly afterward. I hate feeling like I've let people down.
I think that's why I found one of Lynday's Tweets especially poignant: "Not all 'young women' are reproducing. Not all wmn who reproduce take time out. And: HOW THE F**K ELSE DO YOU MAKE A NEW GENERATION?" It made me realize that I shouldn't feel guilty about wanting or planning to have a family. It's also totally (more than) okay for both me and my husband to focus our energy and attention on being parents at a critical stage in our hypothetical children's lives. There's no 'one' or 'best' way to pursue a fulfilling life that includes creating a family AND to be part of a commercial and civic community (which involves working, voting, volunteering, etc.). Being able to do both applies not only to young women, but to anyone at a variety of ages.