It is "almost impossible" for many women to juggle being a parent with a career.

This is the view of Jane Hopkins, founder of the UK's only business club for mums, Mumsclub.

Rather than split their time between caring for little ones in infant carriers and the office, many females decide to do one or the other, she explained.

The size of a company can have an impact on how easy it is to divide time - big companies can cover for maternity leave, while small and medium-size enterprises may not have the resources to be as flexible.

Ms Hopkins said women who return to the world of work following a sabbatical to raise their children can find their options limited.

"I've had people tell me that even though they have 15 odd years of experience behind them, all they can find is stacking shelves in a supermarket," she remarked.

The expert offered her views in the wake of a recent study into egg freezing carried out by the Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine.

Many subjects interviewed by researchers claimed they would be happy to store their embryos in order to successfully combine a career with motherhood later in life.

Posted by Teresa O'BrienADNFCR-3005-ID-19870858-ADNFCR