Celebrating International Women's Day 

The old joke is that if men were the ones giving birth that there would be a population shortage. I think it's true! Men may be able to bench press more than most women, but when it comes to true strength and the ability to endure pain, women blow men away.

We are reminded of this after reading a story about a pregnant cow in the Telegraph. I know it sounds crazy, but this cow's story was really inspiring. She fell down a 250-foot hill, which would normally be thought to have killed even the toughest of bulls, and not only did she survive, but a day after being dug out from the brush and lifted to safety, she gave birth.

Much like this cow, the moment we find out we're going to be moms, I think something switches on in us and we are inexplicably devoted to this little being we're bringing into this world, and we will do anything and everything to protect it. It's as if pregnant women seem to have an extra reserve of power that we can tap into—like a real-life Superwoman.

If you think about it, it's pretty amazing that our bodies shift into autopilot when we're pregnant and they morph into exactly what we need to make room for and nurture a baby inside us. We can also handle high amounts of excruciating pain—in the form of contractions, back pains, heartburn and foot swelling—for sometimes hours, days or even months on end (NOTE: Your contractions should not last months, but it sometimes feels like they do!).

Then there's also the mental stress of worrying that the baby we're carrying is healthy, juggling work with pregnancy exhaustion, trying to plan out the nursery down to the last perfectly-matched detail and coming up with a baby name that's unique enough to stand out yet won't get him or her teased on the playground for years to come.

It would be enough to make most men crack! But the universe only gives you as much as you can handle. I'm convinced pregnant women are superheroes, because they can handle anything the universe has to throw at them!

TELL US: What's your pregnant super-hero strength?

PRESENTING: 13 female founders who self-funded their businesses share their top advice for startup success

Female founders may not receive as much venture funding as their male counterparts, but they're more likely to start businesses, according to a recent report by Visa.

In honor of women who are shaping business and leadership, we've rounded up 13 female founders who started their companies by themselves and drove them to success. Read the full article here.