Stethoscopes and Strollers

La Toya Luces-Sampson MD, PMH-C
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Stethoscopes & Strollers! I'm Dr. Toya, mom of two, OBGYN, and coach for physician moms. Here, we go beyond the hospital halls, into the messy, magical early years of parenting—think diapers, sleepless nights, and figuring out how to deal with all those unexpected twists and turns. Every episode, I dive into topics like mental health, the ins and outs of postpartum sex, sorting out childcare, and how having little ones changes your marriage. We’ll talk about getting back to work after baby, the real deal with mom guilt thanks to those tough doctor schedules, what pumping at work is really like, and how to keep all the balls in the air without dropping any. We’re here to get real about the hard choices, like deciding to stop breastfeeding, and so much more. This is a space for focusing on taking care of you, because managing scrubs and swaddles takes a village.You'll figure out how to ask for and actually accept help, because let’s be honest, getting support is crucial for thriving as both a mom and a doctor.Just a quick heads-up: while we're all about sharing and supporting, remember this isn’t medical advice. We’re here to connect, share experiences, and grow—together, without the medical jargon. So, grab your coffee or tea, and get ready to dive into those parts of being a physician mom that don't get talked about enough. You're not riding this roller coaster alone, and you definitely deserve all the support you can get.  Tune in to Stethoscopes & Strollers for some real, honest insights and practical tips to make momming a bit easier. It’s time to get the conversation started!---------------------

  1. 5 hrs ago

    121. Patients Lie. Or Do They? How HVAC Customers remind me of patients

    Hey Doc, Were you taught that patients lie? I was. Somewhere during training, the idea got planted that our job is to uncover the truth because patients won’t always tell it. Then I became an attending and started experiencing it myself. You spend twenty minutes counseling a patient. You draw diagrams. You answer questions. You document everything. Then somehow… “Nobody explained that to me.” “The doctor never told me.” “I never saw the doctor.” If you’ve ever walked back to your office wondering whether you’re losing your mind, this episode is for you. What surprised me is that it wasn’t until I left traditional practice that I gained enough distance to see these situations differently. And recently, while helping run our HVAC business, I watched my husband experience the exact same thing physicians deal with every day. A customer insisted he hadn’t been told something that had been explained multiple times. Sound familiar? In this episode, I’m talking about why these interactions can feel so demoralizing, why they contribute to resentment and burnout, and how a little compassion can sometimes protect you more than the other person. Not because patients are always right. But because carrying around the belief that it’s you versus them is exhausting. In this episode, I discuss: Why “patients lie” may be one of the most harmful lessons we learn in trainingHow being repeatedly questioned can create resentment and burnoutThe surprising parallels between medicine and running an HVAC businessWhy people often misremember conversations without malicious intentHow documentation protects us when memory and perception don’t matchThe role compassion plays in preserving your career longevityIf you’ve ever felt unseen, misunderstood, or questioned after doing your absolute best for a patient, this episode is my reminder that I see you. And I believe you. 🎧 Listen now. What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field. If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want. Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

    16 min

  2. May 27

    120. The Most Underrated AI Tool for Busy Physician Moms - Notebook LM

    Hey Doc — I finally had to sit down and record this episode because I keep talking about NotebookLM to everybody. My Facebook friends. My sisters. Random physician moms who probably just asked me one innocent question and suddenly got a 20-minute TED Talk about AI 😂 But seriously? This tool is one of the most useful things I’ve added to my life recently. And if your brain already feels overloaded by medicine, motherhood, emails, meetings, MOC articles, school forms, endless tabs open on your laptop, and the 47 mental sticky notes floating around your head at all times… this episode is for you. Most people know about ChatGPT or Claude. But NotebookLM works differently. Instead of pulling random information from the internet and confidently making stuff up like a sleep-deprived intern on hour 26 of call, NotebookLM only works from the sources you upload yourself. PDFs. Research articles. Website links. YouTube videos. Audio files. Google Docs. That means: Less hallucinating • More accuracy • Actual citations you can click and verify • And a MUCH better experience for physician brainsIn this episode, I’m sharing: Why I think physicians need to learn AI instead of avoiding itHow I use NotebookLM for MOC studying and researchThe surprising ways I use it in my business and personal lifeWhy this tool feels like having a research assistant who actually cites her sourcesHow AI can create more time, ease, and mental space for physician momsAnd before somebody messages me: No, I am not using AI to cheat on my MOCs 😂 I’m using it the same way most of us already use Ctrl + F on giant articles because ain’t nobody trying to reread a 42-page paper after putting kids to bed at 10 PM. This episode is really about working smarter. Because physician moms do not need more guilt about efficiency. We need tools that help us protect our energy and our time. 🎧 Listen now if you’re AI-curious, overwhelmed, skeptical, or just tired of wasting time searching through massive documents like you’re auditioning for a detective show nobody asked for. What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field. If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want. Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

