From Corner Office to Cradle: Gearing Up for Motherhood After an Accomplished Career

Motherhood. You might think, "People have been raising kids since prehistoric times, right? What's the big deal?" Cue maniacal cackle here.

As a physician, scientist and now entrepreneur, I've tackled quite a few challenges in life. But slotting motherhood into my daily routine was like fitting a square peg into a round hole. On fire. In a hurricane.

My first taste of the "oh-my-gosh-this-is-real" moment was when my twins were just 10 days old. There I was, at 2 a.m., rocking in the corner of their nursery, pondering my brilliant decision to move cross-country in just 5 days. (Note to self: next time, read 'Terrible Ideas for Dummies'.)

Then it hit me, like a slap from my sleep-deprived, caffeine-addled subconscious, "I can't do this!"

Have you ever had a silent mental breakdown in fear of disrupting the precious fifteen-minute quiet spell between the never-ending loop of baby-related chores? No? In addition to feeding, changing, burping, singing nursery songs to which you only know half the words, and the 30 minutes of pumping every 2 hours, get ready to take center stage in your own silent film, because you’ll be transforming into the world's most convincing mime portraying quiet mental meltdowns.

Like many of you who have raised children, I decided to play it by the book – college, graduate school, find a partner, lock down a profession, and then, drum roll... babies! Sounds logical, right? Well, the universe forgot to mention the glaring glitch in this grand design – biological energy mismatch.

Pit any sprightly toddler against the fittest 35-year-old, the little bundle of endless energy will run both literal and metaphorical circles around you. There is nothing worse than putting your children down for a nap just to see as you are walking out the door, your son’s head pop up saying, "Good morning, sleep over," while hysterically laughing and asking, "Is it funny, Mommy?" Did I mention that my children are learning what humor is and coincidentally, the funniest thing is playing tricks on Mommy? Hilarious.

Kids are that never-ending 'to-do' on your list. They are the alarm that you can't snooze. The assignment that you cannot procrastinate on. They are the mini-bosses you never knew you needed. Try telling a two-year-old that we will do that “tomorrow”…haha.

And the cherry on this ludicrously amusing cake of motherhood? My daughter's first words were an all-knowing "I know," followed by a regular use of "I'm frustrated" at 14 months. Seems like I'm raising the next Shakespeare, just with more tantrums!

You might wonder, "Does this circus ringmaster have any advice?" Not really. I mean, who am I to say how to juggle your own 25-lb bricks? But I can lend a sympathetic ear to your fears and concerns, validate your feelings of exhaustion and frustration, and advocate for a more comprehensive postpartum support system. Because, let's be honest, it's absurd to think that acclimating to a new city is harder than to a new human!

What I did to survive this delightful chaos was I "borrowed" (read: kidnapped) my mom for 14 months and made her my in-house nanny. Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures!

So, buckle up and join me on this roller coaster ride as we navigate employer politics, discuss the unfair 'motherhood penalty', explore its effects on relationships, delve into raising children of color, uncover the dark underbelly of childcare costs (spoiler: prepare to sell your kidney!), and much more.

In this circus of motherhood, even a small treat under 50 dollars on Amazon feels like winning the lottery. So, treat yourself, dear ringmasters! After 20+ years of education and stepping into this relentless role, you've earned every bit of it! Until next time, juggle on!

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