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    These are bold statements, Melissa, but I agree with you on most of what you said. As a mom and a woman, she is in a tough position. She wants to show she is ready and fit for the CEO position in every way so she doesn’t want to admit the baby takes a lot of time and effort and worry. Women (and especially moms) are judged in ways that men never are in the business world.

    Christina Wolf

    I hear you, CloudMom, I really really do hear you. However, I can’t help but think that here we are, bashing each other again, when we need to be more supportive of each other as moms and as women, whether we work outside or inside our homes. I agree with what you’ve said but I disagree that any of us should be giving this one high-powered woman so much power over our self-esteem! Let us not forget that the Marissas of the world did not create our current corporate culture (though women have been changing coporate culture now for years) but must find a way to fit into it if they want to reach its ivory towers. I myself have no interest in being the CEO of anything but some women do and bully for them. I’m guessing that in order to reach her position Marissa has had to hide her true feelings, especially the negative ones, for a long, long time. I’m guessing she’s had to “suck it up” and “walk it off” for years, and she isn’t going to stop now. She’s probably used to winning and excelling, and she probably has no idea that her baby’s current temperament and sleep habits have little to do with parenting expertise or that they will likely change as he grows. I think we need to cut her some slack, and in the process cut each other and ourselves some slack, by recognizing both her novice status as a mom and the fear that likely underlies her public statements about motherhood. Wouldn’t it be great if new moms could rely on our collective wisdom about motherhood without judgement, receive the benefit of the doubt unless we truly screw up and occasionally we mothers could close ranks like the good ole boys at the top have been known to do? Why aren’t we hollering that Marissa’s company should be ashamed of itself for offering only a few weeks of maternity leave or for not insisting that Marissa take more time off? Why aren’t we furious that Fortune rarely asks male CEOs how they are balancing work and family? Why don’t we support Marissa and her sisters at the top in telling interviewers who want to know about their lives as mothers, that such information is off limits and not relevant to the interview? I could go on for days but I think you get my point. Thanks for writing about this and for all you do.