Physician mothers tribe - Page 2

[The Milk Bag]

Originally Posted by countrygirl28

Anyone mind if I lurk here? I'm a 2nd year med student, but not a mama yet (but hopefully next year this time I will be preggo!) I've been really concerned with how I'm going to be able to balance residency and a LO. I'm always interested to see how others have managed, especially when it comes to practicing AP and extended BFing.

I haven't done medical school with a newborn yet and also haven't started clinical stuff yet so I can't really give too many tips - but so far the main thing I've done is be home with my kids as often as I can. I study at home instead of at school and frequently have two kids snuggled up with me while I'm reading. BF'ing will be a challenge for me this time - I was a SAHM until DD2 was two years old so I never had to pump or be away for more than a couple hours at a time. Hopefully when I start rotations, the residents/attendings won't mind too much when I need to take breaks to pump. I'm also worried about DS being willing to take bottles and breastfeed since both of my girls refused bottles.

I'm on bedrest for the duration of my pregnancy which is going to make the beginning of this semester very interesting. My dean has given me the option of spending a year doing research if it gets impossible to keep up with classes at home. I am really debating just deciding to switch to this now. On one hand, I'd love to be home more often during DS's first year and have him be over a year old by the time I start clinical rotations. Plus research would certainly help when I apply for residency. On the other hand, it's an extra year accumulating debt and part of me just wants to get it over with! Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[countrygirl28]

Originally Posted by The Milk Bag

I haven't done medical school with a newborn yet and also haven't started clinical stuff yet so I can't really give too many tips - but so far the main thing I've done is be home with my kids as often as I can. I study at home instead of at school and frequently have two kids snuggled up with me while I'm reading. BF'ing will be a challenge for me this time - I was a SAHM until DD2 was two years old so I never had to pump or be away for more than a couple hours at a time. Hopefully when I start rotations, the residents/attendings won't mind too much when I need to take breaks to pump. I'm also worried about DS being willing to take bottles and breastfeed since both of my girls refused bottles.

I'm on bedrest for the duration of my pregnancy which is going to make the beginning of this semester very interesting. My dean has given me the option of spending a year doing research if it gets impossible to keep up with classes at home. I am really debating just deciding to switch to this now. On one hand, I'd love to be home more often during DS's first year and have him be over a year old by the time I start clinical rotations. Plus research would certainly help when I apply for residency. On the other hand, it's an extra year accumulating debt and part of me just wants to get it over with! Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks for all the info. I totally think the first couple of years in med school are conducive to being a mom and spending a decent amount of time with your kids. I've said several times to DH that it is too bad we didn't start our family sooner because I pretty much always study at home, and I don't usually go to lecture, so I spend a lot of time at home already (not always studying like I should be!)

Sorry to hear you're on bedrest now. I think the research option is really good one, but like you said, it puts another year between you and graduation, not to mention the extra monetary cost. But, at the same time, research won't do anything but give you a leg up when it comes to the match, and you won't have a newborn and dealing with your 3rd year of medical school, which we all know is notorious for being the most time-consuming year. If you can finish up your second year and take Step 1 and then do research for a year and then start your 3rd year, that sounds like a pretty decent option. Can't wait to hear what you decide to do!

[dds07]

Hi everyone I'm not a physician, I'm a dentist and a 2nd year periodontics resident. I have a 16m/o who was born 1 month into my first year of residency. I'm acutally not totally happy with my choice to do a residency with a baby. I wish I would have taken time off and/or not done the residency at all (not required for dentistry). Everyone kind of suggested some time off (ie not starting residency), but I didn't really listen, and now I wish I would have. I've still got 2 more years, plus a 1 year full time teaching committment to pay back a scholarship, so I feel like I will never get to be home I'm definitely taking off a year after all of my time is paid back and then I'm going back very part time (like 2 days/wk). I'm in a group of all single male residents and all male attendings, so that doesn't help much...

[Ellie'sMom]

Originally Posted by kimiij

Subbing to this. I have my interview at my local medical school in January and an interview for a nurse-midwife program at Yale in January. Decisions decisions. Just now trying to figure out exactly what it is that I want to do - do I go to med school or become a nurse-midwife?

Sigh....

I'm interested in reading everyone's experiences who have btdt.

kimij: I went to NP school at Yale and did the GEPN program (which I assume is what you would be doing since it doesn't sound like you're a RN). Feel free to PM me if you have questions!

[kimiij]

Originally Posted by Ellie'sMom

kimij: I went to NP school at Yale and did the GEPN program (which I assume is what you would be doing since it doesn't sound like you're a RN). Feel free to PM me if you have questions!

