Navigating Motherhood and Career: Lessons on Flexibility, Self-Discovery, and Postpartum Challenges

I’m excited to join the team at SparkVision. I’m a mother of one, soon to be two, children and have over 10 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Like many women, I agonized over if, and then when to have children. The time never felt “right,” I couldn’t seem to accomplish my nebulous idea of “enough,” and finally a “good enough” time became the right time to go for it.

What I couldn’t have anticipated (though, perhaps I should have) was the profound, earth shattering shift this new stage of life would have on my perception of self and of my personal priorities. Until I met my daughter I had always focused on finding my next career opportunity and reaching higher. I truly didn’t think much would change, and for many women, that part doesn’t! But instead of pushing myself to gain that next promotion, I found myself desiring a less traveled path. Negotiating my full time position to a part time one. Like many women, I liked my job, I liked my child more, but I really just wanted flexibility and time. The axis of my entire world had shifted and I needed to find the way forward that felt authentic to my values (and the demands of being a responsible adult, like health insurance).

Returning to work full time after my maternity leave provided me with my first, bitter taste of postpartum depression. Although I took what is considered in the US to be a generous (though unpaid) 12 week maternity leave (aka FMLA) it was too soon. None of us handled the transition well, and I look back questioning how we all survived that time. Thankfully we all made it through, and I’ve come out on the other side with a few helpful lessons for both employees and employers. From pioneering your first pumping room, negotiating a part time schedule, or simply becoming more efficient and setting better boundaries I hope that I can help another new mom navigate her own path in this wild west of patched together support for working parents. I’m a passionate advocate for all parents and am looking forward to hearing from you as well!

Christiana Mercer Rigby writes passionately about millennial parents in the workplace and actively embraces the term “millennial mom.” She’s a seasoned nonprofit professional, digital editor, community advocate, mother of small children, and lifelong learner. With a degree in Environmental science, and minor degrees in dance and sociology she’s never been one to take the straight forward path. As a compulsive volunteer she is still learning the difference between the right opportunities and the wrong ones. Community involvement is her passion and she’s forever interested in finding common ground in the perspectives of others. As a parent, she’s worked full time, part time, no time, and contract – so she’s seen it all. Christiana is also deeply active in her community serving on nonprofit boards and government committees.