The decision to start a family is fraught with multiple pitfalls. If you start while in training, financial difficulties may abound. Wait until you are more financially secure, and your biological clock may make the process more difficult. Many physicians choose to delay childbearing to their 30s and beyond. This becomes problematic as fertility issues can come into play with delayed childbearing.1 On the other hand, having children early in your career can have dramatic effects on career trajectory, such as lower salaries overall and less opportunity for promotion.2 The answer is very different for each individual.
Currently, women make up roughly one quarter of the anesthesia workforce3 , and about 80% of women in the U.S. become pregnant at some point in their working lives.4 This is something to consider when deciding how to time pregnancies, as there are many occupational hazards that can arise...