Missing “Firsts”

I have to work full-time, and I am so terrified I’m going to miss all of my baby’s “firsts.” How did you cope with this?

Our Mommy MD Guide’s reply:  When you have to go back to work, you’re going to miss some things. You might not be there when your baby sits up for the first time, or when he first crawls or walks. You can’t beat yourself up about it. It’s not important the first time they do it; what matters is the first time you see them do it!

—Leena Shrivastava Dev, MD, a mom of 14- and 10-year-old sons, an assistant professor of medicine at the Drexel University College of Medicine, and a general pediatrician, in Philadelphia