I am a wife, sister, daughter, aunt & Cisco employee. I'm also a full-time working new mom.

My son just had his 1^stbirthday in October. Working a full-time job on top of being a new Mom as a woman in technology can sometimes be hard. But thanks to the supportive culture at Cisco, this is a whole lot easier. They didn't write a handbook or anything, but Cisco is great about giving employees work and life balance. Here are top pieces of advice to full-time working new Moms at Cisco:

1. Find your balance: Being a new mother, you are pulled in a lot of directions all day every day. Whether it is taking a 15 minute break to go for a walk, or going to a work out class after work, find a small chunk in your day to have "you" time. Giving yourself time to recharge your batteries makes you a better mama and better Cisco employee.

1. Have open communications with your manager: You may have had a tough night because your teething infant kept you up until 3am (I had many nights like these), or it's your first Mothers day and you want to take a personal day to celebrate the momentous first time occasion. Keep your manager in the loop of these things & he or she will support you.

1. Don't hold back on traveling: I got the opportunity to attend Cisco's annual Global Sales Conference. However, I was worried, because I was still breastfeeding. This was going to be a big juggling effort. Once I figured out the details of care for my son at home, my next thing to figure out was how I was I going to make breastfeeding work on the road. I had to take several breaks throughout the conference to tend to breastfeeding matters, and also needed a service to ship my breastmilk home to my son. Cisco was fully on board and went above and beyond in supporting me, a full time nursing mother.

1. Find a support system at Cisco: There are tons of full-time working mothers at Cisco. Becoming a new mom is a whirlwind. Find a few other folks you can talk to from time to time, who can relate to what you are going through. Parents face very similar challenges & Cisco has an army of working mothers and fathers who can offer guidance and advice.

Because of Cisco I wake up everyday excited to go to work. I am able to work full time with super talented individuals and am also able to focus on my newborn son, due to the supportive culture of working parents here at Cisco. Thank you Cisco for making it a whole lot easier to be a Mom and be a power woman in technology!

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