Hi Sara,

I did bring my son into the field when he was about one and a half
and he's been out with his dad catching birds. He loves it and he
tells his friends at school, my mommy works in wetlands and my daddy
works with scrub jays. The kids love having us come in to talk about
our jobs. I can tell that my son notices nature a lot because we
expose him to it.
I don't really take him in the field a lot because of the harsh
conditions and when I go out, I just want to get things done. I
guess I'm lucky because I live really close to my field site and so I
can go out and do eight hours of field work when I need to and my
husband can pick him up from school (he goes 8-3). It's such a
balancing act, but one thing I try to be good about is working a six
to eight hour day and then calling it quites. My husband is not so
good about that, but I find I can get a lot done. When my son was
under two though, things were much harder because he refused to take
a bottle so I couldn't be away from him a lot. At that point I had a
babysitter come to my house and I didn't do much field work then. I
find it really inspiring to hear people bring their infants into the
field and make it work.


Betsey

--- In scienceandfamilies@yahoogroups.com, "sescanga" <sescanga@...>
wrote:
>
> Betsey,
>
> We're at the same stage of our research--I have two chapters done
and
> will defend this spring too! You must have had some experience
> bringing your son into the field too? I agree that it is
reassuring
> to read the stories and experiences on this board and am so
thankful
> that Carolyn got it started!
>
> Sara
>
> --- In scienceandfamilies@yahoogroups.com, "boughton.elizabeth"
> <boughton.elizabeth@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Everyone,
> >
> > I just read Sara's article and joined this group. Sara, thank you
> for
> > writing the article! It feels wonderfully reassuring to find
other
> > scientist moms out there. My story is that I started my PhD with
a
> 7
> > month old baby. The first two years were really hard. But, I was
> > able to complete my field work and am now writing my dissertation-

