Quote:In the hours after one new mom's emergency C-section − nine weeks before her due date − and as her baby girl was whisked away to the neonatal intensive care unit to be hooked up to life-saving machines, she emailed her boss.

She was supposed to start a new job in five days. She'd negotiated for paid maternity leave in her contract, thinking she'd at least have a couple of months of work under her belt before she'd need to use it. But here she was, lying in a hospital bed with her abdomen cut open and her daughter fighting to stay alive.

She explained everything in the email: How her doctor accidentally broke her water during a routine cervical exam, and the chaos that ensued as she was rushed into an emergency surgery to deliver her baby. Her boss replied quickly. It was a brief message, offering some compassion and ending with the question: "Can you please confirm that you'll be at work on Monday?"