I will be taking my anesthesiology board exam in a couple months and cannot
fathom trying to concentrate and answer questions with an infant at my
side.  I probably would be easily able to tune out the quiet noises of
another baby somewhere else in the room but trying to care for my own child
AND pass an exam?  The stress of that would be enormous.  I can't even study
with my kids around.

I am extremely fortunate to have completed my residency training at the
hospital 2 blocks away from our home.  It meant that my husband could often
bring my boys over to visit when I had to work long hours or overnight --
knowing I could spend 20 minutes to eat breakfast with them was sometimes
the only way I could make it through a 30 hour intensive care unit shift.
However, there were several times they arrived to see me and I wasn't able
to get away because I had to emergently go deal with stuff -- I vividly
recall trying to replace a femoral arterial catheter in a desperately sick
patient who was teetering on the edge while hubby kept calling to find out
when I'd be through because they were standing outside the ICU 15 feet away
and the little guy was crying and needed to nurse.  It felt AWFUL.

That being said, I nursed my youngest in probably 5 different call rooms,
the cafeteria, anesthesia lounge and library, labor/delivery physician
lounge, L/D nursing station, in the hallway outside the ORs, on the benches
outside the hospital, etc.  Wherever I could take a break and catch up with
my baby.  Never got a negative comment to my face, just lots of weird
looks.  Most of my department referred to me as "crunchy earth Mama."  Ha.

Also learned that I can place IV's (intravenous catheters) with a baby
asleep on my chest, when I helped teach classes to medical students and
brought my then-5-mo-old along.  Probably couldn't do real resuscitations,
central lines, or intubate, but IV's, yeah, they're doable. :)

It worked for me because I love doing anesthesia.  Can't at all imagine
separating from my kids to do something that does not give me the same sense
of accomplishment -- and my kids need to know that I enjoy my work because
otherwise, why would I be leaving them?

Sarah Reece-Stremtan M.D. (anesthesiologist and current stay-at-home-mom,
pediatric anesthesia fellow-to-be)
Washington DC

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome