Those who aren't afraid to try and fail will likely succeed.

It truly varies by position, but there are options in terms of childcare.

I've been here for four years as a postdoc and instructor in the sciences. I've worked directly with multiple PIs (professors), only one of which (a well-established female PI) was a supportive role model and mentor. If you come here for a postdoctoral position, DO NOT come as a postdoctoral scholar. Get your pay and your project/work expectations in writing BEFORE you start any work (this sounds obvious, but in the world of postdocs, it's often not). In addition, OSU is not very good at setting up paychecks for people who work for two or more departments, and it took them months to set mine up correctly. One postdoctoral scholar I know who became pregnant spent her entire pregnancy fighting for the right to pay for her own insurance through the university during her (unpaid) maternity leave. I believe the school actually told her that they had never expected that a postdoctoral scholar would be pregnant, so they never bothered to set up any sort of maternity assistance programs. I know other female postdocs who are highly underpaid (especially those who come from other countries and may not know what to expect in terms of compensation). Additionally, the professional environment here is very dependent on what department you're working for. Some departments are full of great people, while others have on staff male professors who have been reprimanded for getting drunk on campus during lunch and commenting on female students (yup, they kept their jobs). OSU is also strongly headed in the direction of a teaching institution, and continues to offer less and less in the way of support for its research faculty in general.