Capturing the Overwhelming and Inspiring Reality of Working Moms

My life as a fast-paced photojournalist was thrown for a loop when my baby came along. But photographing powerful new moms convinced me I could care for my kids and still be my own woman.

Photos by Alice Proujansky

I’m a documentary photographer and the mother of two young children. When I gave birth in 2012, the sudden shift in identity that came with motherhood was both beautiful and frightening. I loved learning to swaddle, nurse and love my little baby, and felt so connected to him I almost couldn’t see him as a separate person. He was part of me: an extra arm, a constant thought. But I was afraid of my baby’s potential to consume me, and I struggled to maintain a separate self.