Dear Sara,

Reading you and Jean’s Medium posts on the same day made me feel that motherhood and a career in tech are not mutually exclusive. THANK YOU. You have no idea how hard I have internally battled this duality.

A family friend during Christmas told me that working in tech would stress me out and make me infertile. She said “freezing your eggs is a trick!” This laughable encounter came from another Chinese mother who wanted to see me happy and settled down one day. It sounds funny but having enough of these interactions will seep into my subconscious that motherhood and a successful career are mutually exclusive.

Before I read the burgeoning collection of women who are working in tech and mothering, I thought I would give up a fulfilling family life in the future by focusing on my career. I was so scared about making that sacrifice. Now I am relieved to read about women in tech who are surviving and sharing their experiences as mothers, product managers, and executives.

Fidji Somo’s wrote what a leader looks like when she was on months of bed rest during a difficult pregnancy instilled me in a sense of resiliency. It was okay to be vulnerable.

“I’ve come to appreciate that vulnerability doesn’t have to be a weakness.” — Fidji

Ami Vora’s post on the first trimester of pregnancy made me realize that talking about pregnancy is encouraged in the work place. It’s no longer a faux paus.

I’m afraid that, if I tell people I’m pregnant, and sometimes tired, or hungry, or distracted, that they’ll think of me differently — that they’ll think I’m weaker. — Ami

Seeing women I respect talk about this subject gives me hope. I am nowhere close to becoming a mother but I am relieved to now to see that motherhood is an option I can pursue without sacrificing my passions. So Thank You, fearless ladies. I am now embracing non-duality.