Being a Mom and a Student

Growing up, I was always a student first. Anything I added to my plate my school work came first. I played basketball in middle school, and I danced in high school. Everyone always talked about the importance of being a student-athlete, and how we were students first. I was a part of a lot of clubs in high school and college, and even though my extracurricular activities were important to me, I was always a student first.

In April of 2021, I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter. That fall I started my master's program in medical science. I knew that this was the plan, so I applied for online master's programs. I figured this would give me the flexibility I needed to be a mom and a student. Notice I put mom first. Everything else in my life always came after being a student. The moment I saw that positive pregnancy test, everything changed. I planned everything around being a mom.

My hope was that I would give birth during winter break and start the new year and the new semester with a new baby. No big deal. As someone who is very dedicated to school, I have had my fair share of all-nighters. What’s the difference? I gave birth on January 6th, 2022 and four days later I started anatomy. Everyone thought I was crazy but super brave to do that. I am a master multi-tasker. I am the queen of piling things on my plate and thriving, but this was very different.

What they don’t tell you about being a parent is that it isn’t just adding one thing, it’s adding 20 things. I am now a mother, a nurse, a milk maker, a chef, and so much more. On top of being a mom and a student, I am also a wife, a manager of a cleaning company, a tour guide, and a chiropractic assistant. As I said, I am the queen of piling things on my plate, but for the first time, I wasn’t thriving.

Postpartum depression hit me hard. The only thing getting me out of bed was my daughter. I knew very quickly that I needed to act fast. I started therapy and I got put on medication. I have always been opposed to putting myself on medication, but if I was going to survive, it was necessary. I made it through anatomy with a B in the deepest depression I’ve ever been in. This made me feel as though I could do anything.

I have made a lot of progress over the last couple of years. I survived being pregnant while in school, I am surviving being a mother while in school, and I am the closest I have ever felt to actually applying to med school. It seems like a lot of pressure to put on myself, and it is, but as I said, I am the queen of piling things on my plate and thriving.

If being a mom has taught me anything, it is that everything happens when it is supposed to, and to not rush my timeline. I became a mom exactly when I was supposed to. I will finish my master's exactly when I’m supposed to. I will get into med school exactly when I’m supposed to.