Great! I pm'd you

[AutumnW]

Is it okay if I join here? I am still working on my pre-reqs and will be applying in a year and a half. I did a apprenticeship with a cpm and it made me want to go to med school so that I could more completely care for my patients (and be a legal practitioner in my state I am 26 and have a 21 month old son. My dh just quit his job to be a sahd while I finish my education

[The Milk Bag]

Welcome Autumn. How nice that your DH is going to be a SAHD!

I decided to take a year to do research. It'll be a huge plus when I apply to residencies and I will have a nice low-key first year with the new baby. It's a lot of lost money, but in the long run I doubt we will really notice it. And spending more time with DS his first year will be worth it! Of course, I didn't really have much choice. My perinatologist was really urging me to take the time off and one of my course coordinators was not being particularly understanding and her course had a lot of mandatory hospital activities that she wouldn't allow me to make-up after the baby is born. I am still going to take three classes this semester, start a research project that I will continue through the summer and Fall semester and then finish three other classes a year from now before taking Step 1 and starting 3rd year. I'll be busy, just not *as* busy as I would have been.

[medmom7]

How long do you all breastfeed your LOs? I will be starting residency when my DD is a little over 1 year old (she is 8mo now). I had thought I'd wean her after 1 year of BFing but maybe I should just keep on with it until she decides to stop BFing on her own? Would love to hear what other med moms did....

[AutumnW]

my son will be two in april and he still nurses when I'm home. I've always known that I wanted to nurse him until at least two. Now I'm kind of hoping he starts self weaning soon after he turns two because I'm starting to feel done with it which I didn't expect.

[AndrewsMother]

Am I welcome here?

I am a Nutrition major completing my premed requirements. I am deciding if I want to 1) wait and take Organic Chemistry next summer and apply for 2012 admissions or

2) Take Organic I Spring 2010, Organic II first summer semester and take the MCAT in July or

3) take 7 classes each semester during 2009-2010 year and take the MCAT in April or May.

Decisions, decisions.

I am trying to complete a 5 year program in 4 year in addition to completing the required classes for med school entry.
If I chose option two I would complete my med school requirements in August 2010, but not graduate until December 2011 instead of may. I would then spend the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011 studying for the MCAT and apply for admissions in 2012 one semester and a summer after I graduate.


Everyone and every advice site says that it is best to take the MCAT in April. If I did take the MCAT in August 2010 would it be too late to apply for 2011 admissions?

If anyone can answer my questions, please do.

Oh, I have a husband and a two year old son. I am interested in perinatology.

[Rosehip]

Andrew's mother - Organic is a tough course to take in a summer session. To the extent possible, I would limit the # of premed classes you take over the summer. I got and ignored this advice, took Gen Chem 2 over the summer, and then when a household problem struck (a flood - had to deal w/insurance, cleaning up, etc.), WOW did it knock me off my feet. What would have been an annoyance during a regular semester was a nightmare during the summer since missing even one day of class is really problematic and the next exam is upon you as soon as you've finished bubbling in the previous one, it seems. I was a basketcase. I managed to scrape by w/an acceptable grade, was glad to have it done with, but w/my sanity barely intact. Friends taking chem & physics also found it very challenging.

I'm not saying don't do it -you do what you have to, but steel yourself, and try to hand off other responsibilities to others to the degree possible.

[AndrewsMother]

I love 5 and 8 week courses, and I always have a higher average. I chose to take Organic over the summer because I normally take 6 classes a semester and one class over five weeks would be a relief for me. I am not taking any other classes, and if I do it will be dance or some random PE class, maybe swimming.

Unless my plans fail I am going to Atlanta for the Summer to stay with my mother. I will have a live in baby sitter and a sister with a Dog to amuse my two year old.

Thanks for the warning!

If I remained at home with my DH I would lose my mind. My Mother cooks nightly and my sister has to clean. Yes I will help, but unlike at home all of the responsibility will not fall on me.

[KTinNYC]

Hi all. I'm a 4th year med student on LOA after the birth of ds, my second child. After much soul-searching, I'll be applying for gen surg this coming year.

My daughter was born at the end of 2nd year, after which I took a year off. She nursed until she was 3, just before ds was born. DS will be a bit younger than dd was when I go back, so I'm going to start storing pumped milk soon. As much as I hate pumping, I'm glad to already know he'll take a bottle. I have the time (4th year decel), so I'm considering doing research for the first few months back. That ought to make the return a bit easier, as my schedule won't be as hectic as later in the year during subinternships and aways.

Any other surgery-oriented moms?

[countrygirl28]

bfing as an intern?

Has anyone here bf during their intern year? DH and I are planning on trying to start a family in few months. : If all goes as planned, I would give birth early in my 4th year. I VERY much want to breastfeed for at least 2 years, but I'm really wondering if I'll be able to keep up with pumping with the insane schedule that interns have. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on the issue?

[crazydiamond]

I'm not even in med school yet, so I can't speak specifically about intern year, but I can tell you that nursing a toddler is totally different than nursing an infant. When my DD was young and still nursing, I was WOHM full-time and traveled a few times for business. I was gone 5 days at a time and didn't pump while I was gone. DD ate enough solid food that she didn't require pumped milk while I was gone. When I came home, she picked up nursing like nothing ever happened. She would miss nursing while I was gone, but she never cried about it. . .she just waited patiently for my return.

So, I will say that if you can't pump, or can't pump as often as you'd like, it doesn't mean that you won't be able to keep nursing. Your milk will be well established by then and it's not unreasonable to think that you can just nurse when you're home and that's it. Your LO hopefully will be eating enough solids by then that a day or two without milk won't be the end of the world.

[countrygirl28]

Thanks, Crazydiamond. That makes me feel better about being able to breastfeed long term. My LO (if all goes as planned) should be about a year when I start my internship, so the bfing relationship will be well established by that point. I still plan to pump, but given the hectic life of an intern, I don't know that I'll be able to do it on a regular schedule, so I was kinda worried about that, kwim?

Are you starting med school this upcoming year? If so, good luck! I'm in the crazy, hectic process of studying for Step 1 right now, and then 3rd year starts in just a couple weeks. I'm kinda nervous, but after being stuck in a classroom for 2 years, I think I'm ready for the change!

[rrible]

I was a fellow while pumping regularly for about 18 months, but know of several residents who continued to pump - one an intern in ob/gyn, who pumped until 9 months, others until 6 months, and then several 3rd and 4th year residents over time, one who pumped until 15 months. It can be done - just takes being a little creative in your pumping locations and a committment to carrying that pump all around the hospital If your child will be almost 1 when you start internship, you'll do great. Perhaps just bring a pump along for comfort/supply when you're on call (which is what I still do now as an attending with my 2.5 year old... switched to a manual pump at about 22 months).

[countrygirl28]

Thanks rrible! I feel much better about everything. I'm glad to know it can be done, especially in ob/gyn because that is one of the specialties I am most interested, and from what I understand it is also one of the most demanding residencies.

[dollysods]

I am a second (almost 3rd-yay) year resident. Just wanted to give reassurance it can be done even intern year. I had my daughter February of intern year, had 8 weeks at home and am still breastfeeding my 15 month old. My first couple months back were q4 call. My second year is much easier, with call in the hospital about 1x/week... still painfully long days of course.

I was able to pump enough to give nothing but breastmilk for the 1st 6 months, and no other liquids besides maybe 2 oz water out of a regular cup with meals after that (which was mostly for her to practice cup drinking and to play with). I still pump once a day to keep up my supply for my nowhere near weaning daughter. And I pump more often if I have overnight call, because we cosleep and I am used to her nursing 3+ times overnight. I know it has been harder for some of my colleagues to keep up their supply and or energy to pump but several have continued pumping for 6 months or so and my chief last year breastfed several months past a year.

My program director is relatively supportive (my specialty is relatively supportive) so I think that helps, but basically I just never acted with anyone like pumping was optional. I acted like I expected to be able to pump, and it was always just a matter of finding space/time to pump. There were definitely days we had an unstable patient or if I were in the middle of a procedure or a busy office session that I had to wait longer than I was comfortable, but on those days, I would just pump when I could at work and then try to add an extra pumping (pump the other side while the baby nursed) at home.

We survived so far by basically committing to nothing besides work and family, by only breastfeeding (never bottle feeding) when we are together, and very rarely doing anything without my daughter when I do have free time. I have also worked on efficiency in my office hours so I can get done on time and when my program is breaking duty hours, I bring it up rather than look the other way as some residents do, because I have priorities besides just being a good team player.

Feel free to PM me if you want any advice! It can definitely be done.

[abharrington]

hi mamas...just found this old thread! i will grad med school this may. dd was born my 2nd year...which i finished and then took LOA for 1 year to be home with her. ds was born in my 3rd year. dd was EBF (and then BF) till age 22 mo. ds is still going strong. pumping went really well...now he only nurses 3 - 4 times a day(night) so i havn't been pumping.

glad to see other MD mamas!

i am a little nervous about intern year...but our program (psych) is not anything like surg.