Hi everyone! My name is Christina McCarthy and I am a rising junior at Tulane University. I am studying Sociology and Spanish while on the pre-medical track. Due to my passion for both medicine and women’s health, becoming a Reproductive Rights Intern through NCI was exactly how I wanted to spend my Summer of 2019.
Prior to beginning my work as a research assistant with Dr. Johnson, I was given the opportunity to shadow an OBGYN last summer back home in New Jersey. While observing the interactions between the physician and the patient, I learned about the various obstacles women face after giving birth. Specifically, I listened to many women express their concerns regarding the process of breastfeeding. When I came back to Tulane and learned of Dr. Johnson’s breastfeeding study I knew I immediately wanted to become involved to learn more about how women balance breastfeeding and working part-time and full-time jobs.
During my first week as an intern, I spent a lot of time reading about the process of breastfeeding. I learned about the benefits of breastfeeding as opposed to buying formula, the types of equipment used in breastfeeding, and how a mother should cope when facing unforeseen obstacles along the way. I also read a few articles on how to conduct a responsive interview in order to establish a comfortable environment for the mother I will be conversing with.
Now that I have more background knowledge on the topics of pregnancy and breastfeeding, I’m excited to start interviewing mothers to ensure women are able to balance work and motherhood with enough resources and support from their workforce, family, and peers!