Interning and Mothering...

How I survived being an internal medicine mom:

Some things are not going to be perfect. Your house won't be clean. You won't read as much as you like. You won't spend as much time with your child(ren) as you like. You won't spend as much time with your husband as you like. If you are like me, you are going to (try to) find balance. You will strive to always be better, but you will not be perfect. And this can be a problem for a profession that demands perfection.

Some things my friends have done to counteract this...
1. Hire a maid. We didn't do this but that is because I married a super-husband. If he weren't so good at keeping the roaches at bay, there is no question I would have done this.

2. Read every night. If you are going into an intellectually stimulating career like medicine, it is important that you do something to increase your learning every day.

3. Try to exercise. I do zumba, ballroom dance classes and yoga when I can. Some months it doesn't happen at all. But I always try. And it is such great stress relief. Plus, our gym has free daycare and it gives me and the husband a chance to reconnect and do something good for ourselves.

4. Spend time with your kids. Even q4 I made sure to get home early and spend "quality" time with my son. We'd go to the pool, go to the park or do crafty stuff. But it was just me and him and it was rejuvenating. Plus it helped to curb that mommy guilt.

5. Let go of the mommy guilt. Not sure how this accomplished, but I try.

6. Find some mommy friends. Preferably some outside of medicine. And beg them to excuse you while you miss play dates, etc. because of stuff that comes up. Oh, and does stuff come up.

7. Encourage your spouse to do his share. Or more than his share. And own up to it when that is the case. Parenting and interning are two 80+ hour per week jobs.

8. Consider taking an internship where you will have help. Grandparents are useful.

9. Get a babysitter and go on dates with your over-worked husband. And then refer to #5.

10. And most of all, revel in how you really have it all. You've got a life and a career. Congrats!! You can do it.