iVillage

Work After Baby: Inspiring Moms -- From Actors to Athletes -- Share Their Tales

Exclusive anecdotes from successful career women -- from Natalie Morales to Jennifer Garner to HHS Kathleen Sebelius (27 Photos)

iVillage Staff on Mar 28, 2013 at 3:41PM

chime in now

Single View
View All

1 of 27

Work After Baby: Inspiring Moms -- From Actors to Athletes -- Share Their Tales

NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

A Balancing Act

Any woman with kids knows that being a mom is a full-time job. But, increasingly, that's not the only job many women have. Today, nearly three-quarters of moms are juggling jobs and families. We reached out to more than two-dozen moms with successful careers -- from authors to athletes to top-ranking executives -- and asked them to share exclusive personal stories of going back to work after having a baby.

Natalie Morales
"When my oldest was just a few months old, I remember getting the call. The executive producer of the Today Show asked if I could go to the Olympics in Athens, Greece. (I wasn't a member of the Today family yet.) It would mean being away for more than two weeks. I cried like a baby because I knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime, but it would also be my first time away from my baby for so long. Somehow I survived those two weeks and it did end up being an incredible experience that resulted in me joining the show. But every time I board a plane and leave my boys I'm still heartsick. Still, the homecomings of kisses and hugs make it all worth it in the end."
- Natalie Morales is a Today Show co-anchor