Thread by @AnkaArora

A few months into my Neurology residency program, I found myself,unexpectedly, pregnant! With my husband pursuing his Neurosurgery residency simultaneously, the situation was not ideal. A few personal thoughts .. 1/n #MedTwitter

No amount of medical knowledge or previous imagination can prepare you for the reality of impending motherhood. Your reaction may surprise you. The only thing I was certain about was wanting to continue the pregnancy, so that made things easier for me2/n

Even if you aren't immediately sure what to do, it's alright. It's a big decision, and you have to be sure first, before you look for certainty in your spouse/family members. Don't base your decision on other people's desires. 3/n

If you decide to go ahead with it, it may take a while to shift gears mentally. We're used to work being everything and you may have to keep reminding yourself that you're pregnant, in the middle of 6-hr long grand rounds and night duties and running in the corridors. 4/n

Which brings me to guilt! Your constant companion! You may forget to eat, sleep, relax but you won't forget to feel guilty. For your little one, for yourself, your patients, your colleagues.. there is no end to it. So let it go, you're doing the best you can 5/n

There is nothing to prove. There are no medals for doing it all. And you can't, no matter how much you push yourself. Expect the easy fatigability. It is healthier to work consistently rather than yo-yoing between hard work and exhaustion. 6/n

Tell your faculty/HoD/ colleagues early. They will help the best way they can. Don't read too much into their reactions. Be sensitive to your own emotions, not those of others. How people react is usually more about them, not about you. Again, you have nothing to prove. 7/n

Be prepared to pay the short-term price for your long-term goal. A delayed term, falling a little behind your colleagues in training, a loss of kin-ship with them- is a small and temporary exchange for what you will gain. Momentarily, you may feel a sense of loss, accept it. 8/n

You are not the same as your colleagues, so you are going to be treated differently. Don't fight it. Equal does not mean same. Perceived preferential "good" treatment vs feeling ignored/abandoned- are part of the same package. Dwell lightly on both. 9/n

Your colleagues are busy with their own lives. You may no longer be on the same page. They may think they are being kind by leaving you alone/be wary of requests. Appreciate their help, don't jump to conclusions. Again, it's more about them than about you. And It's temporary 10/n

Anyway, my little one is two years old now and it has been such a rewarding journey. More about motherhood and residency in a later thread. Please retweet if you think this might help someone!

And if someone is going through this and wants to talk, you can DM me.