What does "burnout" mean and how does it apply to motherhood? By definition, burnout is a state in which you feel extreme mental and physical exhaustion because you have been exposed to severe stress for an extended period of time.
Parenthood has changed you in a number of ways. The things that used to cause you stress, anxiety and heartbreak may all seem a bit trivial now. The things that you thought you wanted seem much less important.
I can tell when you want to be held, and I know by the sound of your breathing when you finally fall asleep listening to the beat of my heart. I know when you are going to wake up, and I know when you are fighting sleep. I know when you want me to talk to you, and I know how to calm you down.
Life, for a new parent, is famously busy – busy to the extent that it can be tricky to figure out how to find opportunities for a bit of sleep here and there.
I am an accomplished physician, educator and researcher who, through a lot of hard work, has achieved just about every goal I have ever set for myself, but nothing, and I mean nothing, has humbled me like motherhood.
When I get home from work, I quickly greet my three-year-old twins and tell them mommy has to go upstairs to change out of her scrubs. Truth be told, yes, I really do need to change my yucky, stinky scrubs, but I also need a few minutes to decompress.
Being a working mom is tough. You are too little to understand why things are the way they are–why mommy is hardly home–so I try to cram as much as I can into the couple of days I do have with you trying to play catch-up.
I took a special interest in pregnancy after the age of 35, which according to age alone, is considered a high-risk pregnancy. I was inspired not only by the experiences of friends and patients, but also by my own personal experience of trying to start a family after the age of 40.
As a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, I care for women with high-risk pregnancies. Many times, they have pre-existing medical conditions that make them high-risk; other times they develop a complication during pregnancy that warrants the care of a high-risk obstetrician, like myself.
In just a few weeks my twins will turn one, and I will be 44. I am an older mom who thought I knew what I was getting myself into, but I am finally realizing that despite all the advice given to me and research I did on my own, I was truly not prepared.
I am a double board certified ObGyn and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist. I have worked at a large academic center in academic medicine as a clinician, educator and researcher since 2004. I am currently a tenured Professor and actively manage patients with high-risk pregnancies.
The best way to contact me about debunking social media content is to send that content to me in a DM on my Instagram account @babiesafter35. You can also email me.
I do not do private consults or review medical records submitted by patients.
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