Stethoscopes and Strollers

La Toya Luces-Sampson MD

Welcome to Stethoscopes & Strollers. I’m Dr. Toya, OB/GYN, coach, entrepreneur, wife, and mom of two. This is the podcast about what happens when the woman underneath the white coat starts asking what she actually wants. Because becoming a physician can teach you a lot about achievement, responsibility, and taking care of other people. Becoming a mother can add an entirely new set of expectations about who you’re supposed to be and how much you’re supposed to give. And somewhere in there, you still have a life to live. On Stethoscopes & Strollers, we talk about all of it. Motherhood. Medicine. Money. Marriage. Mental health. Career changes. Entrepreneurship. Childcare. Sex. Burnout. Asking for help. Building community. And figuring out what to do when the life that looked perfectly good on paper doesn’t actually work for you anymore. Some episodes are practical. Some are personal. Some are conversations with people I think you should know. And sometimes I’m going to tell you about something happening in my own life or business because I learned a lesson the hard way and you might as well benefit from it. What you will not hear is advice about becoming better at doing everything. Absolutely not. Sometimes you need more support. Sometimes you need a better strategy. Sometimes you need to have the uncomfortable conversation, negotiate the contract, learn where your money is, leave the toxic job, hire the help, start the business, or admit that something you worked very hard for no longer fits. And sometimes you need to drop the ball. This podcast is about building a life where your career, motherhood, relationships, ambition, and wellbeing can exist in alignment without requiring you to disappear in the process. You’ll hear my perspective as a Black woman, physician mom, immigrant, entrepreneur, and someone who has made more than a few unconventional decisions about what work and family are “supposed” to look like. I won’t pretend to have all the answers. I will talk about the things we were never taught to discuss honestly. So, hey Doc. Welcome. Let’s talk about it. Stethoscopes & Strollers is for education, conversation, and connection. Nothing shared on this podcast constitutes medical advice.

  1. 4d ago

    140. Talk Your Shit, Doc. Your Career Depends on It.

    Hey Doc! I'm going to need you to start talking your shit. Seriously. Because all that excellent work you're doing? The patients who love you, the charts you close, the problems you solve, the department you help keep running? People are not paying nearly as much attention as you think they are. And if you're waiting for someone to notice your contributions and reward you accordingly, you may be waiting a very long time. In this episode, I'm talking about why bragging is one of the most important things you can do for your career, even if you have absolutely no desire to climb the leadership ladder. I share a lesson from an unexpected place: my husband's work as a licensed HVAC contractor in our family business. Watching him downplay the expertise and effort it takes to solve problems that other contractors couldn't figure out reminded me of something I see physician moms do all the time. We dismiss our accomplishments because they're just part of the job. Except they're not just anything. That's your expertise. Your experience. Your value. And when you don't communicate that value, you leave it up to other people to decide what you're worth. People who may be far more impressed by the colleague who never stops talking about himself. You know the one. 🙄 We're getting into why visibility matters for everything from compensation and job security to OR block time, administrative responsibilities, and getting the call schedule you actually want. And we're talking about the particular danger of humility for women, especially Black women, who've been conditioned to believe that making themselves smaller is somehow admirable. You don't have to want a promotion to deserve recognition. And you certainly don't have to be humble about being damn good at your job. 🎧 Listen to this episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers, then send it to five physician moms who need a reminder to talk their shit, too. 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

  2. Oct 7

    139. Mom Privilege Is Real. Are You Using Yours?

    Hey Doc We spend plenty of time talking about what motherhood costs us. The mental load. Childcare. Career complications. The never-ending question of what these people are going to eat. All valid. But motherhood has also given me access to something incredibly valuable: community. And recently, I realized I haven’t appreciated that enough. I’m in multiple local mom groups. I can ask for childcare recommendations, swim schools, resources, advice, free stuff...and apparently get 10 different opinions on any topic I could possibly imagine. I can also use these communities professionally. As I’ve become more intentional about growing my business locally, I realized I have access to thousands of women simply because I’m a mom. That’s a privilege. And I’m going to use it. In this episode, I’m talking about the resources and relationships that become available to us through motherhood, why physician moms sometimes overlook them, and how we can stop trying to figure everything out alone. Because your community doesn’t always have to understand every part of your life to be valuable. And if the community you need doesn’t exist? You can create it. You already have the kids, Doc. We might as well use some of the benefits that came with them. 😂 In this episode, I talk about: Why motherhood gives us access to powerful built-in communitiesLooking beyond physician mom spaces for support and resourcesUsing local mom groups for everything from childcare to business connectionsCreating the community you wish existedAppreciating motherhood for something beyond how much we love our actual childrenWhy asking other moms instead of figuring everything out yourself can make life a little easierMotherhood asks a hell of a lot from us. It’s okay to notice where it gives something back, too. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers. 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

