In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, I thought it would be fitting for me to write about the working mom. You love her, you hate her, but one thing’s for sure; the working mom is feeling the pressure of achieving the work-life balance.

Ask any working mom today about her work-life balance and chances are she is feeling overwhelmed and unsupported through the transition from becoming a mom to becoming a working mom. That pressure begins the moment you realize there’s not much time left in your maternity leave. We are perfectionists when it comes to our children – doing our utmost to keep them healthy, fed, educated, entertained, making sure they sleep enough, and the list goes on. Then one day you’re back at work and you are trying to be a perfectionist at home and in the workplace and you start to feel like it’s all too much.

Your baby gets sick, your childcare falls through, you’re late to work, you’re late to daycare for pickup, and eventually you have to call in sick. Depending on the type of work you do – and the type of boss you have – calling in sick can be a daunting task. Although some of you reading this believe family and health come first, for many, work is still a top priority.

Missing one day of work can mean double the work the next day, which leads to less time at home. Missing work can make you feel as though you are letting your colleagues and boss down. Missing work makes it hard for you to negotiate an equal salary to male employees who don’t miss as many days. Missing work, can lead to being demoted or even fired. So trust me when I say the working mom is feeling the pressure.

I remember how bittersweet it was the day I went back to work after my first child. I was so elated about my return to the office. It was something I was craving and needed to feel whole again, but in the pit of my stomach, I was feeling guilty for leaving my child with someone else who was going to see them through so many firsts. Looking back, I think part of that guilt was actually jealousy. I remember comforting myself by thinking, It’s ok, I’m Mommy. I’m number one. It’s ok, we’re back to getting two full salaries. It’s ok, so many other moms do this too.

I think part of the pressure we feel is the idea that a working mom needs to be available 24/7 at home as well as at the office. Some moms may be up for that, but will only be successful if their employer is accommodating to their personal life. Women shouldn’t have to choose between careers and motherhood. I know this is easier said than done, but imagine if all employers made it a point to have childcare in the building for their employees. Think about how much more productive people would be.

In the mean time, the best thing you can do for a working mom is to listen to her and show empathy. Female employees who become working moms are no less committed to their job than anyone else. So I salute all you working moms and stay-at-home moms for doing the hardest job in the world; raising children.