FOUNDER. CEO. MAMA.

There’s a little-spoken-about reality among female founders: The life stage at which women are starting companies happens to coincide, for many, with the time they also decide to have a baby.

According to Inc. and Fast Company ’s 2018 State of Women and Entrepreneurship survey (which begins on page 53), 63 percent of female founders have kids, and 13 percent of those plan to have more. Twenty percent of the ones who aren’t mothers intend to have kids.

Being an entrepreneur and having a baby is inspiring—but messy. Trying to get pregnant can be emotionally excruciating. Pregnancy messes with your hormones. Childbirth wrecks your body. All this while you also happen to be running a company. These founders open up about everything from IVF and “pregnancy brain” to pumping between investor meetings.

Amy Jain

Co-founder and CEO of BaubleBar, a fashion accessories company.

Even more challenging than running a company with kids was being pregnant. I had hyperemesis, which is extreme morning sickness. I thought it was really bad with Chloe, and then I had it with Sienna and realized it was a breeze with Chloe.