Vets Who Love Maternity Leave
Maternity leave has been a wonderful experience so far. Falling almost exactly on the 1-year anniversary of when I started my first job out of vet school, I feel that the timing is a blessing in disguise. The honeymoon phase with my workplace is definitely over. The stress of interacting closely with a small number of diverse personalities in a high-stress environment was making me feel jaded and unsure about my chosen profession, or at least with my current workplace. Having the time to step away from my career and critically evaluate my experiences and my priorities will hopefully help me return feeling both refreshed and re-centered.
How many times have you been unhappy where you live or work, only to find that once you leave, there were many aspects that you didn’t fully appreciate or weren’t as bad in hindsight as they were at the time? Now that I have been off for 4 weeks, I am able to identify and focus on the things in my workplace that I enjoy. The client interaction, although trying at times, is something that I miss and am looking forward to embracing more when I begin seeing appointments again. It has been nice to hear that my regular clients have been asking about me and are excited to hear about the birth of my son. I feel more validated as a veterinarian to know that I have made connections with my clients. It is difficult to fully realize these relationships while being bogged down with the day-to-day routine of trying to stay on schedule while practicing quality medicine.
Relief from compassion fatigue is another benefit of having a break at this point. In the weeks leading up to my due date, there were many days where I would euthanize 3 or 4 animals. In one memorable afternoon, I only saw 6 appointments and 4 of them ended up being euthanasias. Taking a break from death and celebrating new life has been rejuvenating for my psyche.
I am fortunate that my son has been a relatively mellow baby up until this point and that I don’t seem to be suffering from the “baby blues” or postpartum depression at all. Therefore I am relatively well rested and able to start planning for how to continue my quest to improve the balance between my career and my personal life. Even though I now have yet another piece to add to the puzzle, I feel that I am in a better position to achieve that balance.
My son adds new purpose to my life and makes me think more critically about my actions. Everything I eat directly affects him. The more I get out for walks and runs with him, the more exposure to the outdoors he gets and the stronger our bond grows. My husband and I need to communicate even more effectively to make sure that our son gets the care and attention that he needs. This, in turn, should help to strengthen our marriage. The happier I am with my personal life, the happier and more productive I will be at work. The key will be to keep the bigger picture in sight and recognize that sometimes the scales tip to one side but that it all evens out in the end.
Maternity leave is not the only way to step back and re-evaluate life and work. I haven’t had a vacation since starting my job. Maternity leave is my vacation. Although most vacations are only 1 or 2 weeks, they can be equally as effective at refreshing life. It’s more important to take the time when you need it and to embrace the opportunity to step back momentarily from an intense career and remind yourself of what inspires you in your personal life as well as your professional life. With a little bit of self-awareness, a short break can help to “reset” your balance.
It remains to be seen how motherhood will affect my overall lifestyle long-term, particularly once I go back to work. For now I am optimistic and motivated. I hope I can remain inspired.
The number of veterinarians who are mothers working full-time is rapidly increasing as the overall demographic of our profession is changing. In the year since graduating from vet school, 5 of my classmates are now pregnant or have had their first child. How have new mothers adjusted to returning to work after maternity leave? What difficulties have you faced? Do you feel like you have been able to maintain any balance in your life? The more we can support each other in our common goal to be both exceptional parents and veterinarians, the stronger our profession will be.
Want more information on Gender Shift in the veterinary profession? Read the controversial article, "Embracing Change: Is Yours a Female Friendly Practice?" by Micaela Z. Shaughnessy, VMD and join in the heated discussion.
