"When is a good time to have a baby?" There isn't one. Have it anyway.

Alex got pregnant during her first year out of PA school, which is supposed to be the year you put your head down and prove yourself. She came on to talk about what that was actually like.

We get into how she told her group, how her schedule and clinical responsibilities shifted, and how much of the experience came down to whether the people she worked with were decent about it. A supportive practice makes an enormous difference here, and being upfront with your colleagues early made things easier than she expected.

This question comes up constantly from women in this profession, so I wanted a real answer from someone who lived it.

What we cover:

• Being pregnant during her first year as a new grad PA
• Telling her employer and coworkers
• Managing clinical work through a pregnancy
• What a supportive work environment actually looks like
• Thinking about timing when there's no perfect timing
• Work-life balance as a PA with a family

Resources:

Free Resume Download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

Free Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Pre-PA Academy: https://prepaclub.thepaplatform.com/landing/academy

Mentioned in this episode:

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A lot of the questions I get are around family planning and the work life balance of being a pa. Today we're talking to Alex about how her pregnancy affected her first year as a new grad and what that looks like.

Welcome to the Pre PA Club Podcast.

If you want to learn how to become a physician assistant, you're in the right place.

I'm your host, Savannah Perry.

Let's get to it.

I want to thank mypa Resource and PA School Prep for sponsoring the Prepa Club podcast.

So mypa Resource is a personal statement editing service that edits only PA school essays, only edited by PAs and most of us have admissions experience, so I am one of the editors.

Definitely check them out if you need help with your content grammar flow, making sure that you are on track for turning in your application.

And you can use the code futurepa for a discount on any of their service options.

PA School Prep is an online course that focuses on the anatomy, physiology and med terms that you'll need for PA School to make sure you feel confident going into that first semester and that you are able to handle what PA school throws at you.

So check that [email protected] and also use the code futurepa for a discount there.

Hey guys, welcome to the podcast.

Thank you so much for tuning in your host, Savannah Perry here, the Durham PA PA Platform coach, whatever you want to call me.

But I am so happy to have you here just to listen and hear Alex's story and us talk a little bit about how our experiences compared to with being PAs, starting families and what that looks like in the real world.

So I think you're really going to enjoy it.

But before we get to that, there are a few things I wanted to let you know about.

So we have some events coming up, so the first one I'll let you know about is actually next we'll be on.

Sorry, I've got my dates mixed up.

Sorry.

September 10th and the link for this will be in the description.

But we are doing a really cool virtual shadowing that's also a fundraiser for an organization out in California called Sacramento Street Medicine and it's going to be awesome.

So I got to do an interview with this pa, his name's Tony today and you'll hear that on the podcast next week.

But it was just great.

So I think you're really going to enjoy hearing from him and he has so much great information to share and I'm really excited to be supporting that.

So it is a $5 donation and the link and details to that is in the description.

Alright, let's get to hearing from Alex and I will see you guys on the flip side.

That's probably a lame saying.

Sorry, I'm Alex.

I've been a PA for about a year and a half.

Ish.

So.

Yep.

Sorry, I feel awkward.

I don't know if I can do this.

Oh, no, you're fine.

It's like.

It's like going back to a PA school interview, right?

Yeah, but way less pressure.

But yeah.

What area do you work in?

So I worked full time in the ER until recently.

Yes, I was in New York, so I'm from Texas originally.

And so, yeah, I got pregnant and I was still in the woody there and I had actually decided to leave before COVID hit.

Completely independent of COVID for other reasons.

More so for the pregnancy piece and.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, gosh.

Okay, so.

But you hadn't left yet.

Or.

I left like right before COVID Really?

Okay, so you did stop social media.

Yeah, for the end of February is when I left for reasons like, other than Covid.

Gotcha.

I don't think anyone here really predicted that Kobe was gonna hit the way that it did or.

That is crazy.

Okay, well, we'll get into some pregnancy stuff.

Jumping back.

Where'd you go to PA school?

I went to PA school in the University of North Texas Health Science center in Fort Worth.

So that's where I did my training.

And then I worked in a small ED in Central Texas and then I moved up.

Nice.

Okay, so you've had two jobs so far in your PA career?

I'm on my second job.

I've been out a little longer than you actually remember.

Like, it's so weird because I remember when you were in PA school, like, seeing you on social media, of course, but, like, it goes by so quickly and.

Absolutely, it's very quick.

So thinking about when you were in the ed, what did that look like for you?

Like, what was your job like?

