"I'm not taking a political stance here, I'm noticing that because she's a woman she's being held to a higher standard of parenting than he is," says Morrell, a Democrat.
Deedee Franke of Anneslie, a registered nurse who works with new mothers and runs support groups for them at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, says she can't judge Palin because a decision to be employed or stay at home is a private one.
"The situation is very individual; some moms are happier moms and even better moms when they work. There are some moms who find out it's too much to handle," says Franke, a Democrat.
Franke, who has three children in college, says it took her several years to figure out that part-time, evening shifts worked best for her. Franke started a business visiting new mothers at home before she had her third child, then sold it after the work became too much for her.
Carol Evans, chief executive and founder of Working Mother Media, said the namesake magazine's Web site was buzzing with readers discussing Palin, mostly in support of her as a working mother. Seventy-one percent of all mothers with children under 18 worked in 2007, according to the U.S. Census.
"People are very supportive of the fact that she has the right to choose," says Evans, a Democrat.
Morrell says everyone should be asking whether Palin can do the job, not what kind of parent she is.
"We have used these criteria against women for generations, and that is what has kept them out of executive positions," she says. "Sarah Palin will need a nanny and family support and a husband who's engaged and children who help each other, but this is not new. She's going to have to struggle, but it certainly doesn't eliminate her from the position."
Evans, of Working Mother, says her readers are hoping that the spotlight brings renewed attention to issues such as flexible work schedules, maternity leave and paid sick days.
But it also could add pressure on Palin and other mothers to live up to lofty expectations of others, some women say.
"There's a huge spotlight on her: Is she going to trip up, fail, or can she do it?" asks Tarrant, a registered Democrat. "To what length does she have to go to prove it? Why does she have to prove it?
"She's a very public, visible image right now," she says. "I do think women will internalize that expectation not only to juggle successfully but also look so graceful and elegant while doing it.
"What we don't talk about is what kind of financial resources she has to help her in that, in addition to having a husband and partner."
Baltimore Sun writer Andrea Walker contributed to this article.
