The closer the meeting got, the more I dreaded going. I hadn't had much interest in my work before the meeting, and I also hated going so far from home. I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy, so I am very big and I tire easily. The idea of schlepping my luggage all over airports and sleeping in a strange bed was not appealing. But I went.

The travel was terrible; we missed three flights, dinner and both plenary talks on the first day. Once there, things improved. I chatted with many other pregnant women in the community about how they're coping. There was even a husband and wife who took turns to care for their 18-month-old son while the other parent attended individual sessions. When I spoke to the husband, he asked why I hadn't brought my son along.

I have to admit, I was surprised to find out how many researchers, men and women, had small children. In general, other researchers' family lives seemed so hidden to me before now. Are such discussions taboo or just mundane? I used to think it was the former, but now I'm inclined to believe it's the latter. For me, it's just life. I often feel as if I have to explain to others what having children entails — especially to single people and those without children. But now I see that plenty of other people don't think it's an extraordinary feat. Who was I trying to convince, them or myself?