Who in the world am I?!

My name is Betsy Prentice, and when I grew up, I was going to be a doctor. I was never going to get married, and you could not have paid me to even entertain the idea of having children. Being a strong, independent woman was in my blood. My family, matriarchal in nature, bred fearless, aggressive female leaders who valued tradition, education, and career. Nothing could stand in our way of success. Counting on men for… well, anything…was less than desirable, unthinkable at times.

Married, soon to be jobless, and oh...HUGE!

And here I am now: twenty-six years old, married, soon-to-be jobless, and pregnant. Disgustingly pregnant. Yesterday alone, at least three strangers looked upon me with sympathetic eyes and asked—in one form or another—“you HAVE to be due any minute, don’t you?” Although I would eagerly respond “yes!” to each of them, the honest reality is that I’m not due until a week from tomorrow, Monday, July 23^rd. Yikes.

The Broad Ripple Baby Daddy

So what happened to Dr. Betsy Barnett, M.D., spouseless, motherless, career woman? Well, as it turns out, four years of medical school did not seem to interest me in the slightest. And, more importantly, I met Scott, my husband. In what seems like a two-year whirlwind, we got engaged, joined a church, got married, and are currently expecting our first child. Let’s just say my perspective on life has changed a bit. The importance of tradition and education will be forever engraved in my heart, but I am trying to—and have been—reshaping my beliefs on relationships (specifically with my husband) and my role as a woman. What that does not mean is that I am giving up my voice, my opinions, my ambitions, but what that does mean is that I am learning to allow Scott to lead our family. I’m learning to trust him with important decisions. I am learning not only to respect him but also to help him in growing and raising our family.

(Note: To avoid offending anyone, let me just point out that there are plenty of amazing women in my family: many who work hard and have amazing careers, many who are amazing mothers (especially my own!), and many who are in strong, loving marriages. My intent in writing this is simply to point out that my outlook on life is much different today than it was ten years ago. Then again, whose isn’t?)

So, how is any of this important and/or relevant? Well, to begin with, I recently told my job of three years that I would not be returning after Baby Prentice was born. This was a mutual decision that Scott and I made. After some thoughtful consideration, we decided that raising our little cub and finishing my Master’s degree took priority over having a full-time job. The idea of being a stay-at-home mom is completely new to me. While I feel blessed and privileged to have this opportunity, I would be lying to say that I’m completely confident in my capacity to stay at home rearing a child. What if my natural ‘maternal instinct’ doesn’t kick in? What if I get bored? What if I constantly feel guilty about not providing an additional income for our family? The list goes on and on…

I could sit and meditate on these “what ifs” for hours, even days. Instead, what I think I’ll do is pray. Pray that I would trust God with our decision. Pray that I would be a great (not perfect) mother to my sweet boy. Pray that I would use my time at home in the most productive manner possible. Pray that my husband knows he is appreciated and respected. Pray that this experience would not be without obstacles but would be filled with challenges that will shape me into a stronger and healthier woman, wife, and mother.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Betsy M. Barnett, Prentice, M.D.