“Be Mothers as if we Were not Workers, Be Workers as if we Were not Mothers”: A Qualitative Study on Parenthood’s Impact on Careers and Well-Being

Ana Sofia Monteiro Maia, Margarida Miguel Costeira e Pereira, Svenn-Erik Mamelund, Joana Maria Correia Amaro, Sílvia Jesus da Silva Fraga, Teresa Isabel Costa Leão, EPIUnit ITR, Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Universidade do Porto, Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies, Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, Centre for Research on Pandemics , Oslo Metropolitan University, Departamento de Medicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto

Journal of Family Issues

Published online on November 29, 2025

Abstract

Journal of Family Issues, Volume 47, Issue 7, Page 994-1026, July 2026.
Parenthood challenges work–life balance, particularly where traditional gender norms persist. Despite policy advancements, disparities in income and career progression remain, with mothers disproportionately assuming childcare and household ...