Pregnancy and Nursing School

fergus51 · Feb 1, 2004

It is possible that you could carry it off. I went to school with a girl who got pregnant and she was fine (didn't even look pregnant until she was 8 months along). She gave birth over summer holidays and was back full time in the fall.

Of course, you could also have the pregnancy from hell and wind up on bedrest or giving birth to a premie and being stuck in the hospital for months. I think the question you need to ask yourself is what is most important to you now? If you are willing to accept the worst case scenario, meaning you have to quit school because of your pregnancy, then I think you are ready. If this would devastate you, then you might want to wait. I have always made decisions that way. If I can accept the worst case scenario of option B and want it more than the best case scenario of option A, then I know B is right for me. Does that make any sense?

kellilou3 · Feb 7, 2004

I will be 29 when I graduate and also would like to have my first child during or very near to the end of the ADN program that I will start Spring of next year. I'm hoping more people will respond to this question for you and me both (and others who may be in the same predicament)! The key is probably timing it so that we would deliver over the summer, like fergus51 said.

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 7, 2004

I would NOT recommend it...esp if your "timing" indeed is off (like a majority are).

dizzejan · Feb 7, 2004

I did it . it was tough towards the end of the pregnancy , but got through it..

Altra, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2004

It is doable, but then so is just about anything if you want it badly enough. The question is, at what cost?

A classmate of mine became pregnant (oops) and gave birth in October. She missed 2 weeks of class before delivering, and one week of classes and approximately 5 clinical days after her baby was born (you may not be released by your OB/GYN to return to the clinical setting until 6 weeks after delivery). She made up the clinical time and is doing well. However, she has accomplished this by moving back in with her parents. She has said that the baby's father is also helping out financially.

Your situation is obviously different - you're married. But I have to ask, have you thought this through beyond pregnancy? I don't know your husband's schedule - who will watch the baby when you return to classes? Especially on your clinical days, with their early a.m. start?

Your first days as a parent are just so precious ... you'll need to think about all the possible variables.

Good luck!

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 8, 2004

As an OB nurse, let me say IT IS DO-ABLE..but ONLY IF :

your pregnancy is uncomplicated

you health is very optimal

your delivery is uncomplicated

your child born is perfectly healthy and not preterm,which is common when women have to be on their feet in excess of 8 hours...(remember clinical rotations)...

you have a superb support system

you have a TON of stamina

and can PLAN very WELL the timing of pregnancy and delivery....

if you don't meet the above criteria---- and some variables, you have no control over, remember: YOU have to PLAN for the unexpected!!!!

trust me, your health and that of your future child are so much more important than this. Plan ACCORDINGLY....

All this is from a mom whose pregnancy with her son was FAR from uncomplicated.....delivery 6 weeks early....complicated by a birth defect that required surgery and aftercare. I would never have gotten thru nursing school AT that PARTICULAR time in my life. I realize it's just me, but I need to temper all the "you can do its" with another perspective that may be helpful.

I would NOT recommend it (pregnancy during nursing school), unless conditions are VERY RIGHT!!! (and you can't control nature and timing all the time--- if anything, pregnancy and motherhood teach us that!)

best wishes, whatever you decide!!!

elkpark · Feb 8, 2004

BOTH nursing school and pregnancy are so challenging, demanding, and risky, I have a hard time imaging anyone would try to do both at once intentionally. When I was teaching in an ADN program, most of our students who became pregnant during the program ended up dropping out (their decision, not because we pressured them -- we tried v. hard to be supportive without actually having a completely different standard for them).

Sure, you could probably (maybe) survive if you accidentally became pregnant and suddenly HAD to try to manage both, but why take on so much voluntarily?

Also, I can assure you that your instructors will not be interested in hearing about your pregnancy as an excuse for missing classes, clinicals, or due dates on assignments ... (Sorry, don't mean to sound harsh, but it's the truth!)

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 8, 2004

And that person is right: Trust that your instructors won't give a tinker's damn about your life, problems or pregnancy. I am a bit off-topic but this story will illustrate what you can expect in school if you elect to get pregnant:

I learned that first hand when my grampa died and I had to go for the memorial service 900 mi away. They SEEMED to sympathize....I tried to work ahead, doing assignments and tests BEFORE I left, having arranged WITH EACH INSTRUCTOR the 4 days away AHEAD OF TIME. They said they would "work with me" yea riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...

I was a 4.0 student who never missed a class to date. I worked HARD and faithfully to this point..... all this meant very little however, I soon learned.

i was penalized for each class and clinical I missed, even tho they promised otherwise. Dont' believe for a minute you will be given any favor or easy treatment in nursing school; quite the opposite is true, they often will SCREW you in the process, as they did me, when you become "inconvenient" or a "problem".

You are not entitled to, or get to have, much of a life in nursing school---It's like 2+ years of boot camp. Trust me, I know. I went thru boot camp for the military.

Like I said, think carefully, plan accordingly, and take care of yourself. No one else will.:stone

PS--every gal who got pg in my school had to either drop out for good, or quit for 2 or more semesters and return, only to graduate late, except for ONE. The odds ain't good you will excel at both, you see.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2004

Gotta agree with Smilingblue... Right now I'm 32 weeks pregnant (29yrs old this is #3) and couldn't imagine going to school and being pregnant right now... I think first babies are harder on alot of women (my pregnancy was very hard and even had to quit working early)

Yes everyone is different, but you can never plan for the unexpected.

SpecFuz · Feb 8, 2004

I'm 29 and will be mid-30 when I graduate. It has been a concern of mine to have to wait until after I graduate to even "begin trying" to get pregnant. I think it's a personal decision though on whether you feel like you can handle it. Good Luck on whatever you decide. I know for myself I don't feel like I'd be able to handle it all.

kellilou3 · Feb 8, 2004

Originally posted by SpecFuz
I'm 29 and will be mid-30 when I graduate. It has been a concern of mine to have to wait until after I graduate to even "begin trying" to get pregnant. I think it's a personal decision though on whether you feel like you can handle it. Good Luck on whatever you decide. I know for myself I don't feel like I'd be able to handle it all.

I will be in the same situation as you but, after reading all of these posts, will probably wait at least until I'm just about done before we start trying (and I'm sure my husband will agree, but we will discuss it more when the time comes and keep practicing in the meantime ). Thanks to all of you for your honest input, and elkpark I don't think you were harsh at all--just being honest!