Hey, doc. Last week I talked about Pregnancy being a disability. But this week I want to talk more about the benefits that we have as mothers in particular, and I've spoken before about using your physician privilege, but this one is about your mom privilege. I feel like a lot of times we talk about motherhood and all of the negative things, and all of the additional responsibilities, especially being working, especially being doctors, that we have to work through, and the mental load and all of the stress that comes with it. But there are benefits that we enjoy specifically because we are moms, and I think it's good to take a step back sometimes and enjoy it and celebrate it because it significant. And the major one that comes to mind immediately is community. Because yes, mom groups can be tricky sometimes. It can be husband-bashing, and it can be judgy and all of those things But the fact that there is a community where you can go for advice, to get free stuff, to ask who has the best, I don't know, nanny available, which is the best swim school, just having that resource, not having to figure out everything on your own, because there's probably a mom who has figured it out already, and there are probably 10 other moms who think they have also figured it out, so you get 10 different opinions, and you're bound to find something that you like in one of those places. But even at the most basic, community is everything, and the fact that we can go to these groups, and we have these mom meetups, and you have mommy and me exercise groups, and all of those resources is something that I don't think we appreciate enough. Because when I look at my husband, they don't have that. They, there's like this exercise group around here called F... What is it? F45 or F3? I think it may be F3. And it's like a group of men working out. That is the closest thing that I can think of to all of the other types of groups and resources that we have, that we have formed as moms. And I mean, that's their own problem. Whatever. They don't want to form community, and they wouldn't socialize to do that, and we were. The reason does not matter. It's more that have you really appreciated the fact that you have it, and have you leaned on it? So celebration and appreciation is one thing, but are you utilizing the powerful resources that you have access to just because you are a mom? And I think as physician moms, we may sometimes limit ourselves to our own physician mom groups, and there are really not that many of them, and they each have their own personality, so it can be a little bit limiting. But your local mom groups, don't sleep on them. Yeah, they may not be able to relate to you on every level. You may feel judged by them. You may judge them. They may be anti-vaxxers. Well, if they're anti-vaxxers, get the hell out of there. It's not worth it. but there's still value to be had from mom groups in general, even if they're not physician mom groups. So if you are feeling like you're lonely, you're overwhelmed with figuring things out, look around and see, are there other moms figuring this thing out as well? Am I in all of my neighborhood mom groups? And usually, I guess it depends on where you are, they usually have a couple different ones. So even if like the biggest one is super snooty and they're super judgy and whatever, there may be another one, or you can start your own, right? When you are thinking about the support that you need or want, I want to encourage you to create the thing that you want, and starting with other moms is usually really easy. And I'm not saying that adult friends and adult relationships are easy 'cause that is the opposite of the truth. However, you choose your hard, right? Because I bet you figuring shit out on your own and being lonely and feeling like you're drowning is also not easy either. So use this cheat code that you have of being a mother to your advantage. And I've thought about this particularly recently because I am good friends with another medical professional. She's not a physician, but at our level, and she's fellow business owner, and we are both at similar stages in business. We're both marketing locally, trying to be hyper local, be in the community, but she doesn't have kids, and that means she doesn't have access to the, what, five or six mom groups that I'm in right now that I can utilize to grow my business. I can't advertise in all of them, but most of them have a marketing day. One of them, a very big one actually, she has monetized her group. I'm like, "Good for you, girl. Go ahead." She has ten thousand moms in that group, and she has monetized it, so you can pay to advertise, and you can pay and post once a week, and I paid it. It was a couple hundred bucks. And it was just the access to such a large group of other moms and potential clients, and if you're already in a group like that, there's a built-in trust. It's just a little bit easier to reach the people that you want to reach because there are all sorts of people, all sorts of different types of moms that are in there. And I was just thinking, you know, we're, we're both putting out a lot of energy to be a part of the community, but this, this is one that she just does not have access to just because she doesn't have kids. And I'm not judging her 'cause she doesn't have kids. Like, that's, by now you should know that's not something that I do. You don't wanna have kids, don't. It's a lot of work. But it's just like, wow, I sat back and I really felt quite grateful that I had access to these spaces for something that, for a lot of the time, creates quite a lot of stress in my life, you know? Trying to find the childcare, and what are they gonna eat, and i- I don't often take the time to sit back and say, "Wow, I am lucky that I am a mom." Right? I enjoy motherhood. I enjoy my children. They are the sweetest, the cutest. Oh my gosh, they're so smart. I can't wait to see what they'll become. They are the best children. I can't even express how much I love my children and how absolutely perfect they are. That's usually what I focus on. But there's a benefit, That is apart from them, apart from the love, apart from how cute, how sweet they are, is that I get to be a part of mom communities, that I get in certain circles, like stature for being a mom. I mean, that's kinda weird, but it happens. You know? Being married and having kids to some people is a bigger deal than being a doctor. Whatever. I don't knock the privilege. I just use it, right? So that's what made me think about this is like, yeah, I am- I'm really grateful to be a mom. I'm grateful that the thing that sometimes feels like a sacrifice is also beneficial to me as well. And I wanted to share that with you and encourage you to see the ways that it is the same for you in your life. And if it's not, are there ways that you can lean into that? How can you benefit from this thing that has already happened? You have the kids. Why not make your life a little bit easier if possible? Okay, doc? So that's it. That's all I have for you today. I'll see you on the next episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers.