As goal-oriented, driven people who are sometimes prone to perfectionism, body image can be a source of stress for many of us. Leave it to pregnancy to completely change mine! I have always been known for my tall slenderness, a substantial part of my ego (for more on what makes up one's ego and …
When Do You Disclose a Pregnancy?
I was 5 weeks pregnant and working in the spine room. Just as I finished my intubation and secured the airway, I turned to set the ventilator and administer some important medications. The surgery fellow started to position the fluoroscope near the patient's cervical spine, about a foot away from …
Book Review: Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
"Changing a habit may be simple, but it's not easy, and the more tools used, the better." - Gretchen Rubin, Better Than Before Former New York lawyer turned happiness expert Gretchen Rubin constructed her first book The Happiness Project from blog posts framed around a year-long challenge of …
Mothers in Medicine: Not Just for Moms
I am so honored to be one of the new regular contributors at Mothers in Medicine! MiM is a group blog that has been around since 2008 as a forum for female physicians to share their unique experiences navigating roles in both medicine and family matters. The regular contributors range in …
Shoe-drop thinking: How to let go of the past?
I'm pregnant, again... I'm almost 10 weeks along and definitely feeling symptoms of first trimester pregnancy this time. No big announcements, clever texts or Facebook posts, no balloons or flowers or drama. Just quiet and cautious happiness... somewhat. You see, it's actually been difficult to …
Using Rituals to Alleviate Stress
(Image courtesy of 9comeback at FreeDigitalPhotos.net) We all incorporate small rituals into our lives, such as performing a particular order of operations or one little task that always has to be done before or after something else. For you, it might be the steps you employ to make your morning …