Hello, I am a pregnant PhD student at UCL and am interested in connecting with other women in the same boat. I've set up a bit of a community at UCL and we are starting some coffee/discussion mornings so it would be good to widen the group meet to some other mums. The issue of motherhood and academia is really impassioning me at the moment - just a quick glance around mumsnet proves that women worry about this before they take up a course of study, sometimes meet with negative responses from institutions or don't feel encouraged that they can do a PhD and be a mother.
I'm taking some time off in September to have my first baby so can't comment on logistics of how it will work moving forward but am determined to make the best of two wonderful opportunities in my life- even if entrenched ideas within the academy make it seem too much of a challenge. In my opinion and among my group at UCL, we have to force through the changes that will make the reality of women having access to doctoral level knowledge, fulfillment and careers AND motherhood more of a norm, rather than the stereotype of the female academic who sacrificed family for career. Please get in touch!