Not only is it a challenge to incorporate pregnancy and child-rearing into professional lives, but women (and men) also have the occasional challenge of coping with infertility issues. With this comes the need to stay close to the doctor's office to be monitored regularly throughout treatment. Sometimes this is as much as every 3 days for drawing blood.
This presents a further challenge for a woman who may often be involved with field work. I'm sure those who are well-established in a company and are proactive in planning their professional and personal work lives can work this out well in advance with their coworkers one way or another. How about a woman who is looking for a job while her biological clock is ticking and she is staying the course with family planning? It's difficult to coordinate with a potential employer who expects involvement in field work - she wants to be available and to prove her worth in the job, but at the same time family is also very important and time is of the essence to her. How is she to delicately approach this situation with the potential employer whom she fears may feel she will not have enough commitment? How has this been dealt with? The woman could shift her priorities and aim for positions that are more focused in office work but that also presents a challenge because she hasn't had enough experience in office work... I have a friend who is going through this and I would be interested in hearing feedback that I can pass on to her. Feel free to respond to me off list since I realize this listserve may not be the most appropriate venue for this discussion. Jill
