Published online 18 February 2009
Postdoc journal
It takes a lab to raise a child
Julia Boughner
Julia Boughner is a postdoc in evolutionary developmental biology at the University of Calgary, Canada.
Getting back to work hasn't been too much of a struggle – yet.
My return to work has been smoother than I expected. Why the ease of re-entry? In my first month back I worked flexible hours, many from home. Working half-days in the lab really made these big changes easy for baby and mum, as we built our new schedule in increments rather than all at once. Also, everyone at work has been extremely baby-friendly.
When I needed to pop into the lab to throw samples in the water bath or prep tomorrow's experiment, there was always a colleague happy to play peek-a-boo. I even took my son to a local conference. Most importantly, I credit the patience and support of my stellar supervisor and lab mates, and my partner, who is taking six months' paternity leave so I can return to full-time work.
Why my hurry back to the bench when I could have taken a full year of leave? As might be expected, even six months of down-time has reduced the potential number of manuscripts that I'll have in print this year. In addition to the usual pressure to publish, we, like so many other labs, have major grant deadlines looming. These have no time or tolerance for babies, no matter how cute.
The honeymoon period is certainly over. The next month will be packed with lab work and data analysis. There will be no extra rest for the wickedly sleep-deprived.
Postdoc Journal Keepers 2009
-
Julia BoughnerJulia Boughner is a postdoc in evolutionary developmental biology at the University of Calgary, Canada.
-
Bryan VentersBryan Venters is a postdoc in biochemistry and molecular biology at Pennsylvania State University.
-
Joanne IsaacJoanne Isaac was a postdoc studying the effect of climate change on biodiversity at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. She is now in the United States so that her husband can complete a postdoc.
-
Sam WalcottSam Walcott is a postdoc in theoretical biophysics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
