Learning to shift & re:write

On the eve of my forty-something birthday, I’m finally sharing a project I’ve been carrying quietly for some time.

In 2024, my life shifted in ways I could not have anticipated. I finally became a mother — a role I once wasn’t sure would ever be mine.

The transition into motherhood was far from easy - a decade long fertility journey, intensive perinatal care, a closely monitored pregnancy, a period in NICU following the premature birth of my twins, and the long tail of medical appointments and heightened anxiety that often follows early arrival into the world.

This was not simply the addition of a new role. It was a profound re-orientation — of time, attention, identity, and ambition.

“Motherhood doesn’t just add a role; for many, it initiates a broader renegotiation of identity, work, and ambition.”

Throughout this period, I found myself holding questions I didn’t yet have language for. Questions about how we return to work, what it means to remain intellectually engaged while deeply embedded in care & how we acknowledge change without rushing to resolve it.

As a researcher, I noticed patterns — in my own experience and in the stories of other women navigating similar transitions. Highly capable, deeply committed professionals re-negotiating careers during active caregiving, often without cultural permission or shared language.

shift & re:write has existed in my head for a long time. It is not a guide to “getting it right,” nor a space for quick fixes. It’s a place to notice what fits, to reflect with care and to explore what might come next.

This blog brings together lived experience and evidence-led insight — thoughts, research reflections, and case studies of ambition which can live in many different ways.

“Transitions deserve more than hurried resolution. They deserve space, language, and attention.”

I don’t yet know what shift & re:write will become over time. What I do know, is that many women are also at the same stage as me and muddling through.

This is that space. Take from it what resonates and leave the rest.