We've actually had a good amount of emergency medicine PAS on the podcast, but it seems like there's a lot of variety in either, like, how independent you get to be or can choose to be and like scheduling.

Like, what was your jobs like?

Yeah, so I was hired by the same company but in different states.

And I would say that the way that things ran really did end up being on the hospital.

And what the hospital needed.

So in Texas, on average I worked about 140, 160 hours.

And we would have to work every other weekend.

And so typical shifts which show up or would be.

We show up, we would basically start off on like the higher acute side and we have like a, like an attending assigned to us.

And we would co sign all of our charts to this attending and if we had any questions, we would go to that attending and ask them our question.

And then near the end of the shift, we would transition over to the urgent care side and that's basically what it was.

Then at night it would be us and one attending free game and just whatever walks in would be what we got.

In New York, however, it was a little different in New York.

It was a level 2 trauma center and so there was a lot more volume.

And so for a typical shift, for that it would be, it would depend on the shift.

It was an 8 hour, 10 hour and 12 hour shift.

So the 8 hour ones, those are urgent cares.

And then for our 10 hours, those were overnights and then for the 12 hours, those were our pitch shifts.

So that's kind of like where we lay eyes on the patient in triage and we kind of get the ball rolling with what labs that need to be ordered or if we feel like we need to up their triage and send them back more immediately.

That was kind of our jobs, but.

But similar concept where we kind of have an attending assigned to us and we co sign our charts to them and if you have questions, then we would ask them.

Gotcha.

Did you always want to end up in ER or what kind of led you there?

I think that's a no.

I felt like I was very conflicted when I graduated because I felt like there are a lot of things that I liked and I felt very strongly about all of them.

And so I think a part of me was just kind of like, you know what?

Like I just rather stay general the first few years and just like get a really good foundation, see a bunch of pathologies from different systems.

And so I really did enjoy my ER rotation, but I also enjoyed a whole lot of other things.

But yeah, that's kind of how I end up in er.

I just like the challenge of it.

And I felt like it was a really great opportunity to learn.

Yeah, it definitely is.

Yeah.

Okay, so we can get into some more, I guess, the fun stuff or the more personal stuff.

So you got married after PA school, is that right?

Yeah.

Okay.

Was that by choice or just timing?

I chose to get married in PA school.

So I know people always have questions about when to time a wedding.

And it's.

Yeah, it was.

I guess it was a little bit both by choice and timing.

So we started dating, like, the end of my PA school, so I was already on rotations, and I was going to graduate in, like, five months.

Ish.

And so my husband's in the army, so we started dating.

It was long distance.

And then after we graduated, he deployed a few months afterwards, so we waited for him to come back from Afghanistan, and that's when we decided to get married.

And, like, I planned that wedding in, like, three months.

It was, like, would not recommend, would never do again.

Oh, my gosh.

That is crazy.

Yeah, I.

That's what I. I got engaged in college, like, in my senior year, and I was engaged for, like, 15 months, but I was going into PA school, so I told fiance.

I was like, listen, like, you know, we're probably gonna get married next summer.

Like, I need at least a few months before I start PA school, because once I start, like, I can't plan things.

So I got a little.

Little buffer there.

But, yeah, definitely took a little longer.

But it was hard during PA school.

So once this airs, you will have had your baby.

But tell us about your pregnancy so far.

How far are you right now?

I think I'm 37 weeks today, actually.

Oh, my gosh.

I know, it's crazy.

It's been very quick.

Quick and very slow at the same time.

Yes.

Like, first trimester was, like, so awful, and then it's been fine since.

But now we're just waiting for him to just show up whenever he wants to.

You have no boy.

Yeah.

Oh, wait.

Oh, my gosh.

Yeah, that's the.

Those last few weeks are interesting because, like, half the people like, oh, you don't look ready to have a baby.

Then half the people are like, yeah, like, you're gonna pop any day now.

And you're like, okay, well, it's not up to me.

So how did y' all kind of plan?

So you're fairly new out of school, like, practicing.

Was that a factor in deciding when to have a baby?

So this is actually kind of like a unplanned surprise baby.

Yeah.

So shortly after we got married, we got pregnant pretty fast, and so I was like, oh, shoot.

So, yeah, I would say the specialty had no effect on what took birth.

So.

Yeah.

Still good.

Still good.

She had a question that I came up with, and I forgot what it was.

Oh.

Can you imagine being pregnant in PA school?

People ask me that a lot and I, I can't imagine.

I feel like those people who do that are like incredible troopers.

