Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Physicians: Be nice to your pregnant colleagues

Avani Trivedi, DO
Physician
November 14, 2017
Share
Tweet
Share

After about the first week of anesthesia residency, I was told, “Don’t get pregnant, you are going to ruin the call schedule.”  Initially, I took it as a joke because I was getting married that year and I wasn’t thinking of having children yet, but I did think, “what if it happened accidentally?”

After it’s told to you over and over again by your male co-residents and even some of my attendings, it pretty much sticks.  Got it, don’t get pregnant; otherwise, everyone else is going to be ticked that they are now taking extra call to cover mine.

Fast forward a few years, and now I’m out as a first year attending. I’m taking a quick break, drinking coffee, and one of my male colleagues says to me, “You know we put birth control in your coffee.” I’m baffled at this point, but still just think it’s the culture of anesthesia and don’t make it a big deal.  I should have realized at that time; it is a big deal! It’s really not a joke, and why do people think it’s acceptable to say stuff like that to women?

A year later, I was pregnant.  As I reflect back, I truly wish someone had guided me about maternity leave and pumping at work.  I never asked all the right questions simply because I did not know that it was my right and not just a privilege. My next memorable quick break was when I had to use the bathroom repeatedly and feeling a little off.  It turns out, I went into labor at work!  I ended up delivering a 34-week preemie at my hospital.  As excited I was to be a mom for the first time, I only took six weeks off of work; it was an emotional and stressful time, to say the least.  I also only pumped for a few months because it was impossible at work to have someone get me out to do so. A very similar situation happened with my second child.  Again, I wish I knew better.  I wish I knew that it was my right to do so if I wanted to.  Given the environment at work, I didn’t have anyone to go to about this, and there was limited literature on this topic at the time.  I felt pressured to be a certain way, disconnected from my newborn and incredibly alone.

I think back and remember that I was happy that my close friend, an emergency room physician, told me to buy a short-term disability policy.  I paid more for the one with the shortest elimination period, but that benefited me considering my tumultuous pregnancy. My group let me use two unpaid days in the latter part of the year, since I delivered in January. At that time, however, I did not think of asking, and no one suggested it to me, that I can borrow vacation days from the following year.

When it comes to pumping, I did not ask all the right questions.  I tell all of my pregnant colleagues to remember to ask for a clean, traffic-free environment to pump in. I remember being so embarrassed pumping in a location where random people would walk in to make phone calls on their cell phone or to use the bathroom in that room.  Eventually, I stopped pumping because there was no one to break me, especially in an off-site location where I was the solo anesthesiologist.  It wasn’t until after having both children, I realized there is no guidance in our specialty.  It’s a trial and learn by error process, and it shouldn’t be that way.

As someone who has gone through this, I know it can be a tricky situation to navigate.  Please remember to be nice to your pregnant colleagues.  Kindness goes a long way; just like residency, there was a chance you or your spouse were in this person’s shoes before or will be at some point.  It is not fun if you are nine months pregnant in a long case with no end in sight.  Offering your fellow anesthesiologist an extra break to use the bathroom, hydrate themselves, or grab a snack will go a long way in their eyes.  Pay it forward should be the attitude.

Avani Trivedi is an anesthesiologist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Let's get one thing clear: pre-op comments from primary care

November 13, 2017 Kevin 7
…
Next

Want to make meaningful connections with patients? Here’s how.

November 14, 2017 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine, Practice Management, Surgery

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Let's get one thing clear: pre-op comments from primary care
Next Post >
Want to make meaningful connections with patients? Here’s how.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Are patients using social media to attack physicians?

    David R. Stukus, MD
  • The risk physicians take when going on social media

    Anonymous
  • Beware of pseudoscience: The desperate need for physicians on social media

    Valerie A. Jones, MD
  • When physicians are cyberbullied: an interview with ZDoggMD

    Monique Tello, MD
  • Surprising and unlikely rewards of social media engagement by physicians

    Lisa Chan, MD
  • Physicians who don’t play the social media game may be left behind

    Xrayvsn, MD

More in Physician

  • The backbone of health care is breaking

    Grace Yu, MD
  • Why doctors must ask for help before burnout escalates

    Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH
  • Why medicine is like a jazz solo

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Why so many patients ask for drips—and what doctors wish they knew

    Dr. Akintola Aminat Olayinka
  • Reproductive care after Roe: Why silence is not an option

    Christine Petrin, MD, MPH and Susan Thompson Hingle, MD
  • When your identity is your job: Why it’s dangerous in medicine

    Brooke Buckley, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Health equity in Inland Southern California requires urgent action

      Vishruth Nagam | Policy
    • Could antibiotics beat heart disease where statins failed?

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support

      Dr. Vishal Parackal | Conditions
    • How Ukrainian doctors sustained diabetes care during the war [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How Filipino cultural values shape silence around mental health

      Victor Fu and Charmaigne Lopez | Education
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Conditions
    • Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives

      John Wei, MD | Physician
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • Why pain doctors face unfair scrutiny and harsh penalties in California

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • How Ukrainian doctors sustained diabetes care during the war [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The backbone of health care is breaking

      Grace Yu, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors must ask for help before burnout escalates

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Why medicine is like a jazz solo

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Why so many patients ask for drips—and what doctors wish they knew

      Dr. Akintola Aminat Olayinka | Physician
    • Reproductive care after Roe: Why silence is not an option

      Christine Petrin, MD, MPH and Susan Thompson Hingle, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Health equity in Inland Southern California requires urgent action

      Vishruth Nagam | Policy
    • Could antibiotics beat heart disease where statins failed?

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support

      Dr. Vishal Parackal | Conditions
    • How Ukrainian doctors sustained diabetes care during the war [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How Filipino cultural values shape silence around mental health

      Victor Fu and Charmaigne Lopez | Education
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Conditions
    • Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives

      John Wei, MD | Physician
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • Why pain doctors face unfair scrutiny and harsh penalties in California

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • How Ukrainian doctors sustained diabetes care during the war [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The backbone of health care is breaking

      Grace Yu, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors must ask for help before burnout escalates

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Why medicine is like a jazz solo

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Why so many patients ask for drips—and what doctors wish they knew

      Dr. Akintola Aminat Olayinka | Physician
    • Reproductive care after Roe: Why silence is not an option

      Christine Petrin, MD, MPH and Susan Thompson Hingle, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Physicians: Be nice to your pregnant colleagues
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...