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WOMEN IN
MEDICINE

A Working Mom

in Progress

By Brittany Lenz, MD

T
oday, I woke up my son, got him
ready for daycare and kissed him
goodbye. I then went to work where
I treated 30 patients, rushed home to cram in
some cuddles with my little one before bed-
time, shared a reheated leftover dinner with
my husband and finally had the chance to sit
and write these thoughts down at 9 p.m. It was
a pretty good day.
How different a day looks, before and after
parenthood! My husband and I met in college
and were married for 10 years before we de-
cided to have a baby. We loved our childless
life as two young professionals. We traveled,
enjoyed late nights out with friends, and cul-
tivated hobbies and interests outside of work.
We adopted the sweetest rescue dog, who al-
lowed us to flex our fledgling co-parenting
muscles while requiring minimal change to
our lifestyle. The concept of work-life balance
never crossed my mind. I could give 100% to
my job whenever I needed to, and my husband
had his own career goals to focus on. We al-
ways made time for each other, but there was
an easy flexibility between two adults who un-
derstanded each other’s busy professional lives.
A decade later, the arrival of our son com-
pletely rocked our world.
As a new mother and full-time private prac-
tice physician, I have struggled to find work-
life balance. Yet as I navigate the complexities this elusive balance. I imagined myself deftly of balance. Rather, I have found a carefully
and challenges of life as a working mom, I can’t astride the proverbial seesaw with my family timed and slightly frenzied method of getting
help but wonder if such a thing truly exists. on one side and my career on the other – both it all done that is more reminiscent of a strug-
Before my son was born, I was confident in perfect harmony. Now that I am living it, I gling entertainer. A woman alternately tossing
that I would rise to the challenge of attaining would not describe my current life in any sort and catching several tasks at once, shifting and

22 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • November 2021