Becoming First-Time Parents at Johns Hopkins

Becoming a parent is one of the most wonderful and exhilarating experiences in the world, yet it is also filled with fear and uncertainty. If all I had to do was gaze at our sweet and adorable baby, it would feel like a dream. I would be completely happy and could ask for nothing more. As a postdoctoral fellow, however, I also feel a responsibility — and a great deal of pressure — to do well in both research and parenting. Devoting oneself to even one of these is difficult enough, but no one has ever taught us how to manage both at the same time. Research already demands patience, long hours and constant attention. Parenthood, I am beginning to understand, will require many of the same qualities, but in a far more personal and unpredictable way.

My family moved from New York to Baltimore in January of this year when I joined Johns Hopkins. We brought something especially precious with us: the hope and promise of our first child, whom we affectionately call Malkong. In Korea, where I am from, parents often give their unborn baby a prenatal nickname, known as a tae-myeong (태명), before choosing the baby’s legal name. Our parents all live in South Korea, thousands of miles away, and because Malkong is our first child, everything about preparing for parenthood has felt unfamiliar and challenging.

Fortunately, Hopkins’ excellent employee health insurance and medical infrastructure have been a tremendous help. As a Hopkins employee, I feel incredibly fortunate to have easy access to world-class medical care so close to home. Thanks to the Hopkins staff members who have consistently treated us with kindness, my wife and I are moving forward step by step on our journey toward parenthood, despite our uncertainty.

Had we not moved to Baltimore and become part of the Hopkins community, this journey might have been much more difficult. Instead, we have been surrounded by supportive lab colleagues and mentors, as well as dedicated Hopkins staff members and medical professionals. Their warmth and commitment have helped my wife and me prepare to welcome our baby in September. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of them.

This experience has also given me a new appreciation for the many remarkable Hopkins employees who balance parenting with their professional responsibilities every day. I am only beginning that journey, but I already understand how much patience, courage and support it requires. Every parent deserves admiration and respect for taking on that responsibility.

Once Malkong arrives, I hope to write again. Next time, I would like to share what it is truly like to raise a newborn in Baltimore while learning to become both a father and a better scientist.

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