Reviewed by Dr Liz Barton MA, VetMB, MRCVS, MCIPR, Co-founder WellVet, Vet Mums
Summary: This book provides an excellent, evidence-based source of comprehensive guidance through the pregnancy and post-partum journey. It is essential reading for any veterinary team member considering parenthood, and highly recommended for employers and leaders to provide understanding and support.
Review:
As a vet and a mum, I was delighted to learn that fellow veterinarian and mom, US-based author Emily Singler, had written this book. As she said herself, she wanted a book “To help guide and support what to expect when expecting and working in vet med practice and it didn’t exist,” until now!
Parenthood can be one of the most challenging times in a person’s life. Prior to starting the journey, we can often have idealistic assumptions that it will be easy to conceive, straightforward through pregnancy, and joyous to welcome a child into our lives. In reality, for the majority of people there will be ups and downs of physical, mental and emotional experiences – the magnitude of which are impossible to predict. This book provides an essential foundation to understand the stages of parenthood, with solid evidence-based research to make informed choices – not only for mums, but for non-birthing parents, friends, families and employers.
As it states in the foreword, Dr. Singler knows that “knowledge is power” and this book is certainly empowering. Thorough research goes into the discussion and advice, with helpful tables summarising information, such as possible complications in the veterinary working environment and risk mitigation strategies. Differences between countries and regions are also detailed, making this book valuable to veterinary team members around the world. Personal testimonials at the beginning of each chapter set the scene for how important the content is and take-home points at the end nicely summarise the key themes for ready reference. Clear headings and bullet points are used throughout to divide the content into accessible bite-size sections, and I found it quick, interesting and engaging to read.
The only area I think could be expanded would be additional information about the challenges of breastfeeding. While the main themes are highlighted in this book, in my experience this has often been the most challenging aspect of early parenthood and one I and my peers were least prepared for. A testimonial and evidence-based advice about breastfeeding best practise and recommendations would build nicely on this chapter. It’s also an excuse to ask for a second edition in the future!
The book is written both for the pregnant individual, but also provides advice for team members, employers and non-birthing partners. It covers information for adoptive parents and highlights differences for example regarding inequalities in healthcare. It does not shy away from some of the more traumatic aspects of parenthood, including infertility, baby loss, post natal depression, and postpartum complications.
The advice is both practical and realistic. For example, it may not be possible to completely avoid all hazards in the veterinary workplace, but gives good advice about taking a risk-based approach, not only for veterinary staff but also considering clients who may be pregnant. This made me reassess how I think about pregnancy in the workplace; that we all have responsibility for both staff and clients and it’s not up to the individual alone to protect themselves and their unborn child.
The book is peppered throughout with open, honest stories from veterinary parents – from challenging fertility journeys through to single parenting, varied return to work experiences and low mental health. These relatable and empathetic accounts highlight how an individual approach is important when supporting new parents in the veterinary workplace through conception, pregnancy, maternity leave and return to work.
Above all, the book highlights how expectation and self-criticism can be some of the most challenging aspects of parenthood, especially for high-performing, perfectionist professionals. Often, we are used to being a veterinary professional first and foremost in our lives. Becoming a parent inevitably involves reprioritisation – we can’t give all of ourselves to being either a parent or a veterinary professional, which can involve some uncomfortable compromises in both areas. The book encourages us to adapt to this shift of identity, stepping back from perfectionist tendencies and accepting help and support in both bringing up our children and caring for our animal patients.
There are particularly important chapters on stress and mental health, which can be easy to overlook when we can have a tendency think we should be happy and joyous through parenting and may feel a sense of shame if we’re not. This can create a tendency to just put up and shut up, which can be unhelpful – if not harmful – to both ourselves and our children. Sage advice is to seek help and seek help early – it really is okay not to be okay, especially as a parent.
The take-home message is to be kind and care for ourselves and for others taking on the most important role of our lives: the care and development of another human being. It also challenges modern society to live up to the old African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”. We must all find our tribe to support us both as a parent and as a veterinary professional as we navigate these two demanding roles on our time, mental, physical and emotional resources.
Quite rightly, the focus of this book is not only on providing a guide to navigate through the parenting journey, but also prioritising self-care, and combatting perfectionism and guilt.
As someone who began this journey largely ignorant, as the author has said, this is the book I would have loved to have and I’m delighted that as a veterinary community worldwide, thanks to Dr. Singler, we now do.
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Pregnancy and Postpartum Considerations for the Veterinary Team by Emily Singler, VMD is published by CRC Press and is available to buy from Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Pregnancy-and-Postpartum-Considerations-for-the-Veterinary-Team/Singler/p/book/9781032524979
Veterinary Woman readers can get a 20% discount until the end of 2024 using the code VW24
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