    17 min

  3. May 20

    119. Affirmations Aren't Magic. They're Instructions.

    I have to tell you what just happened in my house. My son ran inside to find me, eyes wide, proud as anything, and announced: "Mommy, I was just being resourceful." His toy car had rolled under the fridge. He tried the broom. He tried the mop. The fly swatter is what finally worked and he found another car under there he thought he had lost. In this episode, I'm using that moment to walk you through what affirmations actually do. Not the fluffy version. The clinical one. I'll tell you how my kids ended up saying "I am resourceful" every night, what changed when I started repeating the affirmations back during the day, and what that has to do with you, doc — because this isn't a parenting episode. This is about the instructions you've been giving your own subconscious without realizing it, and what shifts when you decide on purpose. What you'll walk away with: Why your brain takes your I-am statements as instructions, even when you don't believe them yetThe reason repetition has to come before the meaning landsHow to reinforce an affirmation in real life so it stops being words and becomes behaviorThe one small homework assignment for this week — pick one, say it out loud, say it in the mirror if you want to get fancyHomework: One I-am statement. Out loud. Every day. That's it. Listen if: you've ever rolled your eyes at affirmations, you've tried them and quit because they felt like lying, or you want to know what's actually happening in your brain when you repeat the same sentence on purpose. What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field. If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want. Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

    9 min

  4. May 13

    118. Traveling With Your Au Pair (And Actually Enjoying It)

    Au pair travel comes up in the groups every single week, and it's usually a horror story. The awkward silences, the au pair completely checked out, the vacation that didn't feel like a vacation. I did this episode because I think a lot of that drama is avoidable, and I want to share how we do it. But before you book that extra ticket, you need to answer a few questions honestly. Is this a trip or a vacation?Do you actually want childcare, or do you just feel like you should bring them?And do you know this person well enough to travel with them at all?I'm breaking down exactly how my family handles travel with an au pair: From setting work expectations before you leave, to giving dedicated time off so your au pair can go explore, to the seating arrangement on the plane that changed everything. (Yes, I'm going to tell you to go sit somewhere else. Trust me on this one.) This one is practical and direct, and it's full of the kind of clarity that makes the difference between a vacation and a very expensive, very stressful trip. In this episode: Vacation vs. trip; and why that distinction matters before anything elseWhen to bring your au pair and when to leave them home (both are valid)How to communicate work hours, flexible schedules, and travel days upfrontWhy dedicated time off during a work trip benefits everyoneThe plane seating arrangement I swear byYou worked hard for this vacation. Let's make sure you actually enjoy it. What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field. If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want. Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

    15 min

  5. May 6

    117. Michelle Obama Said the Same Thing I’ve Been Telling Y’all

    Hey Doc, I just got back from ACOG and I’m still on a high! I went mainly to hear Michelle Obama speak and she did not disappoint. But what surprised me most was how deeply aligned her message was with everything I talk about here on Stethoscopes and Strollers. This wasn’t some polished keynote speech full of inspirational fluff. It felt like sitting in on a private conversation between two accomplished Black women talking honestly about identity, confidence, womanhood, and what it takes to stay grounded in a world that constantly tries to tell women — especially Black women — who we should be. And the whole time I kept thinking: “Oh. This is exactly what I’ve been trying to help physician moms understand.” We talked about: Why confidence actually comes from knowing yourself deeplyHow long it can take to truly trust yourselfThe danger of shrinking your accomplishments to make other people comfortableWhy some people not connecting with you is not automatically a “you” problemHow motherhood and life transitions force you to confront who you really areThe importance of celebrating yourself unapologeticallyLearning to trust your knowing instead of overriding it with practicality or people-pleasingAlso… I found out Michelle Obama is 62 and now I need somebody to explain the sorcery immediately. Hearing someone at her level speak so openly about groundedness, self-trust, and identity felt incredibly validating. Especially as physician moms navigating careers, motherhood, marriage, leadership, ambition, and all the invisible expectations sitting on top of us every single day. If you’ve been questioning yourself… If you’ve been minimizing yourself… If you’ve been waiting for permission to trust your instincts… This conversation is for you. Press play, Doc. What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field. If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want. Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

    23 min

  6. Apr 29

    116. Full Circle in DC: Medicine, Motherhood, and Michelle Obama

    Hey Doc, I’m on my way to DC! My first home in this country. Howard. All of it. I’m going to ACOG’s ACSM, our national meeting, which is funny, because I don’t practice anymore. But this work I do with physician moms is rooted in the same transitions we see every day in medicine. Last year I went for physician wellbeing. This year, Michelle Obama is there, so… clearly I’m going. Also, it’s my son’s birthday weekend so I’m bringing the kids, there’s a party, and yes—there will be a spa day. This episode is a little life update, a little reflection, and a reminder: You don’t have to choose one version of yourself. Press play. What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field. If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want. Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

    5 min

  7. Apr 22

    115. How to Delegate Your Life as a Woman Physician (Without Paying for Busywork)

    Hey Doc, If you’ve ever said, “I just need more help,” and then somehow ended up more overwhelmed… this episode is for you. Because the problem usually isn’t that you don’t have help. It’s that you’re delegating the wrong things… in the wrong order… without a system. So now you’ve got someone managing tasks that probably shouldn’t exist in the first place, while the things that would actually make your life easier are still sitting on your plate. I see this all the time with woman physicians. You finally decide to get support—maybe it’s an assistant, childcare, or help at home—and instead of relief, you feel frustrated. Now you’re paying someone… and still tired. In this episode, I walk you through how to actually delegate your life in a way that gives you your time, energy, and brain space back. Not just shifting tasks around. Not just “getting help.” But building a system that works for you. We’re starting with what most people skip, and why that’s exactly why delegation fails. Inside this episode: Why “just hire help” is incomplete advice (and often a waste of money)The first step you must take before delegating anythingHow to identify tasks that should be deleted vs. delegatedWhat to automate first (especially in the era of AI)How to stop paying people to do things no one needed to do in the first placeThis is the work that makes everything else easier. Less mental load. Less resentment. Less “why am I still doing all of this?” More clarity. More efficiency. More space to actually live your life. Because you didn’t work this hard to spend your evenings organizing email folders no one will ever open again. 🎧 Listen to the full episode and start delegating like someone who actually values her time. What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field. If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want. Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

    16 min

  8. Apr 15

    114. When the Life You Wanted Doesn’t Fit Anymore

    Hey Doc, Let’s talk about something that sounds simple… but clearly is not. You are allowed to change your mind. I say that, and I already know some of you are side-eyeing me like, “Okay… but it’s not that easy.” I know. I know it’s not. Because in medicine, we don’t pivot. We commit. We decide and then we stick with it. Even when life changes. Even when we change. Especially after motherhood. I see this all the time. Dr. So-and-so used to want the big cases, the leadership roles, the titles, the prestige. Now? She wants to go to work, do her job well, and be home by 3 to sit on the floor with her babies. And instead of feeling clear about that… she feels guilty. Like she’s betraying the version of herself who worked so hard to get here. Like she’s letting someone down: her mentors, her colleagues… or honestly, just herself. So in this episode, we’re getting into that tension. Not in a fluffy “just follow your heart” kind of way. But in a real, grounded way that actually applies to your life right now. We talk about: Why it feels so hard to change your mind as a physician momThe guilt that shows up when your priorities shiftThe difference between “becoming a different person” vs actually evolvingWhy your old goals don’t have to define your current decisionsAnd how to give yourself permission to want something different without spiraling about itBecause let me be very clear about something: Wanting a different life now does not erase who you were. It means you’ve lived enough to know what actually matters to you. That’s not failure. That’s growth. And if you’re sitting there trying to force yourself to want the same things you wanted at 28… Yeah. We’re not doing that anymore. If this hits a little too close to home (which it probably does), go ahead and press play. 🎧 Listen to the full episode. What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field. If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want. Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

    7 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Stethoscopes & Strollers! I'm Dr. Toya, mom of two, OBGYN, and coach for physician moms. Here, we go beyond the hospital halls, into the messy, magical early years of parenting—think diapers, sleepless nights, and figuring out how to deal with all those unexpected twists and turns. Every episode, I dive into topics like mental health, the ins and outs of postpartum sex, sorting out childcare, and how having little ones changes your marriage. We’ll talk about getting back to work after baby, the real deal with mom guilt thanks to those tough doctor schedules, what pumping at work is really like, and how to keep all the balls in the air without dropping any. We’re here to get real about the hard choices, like deciding to stop breastfeeding, and so much more. This is a space for focusing on taking care of you, because managing scrubs and swaddles takes a village.You'll figure out how to ask for and actually accept help, because let’s be honest, getting support is crucial for thriving as both a mom and a doctor.Just a quick heads-up: while we're all about sharing and supporting, remember this isn’t medical advice. We’re here to connect, share experiences, and grow—together, without the medical jargon. So, grab your coffee or tea, and get ready to dive into those parts of being a physician mom that don't get talked about enough. You're not riding this roller coaster alone, and you definitely deserve all the support you can get.  Tune in to Stethoscopes & Strollers for some real, honest insights and practical tips to make momming a bit easier. It’s time to get the conversation started!---------------------

Information

  • Creator
    La Toya Luces-Sampson MD, PMH-C
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    129
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 La Toya Luces MD, PMH-C
  • Show Website
    Stethoscopes and Strollers

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