Jessica,
As far as I am concerned, wishing to spend time with your daughter and see her growing up is perfectably understandable. Indeed, with society today producing so many affluent, emotionless 'mothers' who are more than happy to devolve their duty of care and love to some child-minder, in order to chase the green stuff and the next promotion, I think your determination to see Beth should be applauded.
I would like my opinion above to hold true in all situations, but sadly, Jessica, with your one I cannot. This is because whenever I am paying a lot of money to fly on a BA Airbus that you are operating, I expect you to have acquired the minimum amount of experience that those people, whose field of expertise is FLIGHT SAFETY, have decided is reasonable for safe operation. It is no different to BA insisting their F.O.s gain a large number of take-off and landings via the Short-Haul fleet prior to being accepted onto Long-Haul. When you were at Oxford, how many times were you told "YOU CAN'T BUY EXPERIENCE" ? - that is the crux of the matter.
Airlines have never wanted female pilots, purely because of the inevitability of childbirth and its associated costs, and created polices deliberately to discourage females choosing flying as a career. Thankfully discrimination laws are slowly but surely allowing women to have a career in the cockpit and raise children too, and rightly so. However, if women seek equality in the cockpit then they must accept equality in the cockpit - i.e. whatever the criteria for part-time working for a man, the same is to be accepted by a woman, no more, no less. I do feel sorry for your situation. Like most on this forum, I do not know the ins and outs of your case, only yourself and BA do, but if BA have raised the minimum hours after you applied, as much as this infuriated you, perhaps you should have personally decided to accept their ruling, knowing that whilst it may mean spending less time with Beth, it is better than being in a position where your captain is incapacitated and your lack of experience is proving to be your last regret. Of course, BA should have made this clear and unequivocal, it reflects very badly on them if they didn't.
One good thing to come out of all this exposure is that you have really brought the dilemma of female pilots and family firmly to the fore, where it can now be properly debated and rules and regulations drawn up. The effect of which will be that females will be informed way before entering flying of the practicalities and timescales involved and can, therefore, plan as best they can to ensure minimum encroachment on their private life. There can't be that many permutations possible, here are some obvious ones and are based on the assumption that a career break is a guaranteed right:
1. Younger female wants a baby, but doesn't have the required number of hours to go part-time......she either accepts the situation, as she was aware of it well in advance, or takes a career break (how this affects seniority is for others more informed than me to decide).
2. Older female wants a baby (time not on her side), but doesn't have the required number of hours to go part-time.......she takes a risk on delaying or takes a career break.
3. Female pilot not having the required hours becomes pregnant.......a career break is her only choice.
I'm sure there are other permutations which the airlines will have to cater for.
I imagine there can't be a greater stressor than wanting a family and being told you can't. I hope I haven't come across as an Orwellian activist, because I am a big believer in equal rights and family values, but by choosing to become a professional pilot you are expected to put the safety of your passengers before all other factors.
In the long run I have no doubt that raising this action will aid women, for they will be more informed and able to plan (as best they can), but I can't help feeling that, in the short run, you have done a great disservice to female wannabees, as you have given the cost-conscious airlines more reason not to take on your kind, and that you may not be very popular among your peers, which is irony personified. For sure, there will be much drinking to your health by the male wannabee community, I know I'm going to.
This was all about safety, not discrimination.
Congratulations on your good news! I'm sure that with Beth and her sibling running about soon, you'll realise flying an Airbus can't compare with raising a family, neither in stress or pleasure. With your determination for this to happen I'm sure you'll be a wonderful mother to both of them.
VC10 Rib22