This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kruthika Jayatheertha, a millennial based in Bangalore, India. It has been edited for length and clarity. In October 2024, my husband and I welcomed our first child into the world. I took a six-month maternity leave, which was provided through my senior user experience researcher job at Microsoft . During that time, I decided to turn it into a more extended career break. I resigned from my position, and my employment formally ended a few