Many of us (me included) love to try and plan the perfect time to do things. The perfect time to have children, the perfect moment to make a career change. In reality, there’s no perfect time for any of it.

As a fellow mum of two, Rosamund Pike’s recent comments about motherhood “damaging” her career struck a chord – because she’s saying out loud what so many women already know and don’t feel they can voice. It matters when someone in her position says it out loud.

I’m lucky that my work is more flexible than most. But there is no escaping the fact that motherhood – while a privilege – has a significant impact on our careers. The motherhood penalty is real, and pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.

The stats on the gender pay gap, slower career progression after having children, and women made redundant while on maternity leave tell a story we shouldn’t be glossing over. Organisations like Pregnant Then Screwed have been shining a light on pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the UK for years. What’s needed now is more action.

Employers and the government have a real role to play. More affordable childcare and genuine flexibility for everyone – not just parents – is a good place to start. Until then, the least we can do is talk about more openly and honestly.

I was recently featured in a Stylist article on exactly this – including why pretending it doesn’t affect women’s careers doesn’t help anyone. You can read the full piece here.