I remember, like my classmates like purposely got pregnant near like the, I guess like the last year of PA school.

So my program was kind of long.

So during rotations and I was like, how the heck did they do it?

Like, how, like, how do you, like, work a full day, study at night and be pregnant and like go to school?

I didn't know, but oh my gosh.

Yeah, no, I can't.

I'm the same.

Like, nobody in my class got pregnant the entire time.

I almost, I don't even think like anyone's wife had a baby.

But yeah, like, people always ask me if it's a good idea and I'm like, I honestly can't.

Like, I have no personal experience to tell you except for people do it and I don't really know how they do it, but they do and it's great.

So anyway, yeah, yeah.

How, how did you go about kind of things with work both, you know, kind of, I don't want to say tolerating pregnancy.

That's not the right word.

Learning to deal with being pregnant maybe, and also kind of letting them know, was that well recepted news or not?

So I guess every day going to work once I found I was pregnant was like a new thing I had to learn.

It felt like just how I deal with like the nausea, vomiting, the aches, like what products work best and like what I need to do to have a successful shift.

Yet, I guess like in a way like doing well as like a pregnant person to like eat the meals and stuff.

I think being pregnant at work definitely kind of taught me to slow down and set aside like, okay, hey, like, let's just take 10 minutes to eat lunch because you can't not eat anymore.

Yeah, so that was that.

As far as telling my co workers, I told them actually pretty early.

I didn't ever.

I never really thought about like, oh, like I should tell my co workers that X amount of weeks because that's what everyone else does.

But it was really well received.

I told my lead pa approximately like 5 to 6 ish weeks pregnant.

So before I even had like that ultrasound to concert to like confirming like intrauterine pregnancy could have been like empty gestational sac.

We're on you.

But I feel like all the stigma that surrounds like, oh, hey, you should tell your co workers or your boss at 12 weeks is kind of like you're worried about, I guess, like what they'll do and how they'll respond as well as it's the whole thing of, like, oh, like, what if I miscarry?

I just.

I don't know.

I had a really good working relationship with my lead pa.

I could tell she was, like, very approachable and she really advocated for us.

So I trusted her with that piece of information and I shared it with her.

Just because it was my first pregnancy.

My husband was, like, gone for most of it.

It was like.

Like an army thing.

So he wasn't home for, like, months.

So I felt like it was something that I needed to be transparent with.

And so.

So, yeah, it was well received.

And I think by sharing it with the lead pa, it also encouraged me to share it with the nurses I was working with.

And I felt like they did a really good job of, like, keeping an eye out for things that were, like, dangerous or, like, if they're.

If there was like, a really, like, combative drunk person or something, they'd be like, hey, be careful.

They're like, really?

Whatever.

So it was good.

It was a good experience.

Good support system.

Yeah, I was similar, actually.

Before I ever got pregnant.

Was one of those who was like, I'm not telling people until I absolutely have to.

Like, till I'm showing.

They just like, it's obvious.

But then that was not true at all.

And, like, I told people so quick.

And then at work, actually, my supervising physician, she was talking about one of her friends, and she was like, I cannot believe that she waited so long to tell me she was pregnant.

Blah, blah, blah.

And I was like, oh, crap.

I was like, I guess I should tell her too.

Like, she said, I don't want her to think that about me because we had a great working relationship, too.

And so I was like, I need to tell you something, too.

And I was like, I don't know how far?

Maybe like around six weeks.

Like, I hadn't been yet for an ultrasound, but.

But yeah, so I. I told her and she was like, oh, my gosh.

I'm so excited.

Wait, we gotta figure this out.

Like, what's that mean?

And so then we kind of got into some stuff with that, but.

And figuring out maternity leave.

So you technically, I guess, don't have to take maternity leave.

Cause you are retired right now, kind of.

Yeah, I didn't expect that either.

I felt kind of weird.

I don't know.

I guess, like, in a way, like, not going back, I guess.

I'm doing teledi on the side right now.

Oh, cool.

Yeah, it's been pretty good.

It was like.

I guess it's like, kind of related yet unrelated.

But after I came back to Texas and when Covid really hit the fan, it was like, ridiculous.

I felt so bad because my co workers were still stuck in New York and there was all this, like, crazy craziness with, like, the PPE shortage.

And I felt bad that they were doing everything and I wanted to help too.

And so doing teled has been good.

Basically what it is is that we see a lot of, like, kind of like level four and five, like, lower acuity over the phones.

And if there's anything to be questioned, we can, like, send them to urgent care of the er or they could send us a video or a picture and we can, like, kind of see if we can save them the visit to, like, going out and kind of like, in a way saving our resources in the ER and doing what we can, telly wise.

But as far as, like, what the company offered in regards to maternity leave, I believe it was three months of unpaid maternity leave is what I recall.

And then after that, if you wanted an extension, there was like, FMLA and things like that with, like, the state of New York, and it was just like a whole crazy process.

I don't think I understood well that.

I would say that's a benefit, though, of working at a big institution.

Because, like, where I was at in a private practice, they don't technically have to offer you FMLA if there's less than 50 employees.

And and so just depending on kind of where you work and what the setting is and what the conditions, like, they can really dictate in a smaller setting what your maternity leave looks like or offering.

But, like, if you're in a hospital system, you're gonna have at least some more options still probably unpaid, because I don't think people.

Some people don't know that.

Like, my husband didn't know that.

He was like, oh, they don't pay you?

And I was like, no, this is America.

They don't pay us.

I was so surprised, too.

I was like, oh, wow.

Yeah, yeah.

My class, like, a bunch of us kind of got pregnant around the same time.

And it was in.

We still have our, like, Facebook group from our class.

And somebody was like, wait, what are y' all getting as far as maternity leave?

And we were all.

I mean, like, oh, we don't get paid.

And like, maybe a couple people said that they still got some paid maternity leave and it was crazy.

So, yeah, fun, fun stuff.

So.

So you said you went back To Texas.

Yes, I did.

To have the baby.

Okay.

My husband was gone for a very long time.

He was in Ranger school that we planned.

We knew he was going.

Yeah.

When we found out that I was pregnant, it kind of, like, threw off, like, the course of plan and everything.

So he was actually in Fort Finding.

So in Georgia for quite a while.

Yeah.

And so we weren't really sure when he was coming back or I don't know.

And, like, I talked to my OB about it just because I didn't have any support in New York, more or less.

Like, all my family's back in Texas.

I was in a new state.

It snows there, like, being the south, like, you know, before moving to New York.

So it was hard, just, like, working all those hours, having, like, those weird physiological changes associated with pregnancy and not having anyone there.

So I talked to my ob, because I was like.

We had considered me staying in New York and having the baby there, like, in hopes that he would come back, even though we weren't really sure.

She was just basically like, no.

Like, you need a support system.

Yeah.

I think that was, like, probably one of the most freeing things is I felt like a part of me wanted to be like, those superhero, like, like, you know, like those, like, awesome, like, females who are, like, working, like, 40 weeks.

You're, like, operating on their feet, doing awesome things because it's so inspirational.

I probably, like, kind of aspired to do that because I was like, oh, like, I should push myself to the limits and see, like, what I'm capable of.

But it just wasn't the best decision for me, given the circumstance.

And so it's kind of why, like, I decided to, like, stop working a little earlier than I intended to, just because of everything.

Yeah, it's a.

It's a weird time.

It's a weird time to be a pa and it's a weird time to work in healthcare.

It's a weird time to be pregnant.

Like, it's just.

There's a lot of weird.

Like, some of my friends are pregnant, and it's like, everything changes weekly as.

Far as possible guidelines.

Yeah, it's pretty crazy.

So what are your plans post baby?

Are you gonna take some time off or look for a new job or see how it goes?

I plan to do the telly ed on the side.

Yeah.

I don't really know when, just because, like, I work today.

And I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm getting, like, Braxton Hicks during, like, my calls.

And I was like, is it happening?

So I'm a little like nervous, apprehensive about like picking up a lot more shifts.

I plan on doing it, I guess, I don't know, whenever my body feels ready.

And I feel like I can just like work a little bit just to keep my skills as fresh as I can be via telemed.

But we're actually moving to Georgia in like a few months also.

Oh, that's fun.

What part do you know?

The Fort Benning part.

Okay, cool.

Yeah, so we'll be around there and I don't know, I thought I've been kind of like looking about part time jobs and there's been a few options.

I think maybe I'll just start working like part time here and there, like PRN around the area.

I guess it's just one of the great things about being a PA is like you're not stuck in a special place.

No.

Yeah, lots of options.

That's actually, it's interesting.

We've like done things very different, which I think is funny because I like you've taken some time off.

Before the baby came, I worked up until 40 weeks.

And everyone kept saying I was gonna go early, but I didn't actually didn't go at all and had to get induced.

