Daphne Delvaux, Esq. Author Event - MOMS IN LABOR

Join us at Lark & Owl Booksellers to hear Daphne Delvaux, Esq. talk about their new book, MOMS IN LABOR: An Employment Lawyer’s Secrets To Protect Your Baby and Your Career (That HR Won’t Tell You). Daphne will be in conversation with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin.

Doors to this event will open at 6:30pm.

ABOUT THE BOOK: "Her work is a movement. It’s transformative.” - Misty Copeland, American ballet dancer

No one told you that becoming a mother would also mean becoming your baby’s lawyer.

This book makes sure you’re a damn good one. Give your child the gift of a mother who knows her rights.

I'm an employment lawyer. I've spent 15 years fighting for women who've been pushed out, passed over, or punished at work for the audacity of having a baby. I've won millions for my clients. And I've learned something along the way: most mothers have no idea what they're legally entitled to. Not moms, not bosses, not HR, and honestly, not most lawyers either.

This book fixes that.

Inside Moms in Labor, you'll get:

• The actual laws that protect you (not the watered-down version in the handbook)
• Word-for-word scripts for every awkward conversation: announcing your pregnancy, requesting leave, negotiating accommodations, and handling "that boss"
• How to extend your leave, secure telework or flexibility, and keep your job and benefits intact
• The strategies I teach my clients to advocate like a lawyer, without the expense

Plus, the stories I've never told publicly, like the time I accidentally soaked a judge's sandwich in breastmilk during a jury trial. I share lessons from my own career, my trials, my losses, and the hundreds of mothers I've represented, so you can learn from what we went through without having to go through it yourself.

When you announce your pregnancy at work, you're entering a negotiation. Your employer has an HR department, a legal team, and decades of corporate policy designed to protect their interests. Your baby has you. Just you. During the most vulnerable, exhausted, emotional chapter of your life, navigating the most important negotiation you've never been trained for.

This book is the training.

Your baby doesn't need a perfectly composed woman who quietly adjusts. Your baby needs a good lawyer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Daphne Delvaux, Esq. is an employment lawyer and trial attorney. She is the Founder of Delvaux Law, the nation’s first and only law firm devoted to mothers’ rights at work. She has been graced with the prestigious Outstanding Trial Lawyer award, elected by her peers. Daphne is also the creator of the Mamattorney, a platform on a mission to educate mothers on their rights at work and teach them how to advocate for their needs, including extended maternity leaves, financial benefits, telework, flexibility, more breaks, pumping protections, and more, all without sacrificing their career goals.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Dr. Pooja Lakshmin is a board-certified psychiatrist, best-selling author, and a leading voice in women’s mental health, specializing in the intersection of self-care, motherhood, and systemic change. Pooja graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Women's Studies and the Biological Basis of Behavior. She received her MD from Jefferson Medical College, and did her psychiatry residency training at Stanford and George Washington University.
A clinical assistant professor at George Washington University since 2016 and a frequent contributor to The New York Times, Dr. Lakshmin has been featured on platforms including The Today Show, NPR, and The Washington Post. She is a sought-after speaker for Fortune 500 companies and leading organizations, with past audiences including Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Kaiser Permanente.
Dr. Lakshmin is passionate about empowering women to reclaim their agency, challenge societal norms, and cultivate authentic self-care practices rooted in their core values, not perfectionism or guilt. Her first book, Real Self-Care (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble-Baths Not Included), was an NPR Best Book of the Year. Her forthcoming book, QUANTUM SHIFTS: A Guide to Surviving Life's Big Changes, will be released by Penguin Life in March 2027.