My Pregnancy Journey & Birth Story with Baby #1

In todays episode, I am sitting down to discuss my pregnancy with baby #1 and share my birth story. I will be diving into all the details and what I wish I knew before having an emergency induction. 

Next week’s episode, I’ll be sitting down with my friend Maddie to talk all about babies in medicine—navigating pregnancy, motherhood, and the unique challenges that come with this season while in the medical world. It’s going to be such a good conversation, and I can’t wait for you to hear it.

I’m so glad you’re here 🫶🏻

Apply to be on the podcast |  https://forms.gle/JzRPXWi1fb4H2vLy7

MY LTK |  https://www.shopltk.com/explore/Lifeofadrwife?tab=posts
COMFRT |  https://comfrt.com/MORGAN1123
MONARCH |  https://www.monarch.com/referral?r_source=copy&code=vbxf53xf27

Follow the Life of a Dr Wife:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lifeofadrwife
Tik Tok | https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeofadrwife

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573291431207

Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCwzHHkRBz6XuzEfKZW36SHRG6x3askHk

Transcript

Monarch

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I want to share something that has genuinely helped us stay on top of life lately, and that's using Monarch for budgeting. If you're anything like us, especially in this season of life, balancing school, work, family, loans, and everything in between, money can feel like one more thing to keep track of. And honestly, it used to stress me out. But Monarch has made it so much easier. It gives you a full picture of your finances in one place, your spending, your savings, your goals. And what I love most is that it's designed for families. You can link your accounts, credit cards, and even investment accounts. You can share it with your partner, stay on the same page, and actually feel in control together. It's not about restricting your life, it's about understanding it and making smarter decisions without feeling overwhelmed. If you want to try it out, you can get 50% off your first year with my link in the show notes. I highly recommend it if you're trying to simplify your finances and just feel a little more organized in your day-to-day life. Hi guys, welcome

Preemptive Warning

SPEAKER_00 1:04

back to the life of a doctor's wife. Today's episode is deeply personal. Before we begin the episode, I just want to share a gentle note. This episode talks about pregnancy, miscarriage, and birth. I know that can be a sensitive or even triggering topic for some. If you're currently struggling with pregnancy loss or this season of life in any way, please take care of yourself first. It's okay to skip this episode or come back to it when you're ready. You are not alone in what you're feeling. If you need support, please don't hesitate to reach out to someone you trust. Just know I'm thinking of you, I'm praying for you, and holding space for you at this moment.

Intro

SPEAKER_00 1:49

My pregnancy and my birth was not normal. It was not what everyone talks about or is shown in the movies. From the excitement to the unknowns to the challenges, I didn't see coming. This journey stretched me, surprised me, and ultimately shaped me in ways I'm still learning to understand. Pregnancy isn't always what you picture, so today I'm taking you through all of it. The highs, the lows, the in-between moments, and the memories that will stay with me forever. My hope is that if you're in this season, heading into it, or reflecting back on your own story, you feel seen, understood, and a little less alone. This is my pregnancy, my birth story. So let's get into