But, but I, I worked and like it was Friday and on Monday I was 40 weeks and they were like, well, your maternity leave starts so like you don't have any patients, don't come back until September.

And I was like, oh no, I need to have this baby.

And so I got induced.

But it is, it was like weird because like I would get Braxton Hicks too.

I was seeing patients and like, especially when you're on your feet all day and like I'm terrible at drinking water.

So my medical assistant, who is also one of my best friends and was very concerned about me, she like made me a chart where I had to like fill in how much water I was drinking every day.

And she could tell in the room if I was like having a contraction.

And I could tell it freaked her out.

And she was just like, look at me, like, sit down, you need to sit down or something.

It was really funny, but it wasn't mean.

It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

And maybe it's just because it's been two years and I don't remember too.

But yeah, no, it's all good.

Is that so?

I think another question that I get a lot is about like pa's, I guess, how do I say, it's like work, life, balance and making priorities and stuff.

Is that what you thought you would do?

Like, did you plan, like, when I have kids, I'll probably take a break or go part time or.

Is that not kind of what you thought maybe a few years ago?

I think yes and no.

I didn't.

Like, I knew that I wanted to take a break, but I just didn't think that I would need to take a break before the baby came.

I guess I just wasn't prepared for all the crazy things my body was going to do.

Yeah, how like weird and like crazy and yet cool like pregnancy is and how much it changes your body.

Just because I felt life in like, I just, just those shifts are just so long afterwards and I had such a hard time flipping between like night and days and like pregnancy and.

Tell me.

It was really difficult.

I started taking a break after.

I honestly never really thought about it.

I wasn't planning on like having kids until a little bit later, but I always just assumed that.

Oh, like you would.

I would just take like three months off or whatever they recommended amount or whatever everyone else does and then just go back to work.

But I guess with everything going on, I'm just kind of like going with the flow and seeing what is best needed for the family.

Yeah.

Life circumstances that none of us could have ever predicted ever happening.

Yeah.

That's what I always saw myself as someone who would be like, get me back to work as soon as possible.

I want to work, like, put the baby in daycare or something.

And I've.

I've not been like that.

And so I did go back to work full time for a year and I just still wanted to be home more.

And so it's so weird.

That is not what I expected of myself at all.

But that's why last fall I went part time and it's been really good.

Like, I don't believe in work life balance.

And I don't think it's something that is actually 100% possible to have like a balance.

But like my husband comments on my stress level.

Like, everything's just a little bit.

A little bit better now that I'm not trying to do a million things, like 100%.

I read that blog post that you wrote about your decision to go part time and I felt like it was very eye opening.

You know, I really liked it a lot.

And I was like, oh, I guess like when I'm in that position, I'm more than likely going to reference it because I really like your thought process and like having that difficult conversation or I guess Conversations with your supervising physician and like, yeah, navigate.

Because it's.

It's hard because I feel like in a way, we've worked so hard to get where we're at and we want to keep on, like, working and pushing ourselves to the limit.

But yet I feel like once I got pregnant, like, in a way, like, my priorities kind of changed, which really took me by surprise.

Yeah, didn't expect that at all.

Oh, my gosh, just wait till the baby gets here.

It's like a whole different thing for everyone.

But, yeah, no, I need to actually reread that because I don't remember exactly what I put.

But yeah, that was a very, like, hard thing and emotional thing, especially since I'd been there for five years.

And like, you said, like, you have, like, I've worked so hard that I want to continue that, but also, like, just where I'm at in life.

It wasn't.

I couldn't feel like I was giving my best at home and I felt like that was the most important thing.

So.

And I think just that's important for PAs to know.

And I think both of us have done this.

Like, even if it wasn't the easiest decision or it may seem like a selfish decision, like, you have to choose yourself and, like, your health and, like, what is going to be best for you versus being, I don't want to say loyal to your job like it's a job, but, like, if you aren't healthy enough to do the job, then,.

Yeah, that's so true.

When I told my lean PA so I was only in New York for, like, I think, like five, six months, so not that long.

Even at that hospital, it felt really bad and I felt like they had taken me on.

Like, they took a risk on me.

They hired me and like, they invested all this time and I felt that I wasn't giving them, like, their return investment adequately in a way, because I didn't day a year.

But I kind of told, like, the lead PA my situation.

She, like, knows, like, with my husband, like, being gone so often and stuff, she poorly understood, which was probably just such a gift of grace.

And she said something that was so kind and so true.

She was like, no, like, don't feel bad.

She was like, jobs always come and go, but, like, I'm a big proponent of always choosing your family and doing what best for you.