  3. Oct 1

    138. Pregnancy as Disability: A Medical Reframe

    Hey Doc, I spent most of my career as an OB/GYN saying, “Pregnancy is not a disability.” I believed it. Then I had my second baby. That pregnancy gave me a very different understanding of what it means when someone says, “I can’t do this anymore.” I had pain that made walking excruciating. I stopped working at 30 weeks, six weeks earlier than I had with my first pregnancy. And I finally understood something I wish I had understood more deeply for my patients: Sometimes pregnancy really can be disabling. And for women physicians, admitting that can be especially difficult. We’ve been trained to push through discomfort, show up no matter what, and make sure our personal lives don’t inconvenience the system. Add the pressure of not wanting your pregnancy to create more work for your colleagues, and suddenly you’re negotiating with a body that is very clearly telling you to sit your ass down. In this episode, I’m talking about why your capacity during pregnancy may look completely different from what you expected, including what you were capable of during a previous pregnancy. I’m also getting into the bigger issue: the culture of medicine that treats pregnancy like an individual scheduling inconvenience instead of a normal part of life that institutions should be prepared to accommodate. Because you should not have to prove your dedication to medicine by pushing your pregnant body beyond what it can safely do. Your colleagues will figure it out. The schedule will get covered. The department will survive. And when you’re the colleague, partner, or leader making decisions that affect another pregnant physician, you have an opportunity to help create a culture where she doesn’t have to choose between taking care of herself and proving that she belongs. If you’re pregnant, considering another baby, working alongside pregnant physicians, or leading them, this episode is for you. Listen to this episode of ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ and send it to a physician who needs to hear 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

  4. Sep 23

    137. You Worked Hard for This. You’re Still Allowed to Let It Go

    Hey Doc, “You worked so hard for this.” I still hear some version of that when people find out I stepped away from clinical medicine. And yes. I did. I worked hard to become an OB/GYN. I fought to become the surgeon I wanted to be. I sought out mentorship, built my skills, became someone other physicians could learn from, and eventually got exactly what I had been working toward. And then my life changed. My priorities changed. I changed. In this episode, I’m sharing part of a conversation I had with surgeon and coach Dr. Amy Vertrees on The Business of Surgery podcast. While I was telling her about my transition away from surgery, she said something that stopped me: “Everything I did in the past is going to hold me hostage for the future.” Whew. Because that is exactly what so many of us do. We look at the years of training. The sacrifices. The skill we worked ridiculously hard to develop. The salary. The expectations attached to being a physician. And instead of allowing all of that to be part of our story, we turn it into evidence that we have to keep living the same story. For me, there were even more layers. Was I betraying the version of myself who fought so hard to become an excellent surgeon? Was I reinforcing stereotypes about women stepping back after having children? Was I letting down the patients who specifically wanted a Black physician caring for them? Those weren’t small questions. I had to work through every damn one of them. Eventually, I realized that being excellent at something does not obligate me to do it forever. And neither does being well compensated. Because golden handcuffs are still handcuffs. Platinum ones too. 😂 In this episode, we talk about the identity crisis that can come with changing your career, why leaving something good can sometimes be harder than leaving something obviously toxic, and how I stopped making decisions based on who I used to be and started paying attention to the life I actually wanted now. Your past self does not get to dictate the rest of your life. She might actually look at you and say, “Damn, girl. Good for you.” Listen to the episode and decide what you’re ready to stop letting your past decide for you. 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. Sep 16

