With One Image, This Mother Of Twins Shows You Don’t Have To Choose Between Career & Motherhood

Motherhood is magical. Once you see that tiny, little bundle of joy, you tend to make him/her the centre of your universe. And doing that is great and surely deserves applause. But more often than not, women tend to take a back seat, and as soon as a baby’s arrival is anticipated, all other plans, dreams and passions go for a toss.

While motherhood is a full-time job, you don’t always have to choose between career or motherhood. You can have both!

Luckily, we’re moving towards a more privileged society where care-giving isn’t only a woman’s job. And as we do, there are some women who’re changing the rules of the game. These are the women who make pregnancy and motherhood seem like a cakewalk.

Meet Hein Koh, an artist and sculptor, based in Brooklyn, who just upped the ante and taught moms and moms-to-be how to ace both motherhood and a career.

Her inspiring Facebook post on how she multitasks with her twin girls shows that dreams do not always have to take the backseat for your kids.

This is what her post reads:

When my #twins were 5 weeks old and despite the sleep deprivation and frequent (every 2-3 hours, 24-7, 45 min at a time) #breastfeeding, I was still getting shit done. #MarinaAbramovic thinks children hold women back in the art world, but as @dubz19 put so aptly, “FUKKK THAT”. All Marina knows is her own experience, and it may be true for her, but that is not everyone’s experience nor truth. Becoming a #mom (of twins no less) has personally helped me become a better #artist – I learned to be extremely efficient with my time, prioritize what’s important and let go of the rest, and #multitask like a champ. I learned to function (even if barely) on very little sleep, and out of the chaos, insanity and even torture at times, a flood of new emotions entered into my work, becoming more interesting & layered as a result. I’m also not saying that artist parents are better artists than non-parent artists, or that choosing not to be a parent will deny you access to these learning experiences. What I am saying is that parenting is like any other challenge in life – the biggest fucking challenge in my own life thus far – and if you embrace it and figure out creative solutions, you can emerge a better person. It’s important to think about the ways in which these challenges can help you move forward, rather than hold you back.

Speaking to Babble on how men and women are treated differently in society after having babies, she said:

“Somehow as a man you are allowed to have kids and still be perceived as driven in your career, while if you are a woman who has a child, people think of it as a huge sacrifice,” she observes. “The new family models are changing — mothers don’t necessarily have to be the primary caretakers anymore. With a more even distribution of responsibilities, and a support system — support is key, and I recognize it is a privilege — women can still have children and be successful in their careers.”

“It’s time women stopped judging other women,” she added. Every mom is different, and so is she.

“We all have to do what we think is best for ourselves and our families,” she continues. “I’m just trying to live my life, and I know I have limitations but I’m doing the best I can. People should just leave moms alone, and mind their own business. Especially other moms, who are always the first to judge. Regardless of our individual choices, women should support other women, and lead by example rather than attack. That’s the kind of culture I want to promote.”