Pregnancy and parenthood can lead to challenges in the workplace—legal, social, and practical—that can derail a woman’s ambitions and undermine her success. But times are changing, and each day brings another high-profile conflict between parenting and the workplace: from the controversy over companies covering the costs of egg-freezing to the debate over parental leave and childcare inspired by Marissa Mayer’s policies at Yahoo.

Here’s the Plan is an indispensable playbook for mothers in the workplace, offering practical, brass-tacks guidance while simultaneously digging deep into our cultural conversation about motherhood, workplace values, and professional ambition. Author Allyson Downey—founder of weeSpring, the “Yelp for baby products,” and mother of two young children—advises readers on all practical aspects of ladder-climbing while parenting, such as negotiating leave, flex time, and promotions.

Written by one working mom for the benefit of others, Here’s the Plan is the definitive guide for ambitious mothers.

About the author: ALLYSON DOWNEY is an entrepreneur, writer, and parent who launched weeSpring, a startup that helps new and expecting parents collect advice from their friends about what they need for their baby. Allyson has an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MFA from Columbia University’s School of the Arts, and a BA from Colby College. She serves on the board of Democracy Prep Public Schools, one of the country’s top charter management organizations, and lives in Boulder with her husband and two children.