Pregnancy

SPEAKER_00 2:37

it. It was towards the end of our second year of medical school, and David and I decided it was finally time. We were ready to start trying for a baby, and I'll be honest, I didn't realize how quickly I would become a little obsessive about it. The first month came and went, and I wasn't pregnant. I remember feeling more disappointed than I expected. Suddenly seeing kids and babies running around restaurants or out in public just was ache on my heart. So the next month, I was testing constantly, like every day. I had ordered these cheap little strip tests on Amazon, and honestly, I highly recommend them because the other tests can get so expensive so fast. And then one day I saw it, the faintest little second line. I remember just staring at it and thinking, is this real? Am I imagining this line? Because soon after I took a clear blue digital and it was negative. And that completely crushed me. I was so confused. I kept thinking, is this just an evaporation line? Am I seeing because I want to see it? Every doubt you can imagine was running through my head. But something in me just knew. So the next day I took another test, and this test, the clear blue, was positive. And that moment and it all hit me. The shock, the excitement, the relief, it was real. I actually have that reaction saved on my Instagram page from my 2024 recap, and it's something I'll always look back on. But if you want to go watch that, head on over to my Instagram and you can find that reaction. After I finally got that positive test, I started telling a few people who are really close to me. And I know this looks different for everyone, but for me, I wanted the support early. I knew that if something were to happen, I would not want to go through it alone. I know some people don't choose that way, and that's okay. You have to do what's right for you. I knew I publicly didn't want to announce it. So I told the people I trust most, the ones I knew would be there for me no matter what. And looking back, I'm really glad I did. Because those early weeks were not easy, and having that support meant absolutely everything. Around six weeks, David was leaving for a medical conference for a few days, and I remember feeling really uneasy about it. I'm not typically the clingy type. I usually encourage him to go, travel, do his thing, but this time it really felt different. I couldn't quite explain it. I just had this feeling in my gut. I just didn't want him to go. But he ended up leaving on the trip and he told me everything would be okay and to just give him a call if I needed anything. But that Friday night, most of our friends were headed off to marriage Bible study, and I had just picked up dinner and was planning to have a quiet night in at home. But out of nowhere, I started having pretty intense abdominal pain and back pain. There was no bleeding, but it was enough to really scare me. As a few hours went by, I remember laying on our bedroom floor, sobbing on the phone with my mom, and then everything escalated really quickly. The pain got worse, I started vomiting, and I could barely even talk to her anymore. It was honestly terrifying. I texted two of my friends and they dropped everything. My best friend showed up at my door, took one look at me, and immediately said, We're going to the hospital without hesitation. They both quickly got me to the ER, and I have never been triaged so fast in my life. I was completely out of it. Somewhere in the middle of all that, my mom realized I was in the hospital and started calling my best friend. My friend later told me she panicked for a second, thinking she might have accidentally told my mom that I was pregnant before I even had the chance to tell her. But thankfully, I had already told her earlier that day. And honestly, in that moment, none of that even mattered. My health and the baby safety were the only priorities. Now, meanwhile, David did know that I was headed to the hospital and what I was going through briefly. Obviously, he didn't have the play by play, but he knew some things were wrong. But unfortunately, because the medical conference was through the medical school, he couldn't change his flights as easy. And I also told him to just wait because by the time he could get an Uber to the airport and buy a flight ticket, even if we had to pay for it to get him back home, I was probably gonna have a few more answers by then. After hours of labs testing and so much unknown, we finally got some answers. My potassium was dangerously low, but the biggest relief of all when they did the ultrasound, the baby was okay, and we found out my due date of December 1st. I cannot even describe the relief in that moment. After all that fear, just hearing that everything was okay, it was absolutely everything. I remember calling David, who was thousands of miles away at the time, just so grateful I could tell him that we were both okay. But the next morning brought its own challenges, ones that I didn't even think I'd ever have to face. The next morning I had a baby shower. I remember that being the first time I really felt those mixed emotions. The night before I was terrified I was losing my baby, and then the next day I was celebrating someone else's. It was such a strange, emotional place to be in, holding both joy and fear at the exact same time. The next few weeks after that were kind of a blur. A lot of fatigue, constant nausea, trouble sleeping, trying different medications, and just trying to get through each day. I felt like I was constantly chasing, feeling normal, but never quite getting there. Around 29 weeks, things started to feel a little heavier, emotionally and physically. David was on his OB rotation at the time, and he had experienced a really heartbreaking case. I think both of us were trying to process that in our own ways while also staying positive for our own situation. But between that and just being very pregnant at that point, my hormones were definitely high and everything felt a little more intense. Around this time, we also had a scare at one of my appointments where Mia had an elevated heart rate. That led to more monitoring and stress tests, which just added another level of anxiety. Not long after that, I ended up back in the ER again with low potassium. On top of that, my lab showed low hemoglobin and ferritin, so I ended up starting IV iron infusions. It honestly just felt like one thing after another. At this point, I ended up removing myself from work because that's when we really started having conversations about the possibility of not making it to full term. Which is such a hard thing to wrap your head around when you're pregnant. You always picture making it all the way. I also had to make a really tough decision during this time. My cousin's wedding was coming up and I was supposed to be a bridesmaid. But deep down I knew it wasn't the safest choice for me or the baby to travel. At my 33-week appointment, my blood pressure was slightly elevated. Not alarming yet, but definitely something we were watching closely. Then at 34 weeks, we got really difficult news. My grandma was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer that had metastasized to her liver. That alone was a lot to carry emotionally, especially being so far along in my pregnancy and not being able to just go be with my family. And for my cousin, my heart absolutely broke. I just told her I wasn't gonna be at her wedding. And then my grandma, who was supposed to be officiating the wedding, had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Shortly after my grandma's diagnosis, things were starting to shift with me physically. I had some spotting and called labor and delivery, and they had me come in to be monitored. Everything was okay in that moment, but as a precaution, my provider decided to give me a steroid shot to help develop me as lungs in case she came early. It was a two-part series, one shot and then another 24 hours later. And looking back, I'm so glad we did that. Because just a few days later, everything changed again. It was Tuesday night, and I started having symptoms that immediately fell off. Double vision, a really bad headache, and just an overall feeling that something wasn't right. David checked my blood pressure around 8 p.m. and it was 132 over 84. He told me he was headed to the gym to get a quick workout in and to text him if I needed him. And that when he got home, he would recheck my blood pressure. Not even an hour later, I texted David and I said, I need you home now. I don't feel good. David had checked my blood pressure again and it was 148 over 92. He said, Let me take a quick shower and I'll check it again. Shortly after his shower, he checked my pressure again and it was 170 over 110. And then when your medical husband takes your blood pressure and then says, Well, let me check the other arm, like it's magically gonna be so much less, but you do it anyways. But that time he said it was even higher. But he also never told me exactly what that number was. He didn't even hesitate. We went straight to the hospital.

