... What's more, there's a pervasive double standard for women. Melanie Notkin, author of “Otherhood: Modern Women Finding A New Kind of Happiness," who is childless by circumstance, feels people sometimes think that means "I am a quote-unquote ‘career woman.’”

About 14 percent of women in the age bracket 40 to 44 — generally considered the end of the childbearing years — are not mothers, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

In the celebrity realm, several high-profile women have proudly discussed their child-free status in recent years, including Oprah Winfrey, Lily Tomlin, Condoleezza Rice and Stevie Nicks.

Whether you’re childless, child-free, or unsure about whether you want to or will become a mother, here’s what you need to know about managing your career.

Read more at NBC News: Know Your Value

Mika Brzezinski has built a career on inspiring women to assess and obtain their true value in the workplace. Based on her NYTimes bestselling book, Knowing Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You’re Worth, Mika has started a grassroots movement for women looking to take their careers to the next level.