Mei Lin
BIO
I’m a marine biologist, currently doing a PhD in marine ecology studying the world's largest living shellfish, the giant clam. I’m a first time mom to a 4-month old baby girl and mother to the Giant Clam, Stormy the Cat, and Baby Ada.
Twitter: @MeilinNeo
Instagram: @clamscientist
Blog: www.meilin5giantclam.wordpress.com
MEI LIN
“How will I complete my fieldwork?”
When I found out that I was pregnant, I was overwhelmed with joy and anxiety. I was overjoyed because we have been trying for a child, but at the same time, I was extremely worried on how will I cope with pregnancy in my line of work as a field marine biologist. Many thoughts ran through my head: How will I complete my fieldwork? Who will do my SCUBA diving work? Can I still do lab bench work with all the potentially toxic reagents? This was made worse when I could not find common peers to talk about such issues - it was troubling at first.
Fortunately for me, my colleagues were very understanding and supportive. They made provisions to accommodate my research work by encouraging me to delegate work to my junior colleagues or offering to do some of my work! By lending me a hand, I felt that I could cope with the work better, as well as not become too worried of not meeting deadlines.
When my pregnancy got tough physically and emotionally, my superiors remained patient and understanding, as well as advising me to take more rest. With this positive environment, I had a relatively happy pregnancy while maintaining my academic career.
While my pregnancy story is a happy one, it was only the beginning of motherhood. As I enjoy my time with my little one now, I start to worry about her childcare when I return to work. And as I start to plan my future employment options such as taking up a part-time scheme, I began to worry how I can still be active in academia yet not failing my child at home. I do not have all the answers yet, and this is where @momsinscience can help to empower women in STEM careers to continue pursuing excellence at work and at home.