Hospital

SPEAKER_00 13:30

And I'll be honest, I was still in absolute denial. I kept thinking they're going to check me and send me home. But David looked at me and just knew he was like, we're having a baby, let's go. And that's the hard battle with a medical student. Is it like, are they overreacting? Are they thinking of the absolute worst? Or are we really there? When we arrived at the hospital, luckily that same provider that was on that decided to give me the shot a few nights back was on again. My blood pressure was still really high when we got there. They started running labs, and when the results came back and my liver enzymes were in the 300s,

Induction

SPEAKER_00 14:12

I remember not fully understanding at first. Until my provider came into the room and said, Your liver enzymes are in the 300s. And David and I just both stared at him. And then he goes, They should be in the 30s. And I remember David kind of like laughing, like, what? Okay. And that's when it really hit me. And this is where it gets a little wonky. Being a spouse of a medical student in LD on a rotation that your husband's on 30-year rotations, or even if your husband isn't on rotations, or your spouse, or whatever, most likely the people that are there are friends with your spouse. So that was like another challenging moment is being like, okay, I don't want you coming over my house for dinner on a Friday night, and then you looking at my hoo-haw 48 hours later. Like, no, that's just not gonna happen. But luckily, this night it was a female med student who was on, and she came into the room and did it ultrasound to make sure Mia was head down. Because if she wasn't, they said we were heading straight into a C-section. Everything was honestly happening so fast. I think with the double vision and not feeling well myself, it just made everything a lot harder to comprehend. And the reality of what was coming next was starting to set in. I was finally transferred to an LD bed around midnight. When my provider finally came into our room, he told me that he had been calling UVA for guidance and protocol, which honestly I deeply appreciated. I knew at that point I was considered high risk. And I know not being at a large hospital, I appreciated his continuance of not acting like he knew every answer to everything, and him constantly calling up there for guidance just made me feel more and more reassured. Then also on top of that, being in a high-risk room, I had a nurse with me 24-7. They were checking my vitals every 15 minutes. They would take my temperature, they would take my blood pressure, they would check my reflux, and at one point the doctor came in to check me and see how I was doing physically. He found out that I had clonus of seven beats. And here is another weird one of being the spouse of a medical student. The next thing you know, he's asking, can your husband feel this? Can she feel this as the med student? And I'm just like, yeah, okay. And he has each of them grab your feet to feel clonus. And then next thing I know, nurses were coming in the room asking if they could feel the cloneness in my feet. Because it's not something they see every day. They gave me Cytotech pills to soften my cervix and started me on a Mag IV drip, which honestly, mag makes you feel absolutely horrible. Like the worst I have ever felt in my entire life. I remember my face burning up. You feel like you have a fever, but that's the other hard part, I guess, is you don't know if it's truly the mag or if it's the side effects of pre-E. But my vision just got worse and worse. And honestly, I think that was the hardest part because you're delivering your child, you're going through this point, and it's like my baby's been here for 24 plus hours, earth side, and I feel like I can't even see her face. So once they gave me the cytotech and had started the mag for some time, they finally inserted a balloon, and it wasn't as bad as people say. Like, being completely honest, I've heard horror stories over people getting the balloon. I really didn't feel that bad. Like, yes, there's pressure when they're blowing it up, but like really that was it. I feel like it was more just like I was feeling the contractions. So around 8 a.m. I asked for the epidural. And that's the other funny thing. Being the wife of a medical student and one who is just on OV for rotations, my husband's standing there asking the nurse who's the anesthesiologist who's on. And then they reply with a name. And then my husband goes, No, you don't want him. She says, Oh, well, this person's on next. And then my husband repeats

