Being a great mum and sustaining a a successful career are by no means mutually exclusive pursuits.

More and more new mothers are doing both. In fact, 67% of women with a child less than a year old go out to work. And while the juggling act can often feel like a struggle, if you get the balance right, life can prove thoroughly rewarding for you and your baby - as the celebrity mums mentioned below, see How celeb mums do it, know.

Going back to work
True, you might not have a hubbie like Brad Pitt who's happy to take turns staying at home on baby duty; and bringing your baby into the office all day might not be as feasible as bringing him to a TV studio or film set with nanny in tow - but there are still ways of juggling motherhood and a career. Where possible, a flexible work schedule is key. A spokesperson from Co-op financial, a top recruiter for mums says, 'It's vital to offer working patterns to suit every individual.' Whether this means working part time - so you're free to take your child to a mum and toddler group; working from home - so your little one can come and get a hug during the day; or just having an accommodating boss - who understands that watching your four-year-old's first foray into the world of show business as a sheep in his school nativity play, is not just obligatory but possibly the most exciting event you'll go to all year.

Take tips from an expert
Hellen Ward, the hugely successful managing director of the Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London, wife of celebrity hairdresser Richard Ward, mother of Elysia, six, and Oliver, four, and something of an expert on balancing work and motherhood, is a keen advocate of creating the custom solution that fits the life you want to live.

'I'm lucky enough to be able to work just three days a week,' says Hellen 'and have one day of