Diary of a Doc: Dr. Diane -- Reflections on Becoming an MD and a Mom

I often get asked "How do you do it? Being a mom of 2, pediatrician and co-founder of MD MOMS?". I find myself wondering why the question was posed, as it suggests that I'm managing an insurmountable feat of some kind. I'd imagine I'm not all that different from most career moms out there. It comes from the delicate, not always controllable, but somehow effective balancing act of just doing the best I can, in roles that really fuse together and become one. A role that is shaped by life but one that I hope would be an adequate model for my kids to observe and learn from.

Having fled Vietnam during the height of the war at the age of 10 and immigrating to the US, I've experienced what it means to start anew in a very different land and culture. I have memories of a more privileged life in Vietnam, with nannies, tutors and chauffeurs. Yet my more intense recollections were of my efforts to assimilate into being a 5th grader in America. I learned that my pajamas are not to be worn at school, that holding my sister's hands while we walked home from school was seen as 'too intimate', and that you can actually refer to your teachers by their first name without any reprimand. It wasn't always easy, but we worked hard
to assimilate and excel.
As life went on, I began to recognize that my motivation stems from observing my parents' sacrifices to rebuild their lives from scratch for the benefit of their children. Therefore, I strived to take advantage of every blessed opportunity afforded to me by excelling in academics. I entered UC Davis medical school after attending UCSD and graduated from my pediatrics residency without any breaks for travel or real work/life experiences.
I got married after internship and became pregnant at around the second year of residency, and by the time I joined my first pediatric practice, I was a mother with 2 kids under the age of 4 (gulp).

It's often said that having children makes you a better pediatrician. While I think that is certainly true, personally, I feel that my experiences in my practice have taught me to be a better mom. As I struggle with a tragic diagnosis, or a difficult situation, I've become better at putting life into perspective and have tried to "not sweat the small stuff" at home. Through my children's young years, I worked full time, but as they have grown beyond after-school care, I've cut back my hours at the office. My husband is a physician also, so the whirlwind of both medical schedules and the academic schedules of 2 children left us with a short window of quality time in the evenings (often filled with homework) certainly not conducive to a relaxing bedtime routine!
Now my hours at the office coincide with their school time, and I'm a ready presence for them when they return from school. Oftentimes, homework time is a perfect time for me to work on my homework: MD Moms projects.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that life is easy, but I know first hand that it could be a lot tougher! Though my children are far removed from the first generation immigrant experience, I hope that they will strive to do the best they can with whatever life floats their way. And if they ever do find themselves having challenges with multitasking, I will remind them to do what I do and "not sweat the small stuff"!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!!

Health & Safety Tip: Are you keeping your New Year's Stay-Healthy Resolutions?

Well, we're 22 days in to the New Year and it's awe-inspiring to think how much change we've all been surrounded by of late! With all this excitement, it's sometimes easy to forget the promises we made to ourselves at the top of the year, so we thought we'd check in and see how your progress is going on your New Year's resolutions. We know how difficult it is to keep them, however well-intended they may be. So we're sharing our favorite stay-healthy resolutions that are actually easy to keep (and easy to pick up again any time of year)!

1. "I resolve to use sunsreen on my family every day."
   We know, we know..."But it's January! And we're not at the beach!" Believe it or not, harmful UV rays don't just make their appearance Memorial Day through Labor Day. Exposure to UV rays adds up all year round. The most effective way to prevent skin cancer (aside from staying out of the sun) is to use sunscreen 365 days a year. Our favorite (though we know we're biased) is the Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes SPF 30+. These indispensable sunscreen wipes are so easy to pop in the pocket of your winter coat and have a perfect amount of sunscreen to cover any exposed areas like face, ears & back of the hands -- any time of year.
   
   
2. "I resolve to wash my hands...a lot!"
   In our pediatric practices we are constantly bombarded with nasty germs, yet we rarely get sick. Our most tried & trued stay-healthy secret is surprisingly simple: We wash our hands constantly! Hand washing is the most effective (and easiest) way to prevent the spread of germs that cause colds, the flu, and several gastrointestinal disorders. Help your kids get in the habit early by teaching by example. Make it fun and lather up to a rousing rendition of the ABCs! If you don't have soap and water handy, go ahead and use a great multipurpose alcohol-free wipe or all-natural hand sanitizer.
   
   
3. "I resolve to adhere to the 30-second rule."
   Did you know the most effective way to maintain your and your baby's precious moisture barrier is to smooth on a moisture balm within about 30 seconds of patting dry? We like to call it the "30-second rule", and it's one of our favorite techniques to recommend to parents of children with eczema and dryness. Especially as the temperature continues to drop and winter dryness threatens even normally supple skin, we suggest at least a once-daily dose of moisture balm. A note to parents of children with very dry skin or eczema: One key to successfully treating these conditions is REPEATED application throughout the day.
   
   
4. "I resolve to up the antioxidant ante."
   Antioxidants protect us (and our babies) on the inside and out, aiding in skin repair and strengthening blood vessels. Blueberries are our top "superfood" choice for little ones (they're packed with antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, Vitamin C and potassium!) and a recent British study even showed that an antioxidant-rich Mediterranean diet may even prevent allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms in youngsters. When it comes to the outside, be sure to look for antioxidants like Vitamin E, Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Extract and Olive Squalane to protect baby's uniquely delicate skin from environment damage.

These resolutions we know we can keep... Now if only somebody would make it easier for us to stop eating chocolate and start jogging!

