Getting Through the Day: The Emotional Toolkit for Female Physicians with Dr. Shivana Naidoo

In this deeply personal and practical episode, Dr. Erica welcomes child psychiatrist and founder of Do Better MD, Dr. Shivana Naidoo, for a conversation that goes far beyond the clinical. Dr. Naidoo is the host of Thinking It Through with Dr. Naidoo and a fellow speaker from the Women Physicians Wellness Retreat in Grand Cayman — and this episode is exactly the kind of conversation that retreat was made for.Together, they explore the emotional terrain that female physicians navigate every single day — as healers, patients, partners, and women in the middle of their own fertility journeys.In this episode, you'll hear:Dr. Naidoo's journey into child psychiatry — and what drew her to the power of bearing witness to someone's suffering as treatmentThe mental health statistics you need to know: why infertility carries anxiety and depression rates comparable to cancer, and why that number climbs with every unsuccessful cycleBoth doctors share their own miscarriage stories — the isolation, the hormonal upheaval, and the "bad womb" narrative that so many women carryWhy the physician brain (analytical, high-achieving, Type A) can actually work against us when it comes to the fertility journeyPractical strategies for getting through your clinical day when you're also navigating fertility treatment — from pre-preparing for triggering patient questions to canned responses that feel authentic, not performativeThe conservation framework for giving yourself permission not to give 100% to every patient — and why that actually makes you a better doctorHow compassion fatigue, countertransference, and moral injury show up differently for physicians who are their own patientsThe body-first approach to recognizing when you need support — because the body keeps score when the mind is in denialDr. Shivana Naidoo can be found at:📧 [email protected]🌐 dobettermd.com📱 Instagram: @drshrivananaidu🎙️ Podcast: Thinking It Through with Dr. Naidoo, Child PsychiatristIf you're a female physician who has ever felt like you're failing at everything simultaneously — your patients, your fertility journey, your relationships — this episode is for you. You are not alone. One in four female physicians faces infertility. One in three female surgeons. We see you. Support the showAs always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consultFollow us on social media:IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertilityFB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.In Gratitude,Dr. Erica Bove