That was just, like, I can alleviate and off my shoulders.

I was really worried about the perception, like, oh, like, is she, like, leaving because she's really pregnant or is it because like, she can't handle the stress or, you know, like, worried about how perceive me.

Really doesn't matter.

Yeah, yeah.

No.

Having that support.

And that's what the new job I'm at now.

They're funny because they're like, when you gonna have another baby?

Like, they want me to, like, put family first.

They love when I bring my daughter to the office.

They want me to bring her.

My supervising physician brings me presents for her.

So it's just really sweet to have that support in an office that.

I mean, they.

They definitely support my family.

So we've gone over to my supervising physician's house so my daughter can play with her dogs.

Like, just really, really fun stuff that is different than what I was used to before and kind of what I went through.

So.

Yeah, no, it's been good.

Okay.

I'm gonna ask you for two pieces of advice.

One, what would your advice be to someone who is pregnant and working a clinical job?

Either something that you felt like, helped you or even something just a tip or support or emotional.

Anything in a clinical job, like as.

A PA or even like a nurse or something.

I think probably, like, invest in products that are going to help you survive your shifts.

Because I think I was kind of like, I don't need this.

I don't need, like.

I don't need like.

Like xyz, because I feel like there's so much stuff in the market that's, like, really overwhelming.

And I'm like, oh, this is probably all fad, but I wish I would have invested more in, like, products that would help me make the shifts more tolerable.

Like, I don't know, like, maternity leggings or like, things like that just to make it more tolerable.

And I guess the second piece would be, I guess, like, like, don't be afraid to share your pregnancy with your co workers.

Because on the day, your co workers, they really are your other families, they're there to support you.

And so I think just having that support is just so great.

It makes going to work less intimidating knowing that they have your back and they have your best and interest in the baby's best interest in mine.

Yeah, that was actually a good point you made earlier too, because I think, like you said, there is a fear of how people are gonna perceive it and also fear of miscarrying, which both of those are valid fears.

I mean, they are.

But I mean, I kind of had the same thought process as you.

Like, I want my support system if something does go wrong.

And I want a support system that's gonna be here for me regardless.

So.

Yeah.

All right, next piece of advice would be, what would your advice be?

This is a little different be to a military spouse, since that's something you have experience with now.

And.

And I think even speaking to being away from your spouse, because a lot of people have to do that for PA School, they move and they aren't with their spouse.

Do you have any tips for.

For that?

Yeah, I think.

Well, I guess in regards to the military, there's no perfect time to have a baby.

Like.

Well, like, maybe we should have, like, waited or, like, maybe we should have did it before or whatever.

There was no perfect time.

But I think with anything and everything, the military, like, when there's such, like, crazy, unpredictable obstacle, whether it's giving birth without your spouse or your spouse being deployed or being gone, it's like, just.

I always see it as an opportunity for resiliency to, like, build these skills and a mindset that many people don't have, like, the opportunity to build because that's.

It's like building mental toughness.

I feel like, in a way, that's sometimes that's all you're going to be able to, I guess, use to get through it.

Your perception's only being controlled because there's many things you cannot control in the military.

So.

Yeah.

And I think in a way, I feel like all these women who are having to go through, like, without their spouses or, like, doing a deal, like, they find, like, my heart goes out to them because that sucks.

And it is what it is.

Just craziness.

Yeah, it's like, definitely circum.

Circumstantial and not what we would necessarily choose, but do what we can.

All right, well, where can everybody kind of find you and follow along with you and your family?

My Instagram.

And then my blog is also on my Instagram.

And follow me there for more information.

The military life and being FDA and all that stuff.

Awesome.

Well, I'll link that and everybody can come find you.

And then good luck with the rest of pregnancy and baby and newborn life and all that fun stuff.

That's it, y'.

All.

And I forgot to mention at the beginning, but Alex was super pregnant when we did this interview.

Like, very, very pregnant.

Like, about to have a baby.

So she may have said that in there, but I just wanted to.

To mention that.

So if you do go follow her, she has now had her baby and all is well.

So thank you for following.

Thank you for listening.

If you have not in the past left a review of the podcast.

I would so appreciate it.

It really helps with everyone else being able to find it and the effort that goes into this.

So give me a shout out on Instagram, post a screenshot of the podcast and tag me and I'll share it.

So thanks for listening and I'll see you guys next week.

I'm telling you, you do not want to miss next week's episode because Toni is the most passionate PA I've ever met.

I've probably said that before, but I mean.