Managing the Work-Care Conflict in the Scientific-Academic Field: A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Women Researchers in Spain Gestión del conflicto trabajo-cuidados en el ámbito científico-académico: un estudio cualitativo sobre las experiencias de mujeres investigadoras en España

In this article we analyse the motherhood and care experiences of women researchers in Spain to understand the ways in which they manage the work-care conflict in the scientific-academic field and how it impacts their employment and psycho-social wellbeing. To do this, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with researchers at all levels of the academic career affiliated with 23 Spanish universities and research centres. The results show that academic mothers experience overload, stress and guilt in facing the double mandate of being "good mothers" and "good professionals". The results also indicate that they feel forced to sacrifice selfcare to more comfortably meet their professional and domestic responsibilities, and to choose between two lesser evils: postponing or giving up motherhood or lowering their professional ambitions.