How bad would it be to get pregnant while in nursing school?

Nurses General Nursing

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...cause I was just wondering!:uhoh21:

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Specializes in Pediatrics (Burn ICU, CVICU).

I personally wouldn't recommend it, but life happens and sometimes you just have to deal with it.

There were 3 or 4 people in my class that were pregnant. Luckily, they delivered during breaks.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

During clinical rotations, pregnant students were not permitted to work with certain contagious patients (scabies, et cetera) and were forbidden from doing certain skills that required straining or lifting.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I sure wouldn't have wanted the extra pressure of a pregnancy on top of school--and thankfully that was never an issue. Some people manage to have uneventful pregnancies and have no problems going to school. But then theres the others who are nauseous and vomiting for months. There is no way you would be able to take a TON of time off of school if you did end up sick, without jeopardizing your marks/classes/assignments/enrollment. There was one student in our class who delievered a day or two before starting school, and already had several children at home. She did fine with schoolwork & being a mom. Another student in our program gave birth during spring break. I don't think she missed any time either.

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Specializes in ED.

I have thought about this, as I had a pg scare (have 2 kids already and an IUD). I would be totally devastated, because I get VERY sick when I'm pregnant and I do not think I could continue on with school, which would be heartbreaking to me. I could not study, function during clinicals etc if i were pregnant. Plus, it would be very hard for me to deliver and then leave baby for extended periods of time while I went to school, but I know it is done. So, I guess it depends how a person handles being pregnant, if they get sick, have complications. I would think missing any extended periods of school would be detrimental to your grades.

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I think it would be exhausting! You might feel pretty good in the second trimester, but as far as the first and third....I'm not so sure. After two pregnancies following nursing school, and knowing what school was like, I'm glad I wasn't pg during school. I actually took a dialysis course during my first pg, and even that wasn't easy. I wasn't that tired, but very emotional and I felt like I couldn't keep up with the class. There was so much to learn, and I couldn't think straight (this happens during pg). When I told my classmates and instructor it was due to the pg hormones, I swear they all looked at me like I was nuts! It's not the best time to process new information IMO.

Would I rather have a baby, or go to nursing school? Have a baby...hands down! Looking back I am glad I got my license before having kids, but I love being a mom more than I love nursing! Best of luck to you. :)

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Specializes in OB.

what if you are ordered to bed rest and can't finish the semester?

what if your school (like mine) allows only one clinical miss and you are kicked from the program because you are delivering?

what if you are so ungodly sick that you vomit every day for 3 months and cant study or fucntion in clinicals?

who will take care of your newborn?

You may have an easy easy pregnancy, deliver the baby on the weekend and be back at school on Monday, have a live in nanny and never miss a beat. Or things may not work out as well.

Dont know why you would want the added stress. Nursing school is hard enough

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Thank you all for the input!

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I did it twice. Had my 2nd child in my first semester, and my third in my last semester of nursing school. I wouldn't change a thing. I love being a nurse. I never missed a clinical, call it luck if you want. I had high risk pregnancies. 3X a week NST's. My only regret is that I didn't have the 6 weeks off.

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Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend it. You have so little time for anything else in nursing school - postpone any plans for pregnancy if at all possible and it won't kill you or your significant other to wait.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

A girl in my school missed Wed. clinicals to have her baby and was back for clinicals on Fri.

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lol, the sig other of 8 years bailed on me in my last semester of nursing school. Found a gf that would pay more attention...

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