In this special episode, Lisa Straetmans and Maren Bertheau engage in a reflective conversation about their experiences of becoming mothers while pursuing academic careers. Drawing on their perspectives as both researchers and parents, they discuss the challenges of balancing doctoral studies with pregnancy and early motherhood, including managing thesis writing, manuscript submissions, and the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy. The discussion addresses a central question faced by many academics: whether there is an optimal time for parenthood within academia. Lisa and Maren also examine practical considerations such as attending conferences with a child, establishing support networks, and redefining productivity and academic success after becoming parents. We hope that this episode offers a thoughtful and reassuring perspective for researchers who are navigating, or considering, parenthood alongside academic life. This episode was created with the support of the Science Communication of Psychology team, and we extend special thanks to the Media Technology and Production team at the University of Oldenburg for their technical support.

Fun fact: Maren was also the very first guest in this podcast!

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