It is difficult to say whether the approach to the way we teach medicine or the fact that more women are practicing is responsible for a more respectful and professional treatment that we received, but I would venture to say that both play a role. We had a first-hand experience of ‘the old school’ with an obstetrician overriding a decision of a female resident over the phone without ever, EVER, seeing or talking to my wife and yet feeling quite confident in pronouncing the need for decisive and aggressive intervention that proved quite needless. We were confident enough to insist on the plan the resident outlined and hopefully we did so without getting her in any trouble. While we had superb and fantastic care during the delivery, there is a lot to be desired in post-delivery care (for example, insisting on giving the baby a bath at 3 a.m. is just dumb). Oh, I also have a tip for the hospital administration on how to improve health outcomes of their patients and ensure a speedy recovery - hire a damn chef. The slops they serve to their patients instead of nutritious food should be banned as a health hazard.

I like this photograph a lot even if it’s out of focus and even if there is a lot of motion blur. This is the big sister kissing her baby sister’s foot.