I got mixed reactions when I brought my 6-month-old daughter to a recent professional conference. Several people pointedly ignored us. One person asked if I was the speaker’s wife; another rushed over to me in the plenary session to say she was “proud” of me for being so “brave” as to take my baby to a conference. Many stared, and I heard a couple of comments about the need for better maternity leave and conference day care.

As someone fairly senior in my organization, I have been encouraged, supported and welcomed as a mother....