Epidural

SPEAKER_00 19:10

back and goes, You have to hold out. You have to wait. Which some days I'm appreciative of that information, and other days I am just like, I'm in pain. Please just give me the epidural. I don't care who it is, just do it right, please. I ended up not being able to hold out, but by the time I said, okay, give me the epidural, I'm done. And they were able to start the fluids. I was on change of shift. So I was the first person on the next anesthesiologist list for the epidural. So it all ended up working out so well, but it is so hard when they know too much information. At around 10 a.m., if they came and tugged on that balloon and it came out, they started the Pitocin to keep up with the contractions to keep things moving along. I honestly sat at four centimeters from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until the next provider decided to break my water. But the really cool thing about it all was the provider who came on, who would be on when I delivered Mia, was Dave's preceptor on his OB rotation. So it really was a really cool moment having someone who taught my husband, showed him all of the things when it comes to labor and delivery, to then be fast forward two, three weeks. And now here she is delivering our baby. And honestly, I will say she really didn't give him a hard time. She didn't ask him crazy questions or see if he knew about things. Honestly, she let us be a family. She let him do the dad role. And if anything, David asked more medical questions as things came up and was like, Well, what's your threshold for this? Or what's your threshold for that? Will we have to go in for a C-section? Um, what's her levels at? Because they were continuously coming in to take more and more lab work because they wanted to watch my liver enzymes and my platelets and all of those things. So by 4 30 p.m., I was nine and a half centimeters and I felt like I was ready to push. I ended up pushing for less than an hour and

Birth

SPEAKER_00 21:28

had Mia at 5.26 p.m. The NICU team did come in for her delivery because they were concerned about her breathing and being a mag baby, which I guess slows everything down in their body. I really wasn't really aware of what happens. Part of me wishes if I could go back that I would have researched some of these things, especially like pre eclampsia, which I feel like is more common than people think it is, to kind of understand the different medications, the different routes that you can take. When you become symptomatic, and also the effects that that has on the baby, I would not change what I do at all in the end. I would never like deny the mag or deny anything from my health or my baby's health. But I think being a little bit more knowledgeable on what it can do to Mia probably would have made me feel less like scared. And I feel like I could have lived a little bit more in the moment. Because also they have this button, at least at the hospital that I delivered at. And the moment they hit that button, the NICU team and everyone just comes rushing into the room. And that's pretty much what happened right before the provider came in to deliver. It is pretty overwhelming when all of a sudden eight people or ten people, I can't even remember how many people came rushing into the room. But luckily, we had a safe delivery and they put me on my chest. But after a few seconds of no crying, I remember her saying really fast, she was like, Okay, Dad, time to cut the cord, like literally the moment Mia came out, and still allowed him to do that, but brought her over to the NICU team and they had administered some oxygen for a few minutes and then brought her back over to me. I was still able to have a golden hour on my chest, which was a dream. I don't think going into that, I had any expectations of that, but being able to still have that experience, I think was something I'll never forget. And I am so grateful for. And honestly, I give it all to the provider who was on the weekend before because I really truly do believe that the reason why I got that golden hour, why Mia got to come home with us right away, and Mia was able to thrive seriously, although she does have other medical complications that we dealt with in her first year of life. I want to take a quick break to share something with you guys that I've generally been loving lately. If you followed me for a while, you know I'm all about being comfortable, especially in this season of life. And honestly, comfort has become my go-to for that. I wear my comfort lounge sets for everything, like lounging at home, running out for a quick grocery trip, throwing something on when I don't want to think too hard about an outfit. It just works. And during pregnancy, when nothing feels comfortable and you just want to be in something soft and easy. This was one of the only things I consistently reached for. It's cozy without feeling sloppy, and I still feel a little put together, even on the most low energy days. Their sweatshirts are probably my favorite. I grab one constantly. It's one of those pieces you don't even have to think about. You just throw it on and you're good. Whether you're traveling, going for a walk, or lounging at home, it is truly my go-to. If you want to try it for yourself, I have a link for you guys in the show notes where you can shop all their apparel, accessories, and even blankets. I wouldn't share it if I didn't actually love it, and I know you will love it too. On the same day that

