It’s 4 AM and I’m up for the third time in one night, feeding my baby girl. I have a full day of surgeries scheduled for the next day along with a myriad of household tasks and a meeting after work.
I am an ophthalmology resident at the height of learning the most important skill for my career- how to perform cataract surgery to give my patients’ vision.
I am also a new mom.
I feel an enormous weight on my shoulders, thinking of the upcoming tasks and responsibilities for the day. I feel alone. I feel stressed. I think my baby feels it too, as she doesn’t seem to want to breastfeed. She prefers the bottle.
There must be something wrong with me.
How can I be a doctor and a mother at the same time? How can I learn cataract surgery and how to breastfeed?
I didn’t think it would be this hard.
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These are self-reflections, 6 years ago as a 3rd year ophthalmology resident and new mom. If you have had these experiences, I want you to know, you are not alone.
As a high powered, detailed oriented, young professional, the transition to motherhood was not easy. In fact, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Harder than learning how to operate.
Becoming a mother the second time around was much easier because I built coping mechanisms from my previous experience. I learned how to handle changes in my mind, body, and energy differently and more efficiently.
The first time around, I beat myself up a lot. The second time around, I learned how to ask for help and how to lean on my resources. I was easier on myself and felt much more prepared and relaxed.
That is why I love the GoMo Health maternal brain health digital therapeutic created in collaboration with the Center for BrainHealth. The Center for BrainHealth was founded in 1999 as a cognitive and neuroscience research and science institution at the University of Texas at Dallas. The center created a proprietary training program that has been studied in randomized control trials and it provides a foundation for cognitive tools and ways for individuals to use their brains to be more strategic. GoMo Health was founded in 2014 and is the industry leader in population health and personalized patient engagement solutions that activate healthy change.
Why is this program so important?
· 29% of pregnant mothers experience moderate to high levels of anxiety.
· This number has increased due to the pandemic.
· We know that maternal health directly effects fetal and neonatal health.
· Giving mothers tools to decrease their anxiety will have a long-lasting effect on their mental and physical health as well as their babies’.
The 12-month interactive brain health program for prenatal and postpartum moms consists of a mix of short text message teasers and detailed dives into healthy brain practices, interactive assessments that enable moms to customize the program to their specific needs, videos from experts and easy exercises and skill development to improve brain health.
Visit https://bit.ly/3KLTFDX to learn more about the GoMo Health program for prenatal and postnatal mothers, and share with a soon to be or first-time mom this program might help!
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