CEO says she kept pregnancy a secret to keep the business alive

NEW YORK -- Fearing that investors would not take a company with a pregnant CEO seriously, one career-focused woman says she hid her pregnancy to keep the business alive.

Talia Goldstein, 33, had just launched the successful matchmaking website "Three Day Rule" when she became pregnant with her first child. As she and her husband were thrilled to be expecting, Talia became scared that her growing belly could damage her the growing company's credibility. So, she says, she covered up and kept her baby a secret.

"I felt ashamed," she said. "Alone. Upset. Scared."

"It's sad that she had to hide it," husband Aaron Goldstein said. "You should be able to wear your pregnancy proudly."

"In one meeting, it was 80 degrees outside and I wore a trench coat," Talia said. "I thought, 'it's better off looking ridiculous than looking pregnant.'"

Talia doesn't believe she was being paranoid, having previously called and asked several advisors if they would trust a pregnant woman to be in charge of the company's future.

"[I asked], without telling them I was pregnant, if they would invest in a pregnant CEO? And they all, very openly, told me they would not. 'It's a huge red flag.' I felt like it was the only decision I had, and I didn't want to sabotage our company."

In the end, Talia was successful at attracting investors, and now, two years later and pregnant again, she's changed her approach.

"I'm going to wear tight clothes and show it off," she said. "And we'll see what happens."

Talia's daughter is due in November and, this time, everyone knows.