Screenshot courtesy of TODAYTelevision personality Dylan Dreyer is following the trend of choosing both a career and motherhood.
Dreyer, on-air meteorologist for the “Today” welcomed baby boy Calvin Bradley with husband Brian Fichera, a “NBC Nightly News” cameraman on Saturday.
This news aligns with a 2015 Pew Research Study, led by senior researcher Gretchen Livingston, which explores the trends of motherhood among women with higher education levels.
“Postgraduate education and motherhood are increasingly going hand-in-hand,” Livingston said. “An increasing share of professional women are confronting the inevitable push and pull of work-family balance.”
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Dreyer’s co-worker, “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, also recently announced her latest addition to the family. Guthrie’s child, Charley, was born earlier this week.
Dreyer is a Rutgers University alum who has been on the broadcast scene since she graduated in 2003. As her career progressed she worked for various stations and moved around the northeast area, including Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
In 2012 she landed a job with NBC News where she covers weather-related news on different shows on the network. Dreyer also currently leads a nature series called “Journey with Dylan Dreyer.” The project profiles wild animals in their natural environments.
Neither Dreyer nor Guthrie are letting their professional careers stand in the way of starting a family. Dryer called up her television station team to share the news and talk about her experience.
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“Childbirth is a lot harder than I ever thought it was going to be,” Dreyer said. Yet after the hours of pain, she shares that the experience was worth it, gushing “He is just so precious and is so wonderful.”
Despite choosing the two-pronged path, Dreyer admits that she didn’t always feel prepared to tackle motherhood. Once she held Calvin the fear faded away.
“I didn’t have a natural bone in my body when it comes to holding a baby, but it actually does kick in,” she said. “There are instincts there!”
Dreyer’s instincts have led her down a path many women are now choosing, allowing them to pursue both professional careers and jobs behind the scenes raising their children.
A current student at Dreyer’s alma mater, Alexandra Williams, discusses the issue and shares her support of these women despite obstacles in today’s society.
“Women can and should be able to have it all,” Williams said. However, “Without the proper protection, benefits from your job, or a supportive and equal partner, it could be pretty hard to be both a good mother and be successful at your job.”
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Williams points out the importance of these women going against the previous status quo, stating, “The more women fight the stereotype that women have to choose, the easier having both should be to achieve.”
