Just two years later, I had a baby, and just five-and-a-half weeks of maternity leave. I struggled greatly. I spent the first two weeks trying to breastfeed, recover from mastitis, and then formula feed a baby who then turned out to be allergic to cow’s milk. I decided to relactate during my last week of leave because I couldn’t stand seeing my baby cry so much. I spent that final week breastfeeding, pumping, and washing pump parts around the clock. Once I was back at work, I missed my baby so much. I was miserable.I finally realized how uneducated I was about the postpartum period. I was horrified thinking back to how I had treated you. I am so appreciative of the women who supported me through that time, many of them were women who had also suffered. But some of the women had profound empathy for me, without having had any personal experiences with new motherhood.I wish that I could apologize to you in person. I know you were working hard to do the best you could for your family, and I am sure you are a wonderful mother. As your healthcare provider, I am sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed my support. You deserved so much more from me than the meager eight weeks of disability you were requesting. You deserved my attention.Please know that my treatment of you back then has motivated me to be a better physician to postpartum women. I serve on The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ’ District IX Legislative Committee, where I have advocated (successfully) for California legislation for lactation rooms in airports, support of teenage moms who are breastfeeding and returning to school, and breastfeeding supportive hospital practices. I run an informal program at Stanford for new parent physicians who need additional support when they return to work. I consider it a medical and ethical mandate for me to do whatever I can to advocate for new mothers and their very real needs. I will advocate for the rest of my career for women and families to have the support and paid leave that all families deserve.Sincerely,Susan Crowe, MD, FACOGSusan Crowe is a Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.