Mother - Baby Unit

SPEAKER_00 25:27

I had Mia, my grandma Phyllis, who is diagnosed with stage four metastatic colon cancer, not even a week earlier, started her treatment the day that Mia was born. It is just such a blessing that Mia was healthy. And the video I might have to share on my social media at some point, but I hold that video so dear to my heart, and now that my grandmother has passed away, it still is something that I cherish and watch over and over. But FaceTiming her back in mother and baby, and she was laying in bed, and I was laying in a hospital bed and showing her Mia and telling her that Mia was okay and that I was okay, and hearing how worried she was about me all along when I'm worried about her, she was absolutely over the moon. And to see the joy on her face to know that Mia was here while she was still fighting. Because honestly, when I got that call that my grandma had terminal cancer, my biggest fear was that she was never gonna meet Mia. And ending up months later, as my grandma finished her fight against colon cancer, she got to hold Mia multiple times. We flew back together, and she got to have that moment and meet Mia because honestly, throughout her cancer journey, Mia became her everything. It was her fight every day was to be there to watch Mia grow. But after we called some family and told them that Mia had safely made it here and was doing okay, Dave looked at me and he was like, I need to go to bed. And I completely forgot that in that moment he had been up since 6 a.m. on Tuesday, and he was practically hallucinating and just needed to get some sleep. I know he truly felt horrible because I had just had a baby, was super sick trying to take care of the baby all night and take care of myself, but deep down I knew in that moment that if he didn't get that sleep and he wasn't able to kind of pull himself back together, then what help is that to any of us? So as easy as it could be to get frustrated or upset or angry with him, the best thing I could do was you get sleep, so then you can help me all day tomorrow during the day and night to be the best dad that you can be. And honestly, I had the nurses, I had plenty of other help that allowing him to get that sleep was what we all needed. But also later in the middle of the night, Mia's body temperature started to drop. And we tried to do multiple things to try to bring up Mia's body temperature, but unfortunately, she ended up having to go back up to the NICU to warm up. So honestly, yes, it was hard leaving her, but at the same time, I think both of us kind of needed that in the moment of like, she needs to go to up to the NICU. I can't really get out of bed. He needs sleep and he's been out cold now for the last hour or two. So we're just gonna keep sleeping, and they'll bring Mia back to me when she is ready. The other things that I wish I would have researched when conversations were coming up about not making it to 40 weeks. I wish I would have researched the different tests and things that have to happen before a baby can come home because I didn't realize that you have to bring in the car seat and the base, y'all, and the base. You look really weird carrying around a car seat and the base to it, but you have to bring in the whole contraption and the baby has to go up to the NICU and spend a few hours up there with like heart monitors and oxygen and all these things to show that she can stay in the car seat without dropping her levels. So that was something else that I wish I knew because not only do they have the hearing and the eye tests and this and that that they normally have, but being a preemie, she had so many more tests that she had to pass to be able to come home. But also, it was such a blessing that she was passing like all of those tests because I also couldn't imagine being a NICU mama and coming home without my baby, because I know a lot of my friends who have gone through that, and my heart goes out to you. I cannot imagine. But honestly, those few days in Mother Baby Unit, although I think I spent more than half of the time not really being able to see, not being able to see my baby or family's like true full reactions on FaceTime, I think that those were some of the sweetest moments. There was not a care in the world. Both of you are there with your new baby, binge watching shows, sleeping, getting rest. I have to say, my mom and my grandma, because my grandma loved to shop, my mom got her out the next day, and they were in Carter's. And I never forget my mom FaceTiming me and my grandma picking out premi clothes because now all I had was newborn clothes, and even in the hospital, poor Mia was swimming in all of her clothes, and my grandma giving her honest opinion, as always, being like, Oh, this is cute, or no, that's ugly, don't buy that. And I like barely could see still. It is one of those other memories that I think I will cherish. Now, I do say that in mother baby, you have these calm moments, you have these beautiful moments, but being a medical student whose spouse has a baby, your world doesn't stop. There's still that expectation to keep up. And on rotations, you are only given two days off. So I went into labor and delivery late Tuesday night and got induced. So David went into his rotation on Monday and Tuesday. So David should have had Wednesday, the day I had Mia, and Thursday off. I was still admitted to the hospital on Friday, but David was technically expected to be back on rotations or in class. Luckily, by the grace of God, we were on a very good rotation where David had a great relationship with his preceptor. And he had contacted his preceptor and said, Hey, this is what's happening, what's going on. Obviously, this isn't expected. I didn't feel like I had to tell you that my wife was pregnant because I didn't believe that she was gonna be induced at 35 weeks, and so luckily his preceptor was great and was like, sure, let me know what I need to do. David ended up filing some paperwork and got Friday off. So luckily, he was able to still drive me home from the hospital, and he was able to come home with us. We were able to have Saturday and Sunday at home as a family, and then he had to return back on Monday. So, yeah, not great, not ideal. I remember I was just at Mia's music class the other day, and the dad comes in and he goes, he was talking to the women who run the class, and they were asking him, Oh, you're still off or whatever, and he goes, Yeah, I get eight weeks off. Like, I would die over eight weeks paid leave, like no responsibilities, nothing. I was like, We got two days, and that starts from the moment you go into labor. So don't forget that, and definitely keep that in mind because that is a sacrifice that you have to make as a couple and as a family. Luckily, we are blessed. Yes, we are far from our family, but our families did come to be with us and help us as much as they could. But also, unfortunately, my mom came for a few days, and then my mom had to leave like four or five days later because she had to go home because my sisters were in my cousin's wedding, of the wedding of which I was supposed to also be in. So it was kind of a whirlwind between my grandma being diagnosed with colon cancer, me having the baby, my mom trying to fly here to get to me to help tend to me because she knew I was sick.

