Fired While Pregnant: The Story Behind Mother Cover
The following is republished from the All Figured Out podcast with Andrea Barr.
What happens when you’re pregnant and lose your job—not once, but twice?
On All Figured Out, I sat down with Beth Wanner, founder and CEO of Mother Cover, to talk about the real, raw, and unfortunately still common challenges working parents face when navigating pregnancy and parental leave.
Beth’s story includes IVF, executive-level layoffs, workplace discrimination, and being fired just weeks before giving birth. But instead of giving up, she built something powerful: a company that’s changing how employers support parents.
This conversation is equal parts heartbreaking and empowering—and a must-listen for any parent navigating work and family decisions.
From Infertility to Layoffs—While Pregnant
Beth had built a thriving career as a marketing executive in tech when she and her husband decided to start a family. After years of navigating infertility—including a second IVF transfer that finally worked—she got the news she had dreamed of: she was pregnant.
Days later, she was laid off.
Determined not to lose momentum, Beth landed another executive role. But this time, she didn’t disclose her pregnancy during interviews—a move many women understand too well. Once she did share the news after being hired, the response was cold. Disappointment. Skepticism. Blame.
And then, just weeks before a scheduled C-section (for a high-risk medical condition), she was terminated again—still within her probation period.
Despite being in Canada, where parental leave rights are protected by law, Beth’s story is a painful reminder that legal rights don’t always translate into real-world protection.
The Birth of Mother Cover
Beth turned that experience into fuel—and created Mother Cover, an agency that provides fractional and interim professionals to fill roles during parental or medical leave. It’s a model that benefits both employers and employees—and a long-overdue solution to a common workplace challenge.
Here’s how Mother Cover is doing things differently:
✅ Placing vetted professionals who aren’t gunning for permanent jobs
✅ Offering flexible fractional support, without overloading remaining team members
✅ Supporting both the employee on leave and the company in need of coverage
As Beth puts it:
“It’s not charity—it’s strategy.”
Beth’s Advice on Career Gaps, Layoffs, and Navigating Parenthood at Work
After living it firsthand, Beth has powerful advice for anyone navigating the overlap of parenthood and career transitions:
Normalize career gaps. Layoffs and parenting breaks happen. They don’t make you less qualified.
Be strategic about disclosure. You don’t owe your pregnancy news during the hiring process. Your safety and peace of mind matter.
Know your rights—and use your voice. Beth is pursuing a human rights complaint and emphasizes that filing a claim, even quietly, can move the needle for others.
The Bottom Line
Beth’s story is one of resilience, advocacy, and real change. What began as a nightmare scenario—being fired while pregnant—became the foundation of a company that’s reimagining parental leave and career continuity.
If you’ve ever asked:
When is the right time to tell an employer I’m pregnant?
How do I navigate interviews while going through fertility treatment?
Can I step away from work without sacrificing everything I’ve built?
This episode is for you.
👉 Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple.
About Andrea Barr
Andrea Barr is a certified career and life coach who helps ambitious parents figure out what’s next—at work and at home—without burning out or second-guessing every move. With over a decade in the corporate world, including leading people development programs at a billion-dollar fashion brand, Andrea supports parents in designing careers and lives that align with who they’ve become. She’s the founder of The Resume Shop by Andrea Barr and host of the podcast All Figured Out, offering coaching, workshops, and practical resources for working parents navigating change. Learn more.
