Having a child is a big decision. It affects everything in your life, from the personal to the professional. And as someone who takes the ‘professional’ seriously and wants a meaningful career, I’ve struggled with how having a baby would fit into my vision of the future.
Benefits That Bring Relief
I knew I wanted a family, but it seemed impossible as a young professional. At previous companies, we were lucky to even have parental leave, and often it was only a few weeks. One company I worked for didn’t even have a policy. They said they’d cross that bridge when they got there, but I certainly didn’t want to be the guinea pig for developing a parental leave plan.
When I began my position at Doximity and saw the benefits for the first time, I breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, Doximity offers a paid, flexible leave plan –– 3 months, with options to flex it up to 6 months –– but it’s more than that. Doximity’s benefits cover all types of family planning and extend pre- and post-arrival of a child, whatever format that may take.
Travel for medical care, a variety of fertility preservation and treatment methods, and adoption costs are all supported. As someone planning for my first child, it was a relief to know that the place I worked understood that supporting me personally was synonymous with supporting me professionally. As a new employee, I could get my footing and take on new challenges while planning for the family I had so hoped for, despite having previously felt it was untenable due to a lack of employer support.
Fast forward about a year from my start date, and I am welcoming my first child, Posey, into the world. I was able to take 4 months off to bond with her, recover, and get situated in my new normal. My friends at work texted me to congratulate me, and Doximity sent along some cute swag for the baby. I texted my boss a few times to check in –– she had also welcomed a baby a few months prior –– and she was warm, comforting, and assured me that she was building me a list of everything that had changed while I was out. She’d even canceled all my meetings for me the week I got back, so I could slowly reacclimate.
Returning to Work
When it was time to return to work, of course, it was bittersweet. It’s called the “newborn bubble” for a reason. But I found that, because I had time to focus on my family and was confident that my coworkers would support me in my absence and upon my return, I was excited to be back at work. It was a place where I could flex my mental muscles, show up for myself and my team, and contribute to something bigger than myself. Because I had the time and space to nurture my personal life, I felt equipped and ready to dive back into the professional space. Not to mention, working from home and having a dedicated parenting Slack channel (shoutout dox-with-tots!) made the transition that much easier.
It’s hard to articulate just how impactful it is to work at a company that doesn’t just “talk the talk” when it comes to supporting parenthood for its employees.
Being able to show up as your best self for your family allows you to show up as your best self at work, too. Planning for, taking leave, and now working while parenting my first child is not without its challenges, but thankfully, work has never been one of them. Doximity supported me in having a career and a family, without having to compromise one or the other. They say you can’t have it all, but this sure feels like it.
Illustration by April Brust