> my
> > son is four and a half years old now and its much easier. I can't
> > believe he'll be starting kindergarten next year! My husband and
I
> > work together but also had full time care when my son turned 1.5
> > years old. Before that I did similar to what Carolyn did with
> going
> > in part time and having a babysitter at the house. I agree with
> Sara
> > and Carolyn that having a baby in your life makes you much more
> > efficient. Now that I'm completing my degree...I'll be defending
> in
> > March...and I have two chapters complete, my husband and I
decided
> we
> > wanted to have another baby (our last one). I'm just wondering
> when
> > I should tell my advisor I am pregnant; at this point I'm only
> three
> > weeks. My advisor and I still have some field work we are
> > collaborating on. I think he will be supportive because he loves
> > children and has two of his own, but at the same time I still
have
> > misgivings about letting him down because it will cause some
> > inconvenience.
> >
> > Its nice to hear everyone's stories and encouragement!
> >
> > Betsey
> >
> >
> > --- In scienceandfamilies@yahoogroups.com, "carolynkurle"
<kurle@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi Flore
> > >
> > > Thanks for sharing your experience! It's amazing that you are
> > through
> > > your Ph.D. and only 26 years old - congratulations.
> > >
> > > It feels very uncertain when you are pregnant or planning to
have
> a
> > > child as to how things will fall into place regarding your
career
> > and
> > > work life. I assumed that things would be a certain way and
> found
> > out
> > > that they were totally different. For instance, I was really
> amazed
> > > and surprised at how much I wanted to be home with my son as
much
> as
> > > possible especially at the beginning. I greatly underestimated
> the
> > > power of the biological pull that a child has on its mother.
That
> > > said, I was also grateful
> > > to have my work because it was and continues to be a very
> fulfilling
> > > aspect of my life. Taking care of a little one is hard work
and
> > it's
> > > a great "break" to be able to exercise your mind and immerse
> > yourself
> > > in science during work time.
> > >
> > > My son is 19 months old and I am currently in my post-doc. I
was
> > > pregnant and had my son while I was still in graduate school and
> > > managed to do all of my last minute lab work before he was born
so
> > > that all I had to do after he came was analyze data and write.
I
> > was
> > > able to do this part-time with the aid of a great fellowship, a
> > > supportive husband who co-parented and also worked part-time,
and,
> > > after my son turned 1, a great babysitter who helped us out 7
> > > hours/week.
> > >
> > > Now that I'm in a post-doc position, I still only come into work
> > > part-time (I'm at the office 25 hours/week) and my husband co-
> > parents
> > > and we now have a sitter coming in 9 hours/week. The main
thing
> > I've
> > > done is become extremely efficient and I've cut out most of the
> > > extraneous stuff that takes up a lot of time (my email
> > correspondence
> > > is WAY down).
> > >
> > > Once your baby comes, you will see what works for you and your
> > > partner. I encourage you to be flexible, be willing to be open
> to
> > the
> > > experience, and, if it turns out to be what you need, then try
> hard
> > to
> > > carve out the time that you need to be fulfilled in your
career.
> > > Having a space at home that you can escape to in order to write
> > really
> > > helps especially if you are breastfeeding. Then you can be
> close,
> > but
> > > still have a space to work. It's important that you set aside
the
> > > time away from your baby so that you can really focus on the
task
> of
> > > writing your dissertation. That's where the supportive partner
> > comes
> > > in (or a good babysitter). Leaving your baby with a sitter is
a
> lot
> > > easier when you are just in the next room writing and can come
> > attend
> > > to things if you are needed. That may be a good way to start
> back
> > to
> > > working while still being close for your baby.
> > >
> > > My dissertation advisors both have small children and spouses in
> > > academia, so they were really supportive of me having a child.
> They
> > > worried some (I think) about me finishing on time, but
ultimately,
> > > they really supported me working at home a lot and provided me
> with
> > > great role models of how to incorporate academia and family. I
> had
> > > trouble working during my first trimester because I was
exhausted
> > and
> > > felt sick, so I worked at home and that was just fine. My
current
> > > post-doctoral mentor is also very very supportive and expecting
> his
> > > first child in January. He is fine with me being at the office
> > > part-time as long as I continue to be productive. These are
the
> > sorts
> > > of situations that we need to encourage and that are hopefully
> > > becoming the norm. Without this support, I don't think it
would
> > have
> > > been possible to have a child and continue in academia.
> > >
> > > We'll see how it works as I transition into the next phase of my
> > > career after the post-doc.
> > >
> > > Best to you Flore in your pregnancy and in this transition away
> from
> > > being "just" a scientist to being a mom AND a scientist! It's a
> > > delicate balancing act, but know that there are a lot of us out
> here
> > > going through the same things. And that it IS very possible to
be
> > > fulfilled BOTH as a mom and as a scientist. Especially as we
> > > encourage the continuation of supportive work environments and
as
> we
> > > continue to see more and more examples of successful scientists
> who
> > > also are successful parents. I think we are very near a
tipping
> > point
> > > and with women making up the majority of ecology graduate
> students,
> > it
> > > will just be more and more normal to see the needs of families
> taken
> > > into account in the academic career path. At least that's my
> > hopeful
> > > perspective!
> > >
> > > Best to everyone,
> > > Carolyn
> > >
> > > --- In scienceandfamilies@yahoogroups.com, "viard_cretat_flore"
> > > <viard_cretat_flore@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hello everybody and especially Sara,
> > > >
> > > > I read your article in Frontiers in Ecology and Environment
> (and
> > by
> > > > the way discovered this group :) and found it very useful for
> > young
> > > > scientists and young mothers/fathers. When deciding to have a
> > baby, it
> > > > is extremely hard to know how you will able to continue to
work
> > while
> > > > the baby will be here. Families are not always visible in the
> > > > workplace and colleagues tend to avoid to say that they must
> leave
> > > > their work early because of their children. Most of my
> colleagues
> > also
> > > > waited to have a permanent position to start to think to a
> > family, so
> > > > they had their first child around 35 years old. I am 26 years
> old
> > (so
> > > > will probably be the youngest mother in my lab), have
finished
> my
> > PhD
> > > > this summer and I am pregnant (3 months). I will try to find
a
> > post
> > > > doc starting 2-3 months after my baby will be born. I must
say
> > these
> > > > three last months of pregnancy have been extremely hard
> > considering
> > > > my work (I am finishing my papers on my PhD). I could not at
> all
> > work
> > > > 8 hours a day, because I felt very tired, sick all the day
and
> > only
> > > > could sleep a lot. I don't know at all how it will be when
the
> > baby
> > > > will be here, but I feel it more secure since I read your
> opinion
> > (the
> > > > message is finally : yes, it is possible to be young
scientist
> and
> > > > having children, and other parents experience it).
> > > >
> > > > Do other mothers have experienced difficulties with their
work
> > during
> > > > the pregnancy? How did you manage to continue, and how was it
> > > > perceived by your supervisors and colleagues?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks
> > > >
> > > > Flore
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In scienceandfamilies@yahoogroups.com, "sescanga"
> <sescanga@>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hello,
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm a Ph.D. candidate and the mother of a 2 year old. I'm
> > writing up
> > > > > my dissertation while taking care of my son at home--with
> help
> > from a
> > > > > babysitter 3 mornings a week. It is very inspiring to read
> the
> > > > > thoughts people have posted.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm writing an article on the balance of career and family
to
> > be
> > > > > submitted to Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment at
the
> > end of
> > > > > the month. My article is based on feedback, obtained
through
> > > > > informal conversations and a score of answers to a formal
> > survey,
> > > > > from other ecologists at all stages of career. I finished
my
> > draft
> > > > > yesterday and was perusing the literature to see what
others
> > had to
> > > > > say about this topic, and found Carolyn's article (2007,
> > Bulletin of
> > > > > ESA), and then joined this group.
> > > > >
> > > > > The topics that are of most interest here (and in Carolyn's
> > article)
> > > > > are those that are also of most interest to the people who
> > provided
> > > > > feedback for my article. It seems as though a lot of these
> > issues
> > > > > are pretty universal, and don't have easy answers. In
> > developing my
> > > > > article, I was encouraged to see that both men and women
> shared
> > a
> > > > > keen interest in the topic.
> > > > >
> > > > > Members of this group might also be interested in the
> articles
> > > > > Science has compiled on the topic:
> > > > >
> >
>
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/previous_issue
> > > > > s/articles/2800/scientists_as_parents_feature_index/
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm planning to cite Carolyn's article in my article in the
> > hopes
> > > > > that we can perhaps use it as a second jumping off point
for
> > further
> > > > > fruitful discussions in this group.
> > > > >
> > > > > Sara
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>