Author Archives: Mumma_pod

I had a conversation at work which has left me rather unsettled. It was not the heated debate with the male misogynistic consultant (MMC) about victim blaming in cases of rape, that has left me unsettled. I am proud of challenging his views – I didn’t win but I didn’t let sexist dogs lie either!Continue reading “Coffee room misogyny”

The looming FRCS exam was one of the scariest obstacles when I was considering my place in medicine. Was is it worth putting myself through it? However would I manage it when I could barely remember the chapter title let alone the fine details. Was it worth putting my family through that? Now I amContinue reading “Mount FRCS”

One of my great role models as a surgeon once told me that she heard women saying they felt like rubbish surgeons and rubbish Mum’s, but she felt that she was killing it at both! While I try to emulate her I fall solidly in the camp of feeling a failure in every area ofContinue reading “Surgeon > Mum > Wife > Individual ?”

’Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?’ I want to write this post to reassure everyone that you don’t need to justify your struggle. I struggled even though: – my husband is a star (although the first time he did onlineContinue reading “My struggle is not your struggle . . . both are real!”

This is not what you are thinking . . . No trigger warnings required! My husband and I are talking. He thinks he should read more. I can count on my fingers the number of books he has read since we got married and I can just about still count the years on my fingersContinue reading “Marital secrets . . .”

This is my beautiful daughter. She was born as COVID struck the UK, we left hospital on Thursday and my son had a fever the following night and so we went into self isolation and the country locked down before we were finished isolating. At least my husband got to be there for the birthContinue reading “COVID and my lockdown baby.”

Having your own interests and maintaining a sense of self is so important. The common platitude of looking after yourself in order to be able to look after others is often touted, but often not given much more than word service. Finding the time and energy to invest in your own pursuits is daunting. ToContinue reading “Me time . . .”

I have struggled with confidence and the one thing i found woefully lacking was practical advice on how to be more confident . . . Trainer: ‘Be more self-confident!’ Me: ‘Ok how?’ Trainer: *blank look and uncomfortable squirming* So what is confidence and what affects it. My wordy definition – ‘Confidence is a self-belief drawnContinue reading “How to gain self-confidence . . .”

Today I went to float in the pool. At 7 months pregnant with another giant child I like swimming. Most specifically the moment when the water takes the weight of the bump and the sweet relief of release of the pressure from my of body. It got me thinking to how we rarely take theContinue reading “A moment in your thoughts . . . A lifetime in the psyche.”

I got my husband the Hidden Chimp Book from DS1 for Christmas. We were reading it together as a family and found it a great way to talk to him about behaviour. Until that is he used it against me . . . The book allows your child to name their inner chimp, my DS1’sContinue reading “My inner chimp misbehaves . . .”