Stories from parenthood with Brianne Tetz
Photo by Andrea Hanki Photography
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Getting to know Brianne
Emergency Medicine Physician
Hi! I’m Brianne Tetz, a Emergency Medicine physician at the Sturgeon Community Hospital and first time mama-to-be. Outside of my clinical work, I do clinical education with medical students and residents. My husband and I have always planned on starting a family once I was established at work and decided not to let the pandemic deter our plans. Our pregnancy has provided a source of hope and excitement for us and our families during this stressful time.
Pregnancy during the pandemic
FW: What does a typical day for you look like right now?
Brianne: One of the things I enjoy most about shift work, is that every day is different. Now that I am nearing the end of my pregnancy I have given up night shifts, but still work a variety of day and evening shifts. Typically my days consist of taking the pooch out for a walk, completing a few “baby preparation tasks”, work and a nap (or two!).
FW: What are the best and worst pieces of advice you’ve gotten as an expecting parent?
Brianne: The best piece of advice I got was to “do what works for you right now”. All of my experienced mom friends talk about the stress of a baby’s behaviours constantly changing as they reach different milestones. What worked one week won’t work the next. Additionally, they express how much they stressed about the impact of their current actions on the baby’s future development (eg if I rock the baby to sleep today, will it ruin sleep training down the road?). At the end of the day, they all agree do what works for you. Every baby is different, so ignore everyone’s advice and overwhelming amount of information on social media, just focus on what works for you and your child.
For worst piece of advice given, I would say any sentence that starts with “just wait until….”. Most expectant mothers are already overwhelmed, unsolicited horror stories just add to the stress and anxiety.
FW: What supports and/or resources have made it possible for you to take on both career and future child-rearing responsibilities?
Brianne: Work life balance has become the buzz word of the 21st century. Luckily for myself, I have a very supportive husband. During my difficult pregnancy he has taken on the majority of the household chores (although to be honest he already did more than his share!) and is committed to being an active, involved parent. We also have very involved families, who are eager to help. We joke that we will have to fight off our families to see our own kid.
FW: What have been some of the biggest challenges or changes to your work life since the start of the pandemic?
Brianne: As a pregnant front line healthcare worker, the pandemic constantly brought on new challenges and changes. Lets just say pregnancy nausea and full PPE don’t mix well. I had a to make many quick exits from patient rooms over the past 8 months. Personal safety has been a huge source of stress. As an expectant parent you are now trying to protect yourself and your unborn babe.
FW: Has the pandemic impacted how you plan to parent your child/ren?
Brianne: The biggest impact the pandemic will have on my parenting will be around socializing my child. The effects of the pandemic will be felt for years to come, and it will be important for me to actively seek out safe socialization opportunities. It is great to see how creative parents have become and how resilient children are to change.
FW: How do you think the demands of parenthood may impact your career?
Brianne: Obviously parenthood will have huge impacts on my career, and my current priorities. However, I am lucky to have a career and co-workers who value work life balance. The flexibility of my profession and the support from my family will allow me to continue to be committed to my career while raising a family.
FW: Have you formed a personal motto or philosophy surrounding your recent experiences as an expecting parent?
Brianne: My personal motto has become “only worry about what you have control over”. There is so many things to worry and stress about as an expectant mother, especially in a pandemic that it can be overwhelming. By limiting my worrying (or trying to at least) to only things I could control helped me get more enjoyment out of my pregnancy. I had to learn to ignore all the “what ifs..”.
FW: Has the pandemic positively impacted your career/life in any way?
Brianne: Like many people, the pandemic has reinforced my values. It emphasized the importance of family and friends, and ensuring that I work to nurture those relationships. It also forced my life to slow down, which helped me enjoy pregnancy and baby preparation. Who knew buying tiny onesies online could bring so much joy?
FW: If you had to pick, what would be the biggest thing being pregnant through the pandemic has changed your perspective on?
Brianne: The pandemic has reinforced how grateful I am. There are so many stories of new moms who feel isolated with no close family support, childcare issues and lack of stress relievers with gyms and mommy groups being closed. I am so thankful to have a close support network to reach out too.
