Theses and Dissertations Collection

Using original survey data from a convenience sample of 1,776 mothers across the United States, this research explored the intersection of motherhood and women’s paid work at three distinct axes: 1) before the arrival of children, as women make plans about how and whether to alter their paid work to accommodate the demands of childrearing, 2) immediately following the transition to motherhood, as they attempt to translate their initial plans into on-the-ground arrangements, and 3) over the ensuing years of raising children. Mixed methods analysis identified that mothers’ preferences, resources, and logistics influenced mothers’ initial decision-making as well as the work paths they subsequently followed. The quantitative data allowed for the tracking of large-scale patterns, while the complementary open-ended responses revealed more nuanced sources of support and constraint that bolstered or impeded mothers in attaining (and maintaining) arrangements that suited their unique circumstances. By giving voice to the mothers on the ground, both those who are valiantly making it all work and those who feel frustratingly stuck in less-than-ideal arrangements, this research paints a more complex and honest picture of the pushes and pulls where work and motherhood converge.