Harry b and Ingrid at Crooked Timber have been discussing how difficult it is to combine motherhood and academia. I'm a tad burnt out on the subject and can't bring myself to join the debate. I've found the obstacles insurmountable. But if you're still fresh on the topic, go to CT for the discussion.
Let me just say that my latest rant is that a number of male academics are using their paternity leave time to publish, while their wives or daycare watch the kid. This gives them a leg up over women in the tenure review process; women actually use their maternity leave to mind the kid.