What I wish I knew

SPEAKER_00 34:22

And on top of it, something else that I did not know that I wish other people or someone would have told me is you cannot drive for two weeks after you have a baby. At least that's the rule from our hospital. So two weeks I cannot be in the front seat, passenger seat, I had to be in the rear. I wanted to be next to Mia anyways, which was fine. But if my husband has to go back to work and we don't have family nearby here and he only gets two days, hey, how am I getting home from the hospital? How am I supposed to get to my daughter's pediatrician appointments? And also, I had more follow-up appointments because I was so sick. So, something to keep in mind: make sure you have a driver, somebody, friend. Additionally, because I was so sick, they actually sent out a paramedic out to our home a couple times for a few weeks to come out and take my blood pressure, log it, report it back to make sure that I still wasn't developing postpartum preeclampsia, which is also real. So be knowledgeable, be aware, become educated on it, and really stay in tune with your body. Again, I did want to mention that David had such a great preceptor. I think I almost cried when he came home. It's still kind of a blur, but David went back on Monday and he came home from work on Monday with like this gigantic bag of goodies and just all things baby. And honestly, it's the things that you don't get at your baby shower. It wasn't really baby clothes, toys, or teethers or gadgets. It was literally my Licon drop. Also, Mia came home at five pounds, five ounces. So she was a little tiny peanut. She had tons of different medicines and ointments and just over-the-counter things that I don't think people even thought about. And let me tell you, I grabbed half of those things in the middle of the night at one, two, three, four o'clock in the morning because Mia wasn't sleeping, she had gas, she had bubbles, all the different things. Mylocon became the next best thing. Also, when you're sleep deprived, your baby's not sleeping, your baby's upset, you want to make them feel better. Milecon drops were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I didn't even know that they existed. So thank goodness to his wife because she saved me. And now some of those things are like the number one thing that I put in baskets or give at people's baby showers. I'm like, this is your emergency basket, okay? Because I was so lucky and so blessed to have her to think of me, to know what we were going through, to knowing we had a premi and putting something together like that was honestly so touching from another spouse of someone in medicine. So honestly, that's my story, that's my honesty. Thank you so much for being here with me today and for allowing me to share such a personal piece of my life. Telling this story isn't always easy, but it means a lot to be able to connect in such a real and honest way. And before you go, I'm really excited for next week's episode. I'll be sitting down with my friend Maddie to talk about babies in medicine, navigating pregnancy, motherhood, and the unique challenges that come with this season while in the medical world. It's gonna be such a good conversation, and I can't wait for

Outro

SPEAKER_00 38:13

you to hear it. If this episode resonated with you in any way, I'd love for you to share it with someone who might need it too. Or just take a moment to reflect on your own journey. And as always, I'd love to hear from you, your experiences, your stories, or even things you wish you knew. So feel free to reach out or message me. You can find me on social media at Life of a DR Wife. Thank you so much for being here and for spending this time with me. I seriously don't take that lightly. Until next time, take a breath, pour yourself a nice coffee, and be kind to yourself. I'll see you in the next one.