    136. Doc, You Can Stop Breastfeeding

    Hey Doc, You can stop breastfeeding. You can stop pumping. You can know all of the benefits, have enough milk, have a baby who breastfeeds well, and still decide: I don’t want to do this anymore. I know that can be an especially complicated decision when you’re a physician. We know the evidence. We know the recommendations. We know exactly what we’re “supposed” to do. And when you’re already spending hours away from your baby because of work, breastfeeding can become the thing. At least I can do this for her. That was part of my experience with my daughter. I was making enough milk, but barely. If I didn’t drink enough water, missed a meal, or skipped a pumping session, my supply would drop and I’d spend the next few days trying to catch up. Everything revolved around producing enough milk. I made it eight months. I wanted to make it a year. And eventually I had to admit that breastfeeding was taking a significant toll on my mental health. So I stopped. And the relief was almost immediate. In this episode, I’m sharing part of an older conversation from the Mom & Mind podcast because I know there is a physician mom somewhere who needs permission to make the decision that is right for her, her baby, and her family. We talk about: How breastfeeding prolonged my postpartum anxietyWhy pumping felt like its own special form of torture 😂The additional pressure physician moms can put on themselves because we know the benefits of breastfeedingWhy breastfeeding and mental health deserve a much more nuanced conversationThe guilt that can come with stopping even when you know it’s the right decisionWhy unsolicited advice to “just keep going” can make a struggling mom feel even worseHow to support another mom without immediately trying to fix her problemBecause sometimes she doesn’t need another suggestion for increasing her supply. She doesn’t need another supplement, pumping schedule, lactation consultant, or “Have you tried…?” She might need you to listen. She might need you to tell her she’s not a bad mom. She might need someone to say, “It’s okay to stop.” And if you don’t know what she needs, there is a very simple way to find out: Ask her. “What do you need from me right now?” That question goes far beyond breastfeeding. I use it in my marriage. I use it with my clients. And it can completely change the way we support the people we love. So if breastfeeding is working beautifully for you, wonderful. If you love it, wonderful. And if breastfeeding is making you miserable and you desperately want someone to tell you that you’re allowed to stop: Doc, you can stop. You don’t have to suffer to prove that you’re a good mother. Listen to the episode, and please send this one to the physician mom who needs to hear 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

  6. Sep 9

    135. The One Thing I Don’t Want You to Outsource: Your Money

    Hey Doc I love outsourcing. Cleaning. Childcare. Grocery delivery. The random tasks that somehow require 47 emails and a phone call during business hours. Please. Take them. But there is one thing I do not want you to completely outsource: Knowing what is happening with your money. In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation I had with Dr. Felecia Froe on the Money with Mission podcast about my own money story. I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago watching my parents work hard, build businesses, and use their money generously. But nobody sat me down and taught me about investing, taxes, wealth building, or financial independence. Then I became a physician. And shockingly, between learning the Krebs cycle and trying to keep actual humans alive, nobody taught me much about money there either. I eventually started educating myself. I learned about investing. I stopped assuming my financial advisor was performing some kind of financial wizardry. 😂 And I started understanding something that became incredibly important later in my career: Knowing my financial situation gave me choices. When I was burned out and miserable in medicine, money mattered. When I decided not to buy into partnership and walked away from a well-paying job without another job lined up, money mattered. When I invested $10,000 in my first coaching program and started seeing possibilities for myself outside of traditional medicine, money mattered. Not because money magically fixes your life. Because understanding your money gives you information. And information gives you options. In this episode, we talk about: What I learned about money growing up in Trinidad and TobagoWhy I eventually stopped using a financial advisor and started educating myselfHow my husband and I talk about money togetherWhy we’re intentionally teaching our children about money earlyThe connection between financial knowledge and my decision to leave a job that was burning me outWhy investing $10,000 in coaching felt enormous at the time and what I got from that investmentThe importance of understanding your value as a physicianWhy I believe every woman should know what is happening with her own money, even when someone else manages the day-to-day financesYou do not need to become an investing expert tomorrow. Start with the basics. Know where your money is. Know how much you have. Know what debt you have. And please, Doc, know whether your taxes are being filed. Your husband may be wonderful. Mine is. I chose well. 😂 I still know what is happening with our money. Listen to the episode, then go check your accounts. 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. Sep 2

    134. Please Take Care of Yourself, Doc

    Hey Doc, This episode is a plea. Please take care of yourself. There has been a lot of loss in the physician community lately, and it has made me take a harder look at the care I’m giving myself too. Because I can preach about putting yourself first all day long, but meanwhile my Peloton has basically become furniture and my eating habits have been…questionable. 😂 And it reminded me that taking care of ourselves isn’t one thing. You can exercise regularly and be struggling mentally. You can eat well and be completely unsupported at home. You can go to therapy and still be working in a job that is slowly destroying you. You can look incredibly functional from the outside while barely keeping your head above water. Physicians are particularly good at that last one. We are trained to keep going. Sometimes we’re outright praised for ignoring what our bodies and minds are telling us because patients need us, there’s nobody to cover the shift, and somebody has to get the work done. Then many of us become mothers and bring that same conditioning home. In this episode, I’m sharing part of a previous conversation from the Mom & Mind podcast about physician burnout, anxiety, sleep deprivation, motherhood, and why asking for help is one of the most important skills we can develop. We talk about: Why some of the qualities that make us excellent physicians can make anxiety harder to recognizeThe medical culture that teaches us to push through even when we’re physically or mentally unwellWhy sleep and support matter so much during the postpartum yearsThe belief that we should be able to handle everything ourselvesWhy asking for help isn’t limited to hiring someone. Family, friends, neighbors, therapy, coaching, and community all countWhat it means when your current life simply does not allow you to adequately care for yourselfYou deserve help. You deserve rest. You deserve care and support. And if taking care of yourself feels impossible within the life you’re currently living, I want you to seriously consider what needs to change. Because life is too short, Doc. Listen to the episode. And then check in with yourself, for real. 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

  8. Aug 26

    133. These Children Will Have You Thinking You're a Bad Mother

    Hey Doc, These children will really have you questioning your entire motherhood résumé. This summer, I left my kids in Trinidad with their grandparents while my husband and I stayed home to work on our businesses. And before you come for me, please understand the setup: camp, personal transportation, loving grandparents, extra help, someone cooking for them, and my mother making my son fry bake on request. This child was living GOOD. And yet, my son was crying, telling me he hated camp and wanted to come home. It was hard to hear, even when I had photographic evidence that he was perfectly happy when he wasn’t on the phone with me. Then, a few weeks later, I told him we were coming to get them. His response? He didn’t want to come home. Sir. In this episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers, I’m talking about what happens when your child’s very real feelings start making you question whether you’ve made a terrible parenting decision. Because your child can be sad. They can miss you. They can cry. They can even be absolutely furious about a decision you made. And none of those things automatically mean you made the wrong decision. Sometimes being their mother means trusting what you know, allowing them to have their feelings, and resisting the urge to immediately fix their discomfort just so you can stop feeling guilty. I’m sharing what this experience taught me about motherhood, guilt, and sticking with a decision even when your child is giving an Oscar-worthy performance suggesting you have personally ruined their life. Spoiler: mine went from crying himself to sleep to asking when he could come back to Trinidad. There’s hope for you, Doc. 😂 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers. 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

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Stethoscopes & Strollers. I’m Dr. Toya, OB/GYN, coach, entrepreneur, wife, and mom of two. This is the podcast about what happens when the woman underneath the white coat starts asking what she actually wants. Because becoming a physician can teach you a lot about achievement, responsibility, and taking care of other people. Becoming a mother can add an entirely new set of expectations about who you’re supposed to be and how much you’re supposed to give. And somewhere in there, you still have a life to live. On Stethoscopes & Strollers, we talk about all of it. Motherhood. Medicine. Money. Marriage. Mental health. Career changes. Entrepreneurship. Childcare. Sex. Burnout. Asking for help. Building community. And figuring out what to do when the life that looked perfectly good on paper doesn’t actually work for you anymore. Some episodes are practical. Some are personal. Some are conversations with people I think you should know. And sometimes I’m going to tell you about something happening in my own life or business because I learned a lesson the hard way and you might as well benefit from it. What you will not hear is advice about becoming better at doing everything. Absolutely not. Sometimes you need more support. Sometimes you need a better strategy. Sometimes you need to have the uncomfortable conversation, negotiate the contract, learn where your money is, leave the toxic job, hire the help, start the business, or admit that something you worked very hard for no longer fits. And sometimes you need to drop the ball. This podcast is about building a life where your career, motherhood, relationships, ambition, and wellbeing can exist in alignment without requiring you to disappear in the process. You’ll hear my perspective as a Black woman, physician mom, immigrant, entrepreneur, and someone who has made more than a few unconventional decisions about what work and family are “supposed” to look like. I won’t pretend to have all the answers. I will talk about the things we were never taught to discuss honestly. So, hey Doc. Welcome. Let’s talk about it. Stethoscopes & Strollers is for education, conversation, and connection. Nothing shared on this podcast constitutes medical advice.

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