A big topic of conversation among my prenatal students is maternity leave- how to set boundaries while pregnant, how to protect that time once baby arrives, and what it might look like to return to work postpartum. How do you hold both worlds of being a new parent and a working parent? Is it possible to truly enjoy both? The answer is yes, and in this conversation, you’ll hear practical tips and thoughtful guidance on how to make it work.
On this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I am joined by Lauren Smith Brody, an expert in supporting working parents and advancing women’s leadership in the workplace. She is the CEO of The Fifth Trimester consulting and the bestselling author of The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom’s Guide to Style, Sanity, and Success After Baby.
In this episode you will learn about:
- What parts of the conversation around work and parenthood feel like they’ve genuinely evolved since The Fifth Trimester was published, and where the same patterns still play out today
- Why so many parents still internalize the transition of returning to work as something they should be able to “handle better”
- Boundaries Lauren wished more expecting parents felt empowered to set before they go on leave
- How to reframe the fear that setting boundaries at work will cost you career credibility or opportunity
- What workplaces still misunderstand most about pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and early parenthood
- What a realistic support system actually looks like, and why it can be hard for expectant parents to plan for that
- What kinds of ongoing support actually make a difference, in retention and well-being, when returning to work
- How modern work culture’s priorities, such as availability and over-functioning, collide with the physical and emotional realities of pregnancy and postpartum
- Beliefs that parents hold onto, about work and productivity, that no longer serve them
- A mindset shift that could immediately make pregnancy and postpartum feel more sustainable, when it comes to thinking about work
- One final tip or advice Lauren would like to offer new and expectant parents
- Where you can find her work
**Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com
About Lauren:
Lauren Smith Brody is the CEO of The Fifth Trimester consulting, which supports working parents and caregivers while helping organizations advance women’s leadership in the workforce. Her book, The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom’s Guide to Style, Sanity, and Success After Baby, was a triple Amazon bestseller, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on Good Morning America. She has also spoken at companies across the Fortune 500, particularly in tech, finance, and law, and in 2025 was named a Next Gen winner by Parents magazine.
A longtime leader in the women’s magazine industry, Lauren previously served as executive editor of Glamour, where she oversaw beauty, fashion, and health coverage and helped run the brand’s Women of the Year Awards. She is also a journalist and advocate focused on the intersection of business and parenthood, co-founding the nonprofit Chamber of Mothers to advance public policy solutions for families. From 2021–2024, she advised U.S. Health and Human Services and the White House Office of Management and Budget on family issues. Lauren lives in New York City with her husband, two teens, and a highly medicated rescue dog.
Connect with Lauren:
Website: https://www.thefifthtrimester.com/
Book: The Fifth Trimester
Instagram: @thefifthtrimester
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