(Original publication: August 16, 2006)

The day Eleanor Petigrow didn't see her baby daughter at all was the day the Goldens Bridge mom decided it was time to change her life.

It happened about nine years ago, when Petigrow was a senior vice president at a large public relations firm in New York City.

As the person responsible for managing a multimillion-dollar portfolio for a pharmaceutical company, Petigrow was always on call to handle a crisis, write a last-minute speech or get on a plane.

That used to be OK with her-- until the day when putting work first meant putting her daughter last.

"I was packing my bag to go home from my New York City office one afternoon at around 4:30-- in time to see my daughter before she went to sleep because I had left too early to see her in the morning," said Petigrow, who was pregnant at the time. "And I got a call from my client needing a speech written for the company president by 9 p.m. There was no one else to do it and I had no choice but to stay to get it done."

These days, Petigrow spends plenty of time with her three children, who are 12, 9 and 5.

She has a flexible schedule that allows her to work at home three or four days a week as creative director for an independent PR shop focused on the health care sector. "It is just as intellectually challenging but far more predictable than my previous life," she said.

The best perk? "Being right there and present for my kids during the mini moments - good or bad - that are obviously just not the same over the phone," she said.

Even working women who have successfully balanced career and family before they became mothers find their center of gravity tips once they cradle that tiny pink or blue bundle.

A number of mothers in the Lower Hudson Valley have discovered that finding fulfilling work that keeps the balance steady takes creativity and determination.

Some women are tapping into dormant passions or hobbies to start new careers. Those who chose to stay in their professions often scale down their duties to work part-time, at home or freelance.

Michelle Beinhacker of Armonk used to be a bond analyst at Moody's Investors Service in New York City.

Today, she teaches cooking classes in her home and at clients' homes.

She started the business, called Cookin'Up Fun, after studying culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu when her husband had a stint in London for his work.

"My husband suggested that I take some classes in something I enjoy. I decided that I love to cook, love to eat, love to be creative and love people," she said.

Being her own boss means there's time for her three children, who are 11, 8 and 5.

"I prepare menus, shop for ingredients and prep food in order to teach. My work is mostly local and I can set my own hours," she said.

Jennifer Tafet Klausner of Millwood didn't want to stop being a lawyer when she became a mom, but she knew full-time work wasn't an option, either.

As a full-time litigator at a firm that specializes in representing the advertising industry, Klausner had an unpredictable life preparing for cases and going to trial.

"I worked long hours and weekends, especially when a trial was pending," she said.

Today, she's a part-timer at her firm, Davis & Gilbert LLP, and she's also a partner, a promotion she received while working her reduced schedule.

"I can say, without doubt, that it is rare in the legal field to be promoted to partnership while working part-time," she said.

She attributes her success to being assertive and asking for a work schedule that fit her life.

"I convinced the head of the litigation department that a litigator could actually do a three-day-a-week schedule. He had real reservations about it, given the fact that it is impossible for a litigator to control her schedule-- usually scheduling is at the whim of a court. I told him that he should give me the chance to show him that I could make it work. He agreed, and eight years later I am working the same schedule," she said.

She had to make some changes along the way. While on the part-time schedule, she left for a week to conduct depositions in San Francisco.

"Just before I left, my daughter got sick with a fever. Although my husband took her to the doctor, she wasn't tested for Lyme disease. When I returned home, half of her face was frozen with Bell's palsy, a symptom of Lyme disease. Fortunately, we treated it in time and she fully recovered. I knew then that traveling on business wasn't going to work for me," she said.

Klausner still manages her own cases, but handles smaller matters. She's also assumed some administrative responsibilities normally divided among various lawyers in her department. In addition, she only handles local matters to eliminate the need for travel.

Klausner said her life today includes cuddling for bedtime stories with her children, ages 8 and 5, as well as attending school plays and soccer games.

Though she sometimes wishes she could brag about "doing it all," Klausner said she's glad she asked for the leaner schedule at work.

"I had to be brave enough to admit to myself that I needed to make a major change in my life," she said.

Irene Gutmann's job as a life coach means helping clients make those big changes in their lives-- advice she took for herself when she decided to use her skills as a clinical social worker in a new career.

She started Eagle Life Coaching about two years ago after taking a six-month course in coaching. Many of her clients are women business owners who need advice on reaching their goals. She's also developing a program for teens.

Gutmann stopped working full time when her daughter, now 15, was just a few months old. "I realized that there was no way that I could put her in day care. I felt too nervous about the care and just didn't want to be away from her for very long," she said.

In between then and now, she had two more children-- now 13 and 9-- and occasionally did social work on a part-time schedule.

She decided to pursue life coaching to fill the hours when her children are at school.

"Come three o'clock, I flip into mommy mode," she said. "It's the best of both worlds. My kids have a little bit more of an old-fashioned life."

Gutmann is living the advice she gives her clients. "It's worth the struggle of finding something you absolutely love to do and coming up with a plan for making that happen," she said.

Lisa Brotmann of Pound Ridge turned to the Internet to research a new career running a home embroidery business in order to make time for her kids, who are 6 and 4.

She looked into the cost of embroidery machines and accessories and searched out what other companies were charging for similar products.

Today, Brotmann, doing business as kidzthreadz, embroiders children's names on burp cloths, towels, blankets, bibs and T-shirts and sells them online.

Brotmann used to be a graphic artist who produced mailings, brochures and catalogs for businesses such as Reader's Digest.

Once she became a mom, Brotmann discovered something had to give in the struggle between satisfying her bosses and tending her children.

The final straw came the day she was trying to finish a freelance graphic design job and her children were crying.

"I couldn't devote my full attention to the job I had to do. I was frustrated and was getting upset with the kids because I couldn't get it done. I realized then that I wanted to be a happy mother who had time to play with her kids," she said.

Owning her own business allows Brotmann to attend school events and be there to comfort the kids on sick days.

"I have customers and can't let their orders sit for too long, but I am able to work evenings and weekends to make up any lost days," she said.

The biggest challenge of working at home, she's found, is leaving the job behind when it's family time.

"When the office is in your house it is very hard to work only during work hours. It can be very hard to do other things when you know there is work waiting for you downstairs," she said.

Gretchen Menzies of Bedford said the key to balancing working at home with parenting is making a special time just for the children.

"Set aside play time, and don't let anything interfere with it. If you are having a day with the kids, don't check your e-mail and don't answer the phone," she said.

Menzies, mom of a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old, ran a mentoring program for teenagers in a Bronx high school before starting a Web site for Westchester parents called EssentialMom.com.

Her site lists things to do, places to go, classes, home resources, retail information and parenting tips.

She started the site after her mentoring work started to take a toll on her family.

"When I lost my babysitter and tried to work with my baby at the computer, I knew it was time to go -- I was neglecting him to get work done and stressed all of the time," she said. "I started to scheme how I could work from home, stay involved in the community and make my own hours."

She's learned a lot along the way from all the moms she's met as part of the new job-- including the reality that no one can be a supermom.

"Flexible hours and days are the key to combining work and parenting. Your kids will have special school field trips or assemblies you won't want to miss."