Mothering Wildlife
Telling the stories of moms who work in zoo, wildlife, vet, and conservation organizations. Working with wildlife brings a unique set of challenges for working mothers. Join me weekly as I interview moms working primarily in the zoo field as we discuss their journey as moms, navigating the mental, emotional, and often physical challenges that come with caring for wildlife and caring for kids.
Mothering Wildlife
More Than a Mom and Not Just a Zookeeper with Kristine Duplisea of the Fort Worth Zoo
As a working professional, when you suddenly step into the world of motherhood, it can sometimes feel as if you now have two identities. Motherhood, and in the case of most of this podcast's guests, zookeeper. My guest this week, Kristine Duplisea, and I talk a little bit about this. We also talk about how maternity leave can feel so isolating, especially if you don't have a "village" to help you out. We put so much emphasis on learning how to be a mom prior to having a baby that after their arrival it often seems that we forget about the immense amount of support that new parents, especially mothers, need.
Returning to work has its own set of challenges to navigate, especially if you are a pumping mom. Kristine and I talk about navigating finding the time to pump at work and trying to find the balance between the bigger picture of needing to provide food for your child and the responsibilities of your job, in that very moment, that need to be finished before you can take time to pump.
Finally, Kristine and I also talk about the self-inflicted guilt that comes with taking your child to daycare on your day off. Time alone is so precious to some, but it sometimes comes with a side of guilt as we feel bad for sending our child to daycare when we know we are capable of taking care of them at home.
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