It’s that time of year, the holidays are upon us, and travel reaches a fever pitch at the end of November. Here are a few tried and true tips for safe and sane travel with your young ones:

Stay healthy on the go! Before you travel, make sure your children’s vaccinations are up to date, including flu vaccine (have your pediatrician guide you) – especially since nothing stops people from traveling to loved ones during the holidays – not even colds or flu!

Arrive early at the airport. If it is naptime, find a quiet corner for your child to nap while awaiting your flight. A rested child is a better traveler.

Always pack comfort items for your baby or tot . A lovey, pacifier or blanket are essential. For older children - a couple of favorite books, a favorite packable toy or a stuffed fuzzy friend are always a welcome companion.

Remember to also pack some light snacks for your tots or older children. Babies will do well with nursing or sucking on a bottle during take offs and landings as this will reduce discomfort associated with middle ear pressure changes.

Sample-size your routine! Current regulations permit a maximum size of 3oz bottles of creams, lotions, or gels as carry-on items. Baby Silk...To Go! is a perfect carry-on choice: 1oz tubes containing diaper rash cream and liquid powder, together with 2oz bottles containing hair &body wash and moisture balm are TSA-approved for carry-ons and make for an easy pass through at the security gate. (Don’t forget to also bring your Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes!) We suggest you check www.tsa.gov the day prior to departure for the most updated security information, to avoid unnecessary delays at the security checkpoint.

Children like to be comfortable traveling, too! Their softest PJs are better choices than their most fussy outfit! Save that for your destination. If you’re also traveling with a toddler, be sure to keep their shoes on when walking around a plane – unexpected injuries can be prevented.

If you are changing time zones, keep your child on his “home” time schedule until you arrive at your destination. Once at your destination, expect that for every hour time change you experience, your child will need a day to adjust …on the return leg, the same occurs. Try your best to remember regular naps and a consistent place for your child to sleep. Ironically, keeping a baby up and missing naps usually results in very sleepless nights.

Whether you are traveling near or far, or not at all, we wish you a happy, healthy and loving time with family and friends this holiday season!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Philanthropy is an essential core value of ours, both in our personal and professional lives as pediatricians and through MD Moms. As physicians, women and mothers we are committed to raising awareness when it comes to both child and family health.
As you may or may not know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While we love that there is a month of the year dedicated to awareness, we hope it will just be a kickoff to what is an entire year, and lifetime, of action.

It is nearly impossible to encounter a family that has not been touched by this dreadful disease in some way. For some of us it is our mothers or fathers, our sisters, our aunts, our grandmothers. For others it is a best friend, a friend of a friend, an acquaintance.
Many of you reading this have bravely fought and gloriously triumphed over a most devastating diagnosis. Too many women (and men) have not.
One more mother, one more grandparent, one more individual dying from breast cancer is one treasured person too many.

During the month of October, we will be donating 15% of the web sales of Baby Silk on our site mdmoms.com to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
This global organization, founded by the extraordinary Evelyn Lauder fifteen years ago, is dedicated to finding a cure in our lifetime and we hope we can help make that goal a reality!

We hope you will be inspired by a person you know, or even one you don't, to join us, get involved, and take action to fight breast cancer.

Dr JJ's Diary of a Doc: Allowing yourself a much needed 'Mom's Time Out'

One of the great perks I enjoy, since I travel a lot as president of MD Moms, is taking advantage of the opportunity to meet great moms and Baby Silk customers in any city I wake up in. A few months ago I had the privilege (for the second year in a row) of being the “in house” pediatrician for Mommy and Baby week at the Greenhouse Spa in Dallas.

Certainly, a week at a high end spa is usually only the subject of dreams for most of us (including me), so seizing an opportunity like this (4 days of sublime treatments in the company of several moms and adorable babies) was a no-brainer…..

I met a great group of moms from all backgrounds and walks of life as well as a few speakers who brought their insights and expertise to this event. Two moms had 4 kids under kindergarten age (twins made the math “easy” for both of them – one was a stay at home mom, and the other was a fulltime attorney in Washington DC), one mom had a very young one month old, one was having a last hurrah before returning to her position as an aerospace engineer at NASA, another a single mom/prosecuting attorney who had lost her home in Hurricane Katrina, a store owner, a foundation head and 2 mompreneurs – one who manufactures organic baby food and the other, socially responsible dog products.

These are lucky women – auspiciously not because they could afford the week at the Greenhouse (although I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that), but because they have taken the time, with the support of their families, to recognize that relaxation, revitalization, and recreation were important enough to stop real life for a few days, and treat themselves to some needed rest, some healthy food, a few naps made possible by the help of in-house helpers, and an opportunity to make some new friends.

How often do we, as mothers in particular, sacrifice things like a good haircut, a meal or coffee out with a friend, or worse yet, a needed doctor’s appointment or yearly mammogram, because we are just “too busy?”

How often do we say “no thank you” when a friend, relative or colleague offers to take our kids out, drive them to school or daycare, or just give us a break?

While martyrdom was popular in the dark ages, there should be no role for it in our lives. Allow yourselves to take the time to assign your partner to your child for an hour, light some candles, and soak in a bath. Say yes to your neighbor, let her watch your child, and go get your hair cut or nails polished.

Grab your young one, and curl up together for a nap, and defer a few errands or chores to just suspend yourself in rest for a few minutes. Despite the fact that most of us don’t have a big budget for a spa, we can easily create some “aaah” time as a priority. You will find, as I have this week, that the world does not stop and implode when you are gone for a few minutes or hours. These breaks are difficult to take, but allow us to refresh our bodies, minds, and spirits so that we become better mothers, better partners, and better people.