The objective of this study is to analyze the dynamics of the contemporary woman in relation to two of the sides of her identity: career and motherhood. In order to achieve the proposed objective, we have explored the social representation of women throughout history, the movements of women s insertion in the labor market, and delimited some aspects of the maternal role in the process of constitution of the subject, based on Winnicott s theory. We have interviewed five middle-class women from Rio de Janeiro, workers and mothers of children up to 3 years old, and found that, in order to deal with the demands of motherhood and professional activity, there is a constant negotiation of women, with the aid of support networks and amid a plurality of feelings, conflicts and accomplishments.