Start nursing school with a newborn at home? - Page 5

Register Today!
  1. Jan 4, '10 by
    I wouldn't purposely go about having a baby right before starting nursing school, but if it happened, well it happens. That said, when I went back to school to start my pre-reqs, my son was about 8 months old. I took online courses only that semester, so it wasn't so bad. He's now 15 months old and goes to daycare three days per week, half days only. I'm fine with that arrangement and I'm thriving in school and he (along with my 3.5 year old) is thriving as well.

    That said, I will say that the first year of a child's life (no matter the number) is often challenging. You're adding a new person into the household, the routine, etc. My son was super easy of a baby, but my daughter was not so easy. If I had them in reverse order, I don't know that I would have gone back to school when she was still under a year. My son was easy to add into the mix, but it was still a challenge as my then two year old had her life totally turned upside down by this new baby. As for the sleep thing, I've been very fortunate with both my kids with sleep (though my daughter only cat napped her first year of life). They both slept in our room and slept most of the night. There have only been a few sleepless nights.

    I should finish my core classes (pre-reqs done) this summer and hopefully start nursing classes and clinicals in January. I'm expecting it to be more intense - right now I take everything online that I can and only come to campus for A&P and lab, and I know that I won't have that luxury.

    Also, some have suggested waiting until after you graduate. I would encourage people to think about that. You have to be on a job for one year to qualify for FMLA. Plus, the first year of a new job is pretty stressful (and from what I'm reading here, VERY stressful for a new nurse).

    I don't think there is ever a great time when you're trying to finish school and also hear that tick tock.
    nurse2B444 likes this.
  2. Jan 4, '10 by
    When I started pre-reqs for NS, my oldest son was 3. My younger son, who was a surprise, was born a year later. I could have ideally finished my pre-reqs in 2 semesters, but decided to go part time so I could be home more with my boys and not have to put my baby in daycare full time. I took me an extra semester and taking summer classes before I was able to apply to my program, but I consider the extra time well worth it. I also have other classmates with children take all the non-nursing core classes they could before applying for the program so they would be taking as few credits as possible once they were in. So nice to not have to worry about stats or your humanities requirement on top of fundamentals, pharmacology, med-surg, etc. Anyways, this prolly doesn't help the OP, but maybe something future nursing students could consider.
    nurse2B444 likes this.
  3. Jan 4, '10 by
    Quote from jennylouwho
    I wouldn't purposely go about having a baby right before starting nursing school, but if it happened, well it happens. That said, when I went back to school to start my pre-reqs, my son was about 8 months old. I took online courses only that semester, so it wasn't so bad. He's now 15 months old and goes to daycare three days per week, half days only. I'm fine with that arrangement and I'm thriving in school and he (along with my 3.5 year old) is thriving as well.

    That said, I will say that the first year of a child's life (no matter the number) is often challenging. You're adding a new person into the household, the routine, etc. My son was super easy of a baby, but my daughter was not so easy. If I had them in reverse order, I don't know that I would have gone back to school when she was still under a year. My son was easy to add into the mix, but it was still a challenge as my then two year old had her life totally turned upside down by this new baby. As for the sleep thing, I've been very fortunate with both my kids with sleep (though my daughter only cat napped her first year of life). They both slept in our room and slept most of the night. There have only been a few sleepless nights.

    I should finish my core classes (pre-reqs done) this summer and hopefully start nursing classes and clinicals in January. I'm expecting it to be more intense - right now I take everything online that I can and only come to campus for A&P and lab, and I know that I won't have that luxury.

    Also, some have suggested waiting until after you graduate. I would encourage people to think about that. You have to be on a job for one year to qualify for FMLA. Plus, the first year of a new job is pretty stressful (and from what I'm reading here, VERY stressful for a new nurse).

    I don't think there is ever a great time when you're trying to finish school and also hear that tick tock.

    You women are terrific!!! Keep it up! I wish you all the best and good luck!
    nurse2B444 likes this.
  4. Jan 6, '10 by
    I couldn't have said it better. You can't give 100% to both nursing school and a new baby - why do that to the baby or yourself or your husband? You will be stressed out and exhausted. Your baby will not get enough time with you - you will have to pay someone else to raise it, or not get enough study time. This being said from someone who obtained her bachelor's degree with 2 infants and a military spouse who was overseas a lot - I am now divorced and my kids suffered from my stress as well.

    Having a baby would be comparable to housebreaking 4 new puppies at once. How can you do that while in nursing school? There are going to be quite a few accidents on the carpet/furniture and a lot of yelling!

    You can work part time as a nurse once you have your baby. Get school done and then get pregnant!

    Quote from Jolie
    Can it be done? Yes.

    I think a better question is: should it be done.

    You are proposing to undertake 2 incredibly stressful, time consuming, mentally and physically exhausting, life altering events at once. You can probably do both, but I wouldn't recommend it. Something will suffer. It may be your marriage, your health, your emotional state, your sanity or your child's best interests. Since you have a choice in the matter, I would recommend finishing school first.

    Best to you.
    Fiona59, kitti419, nurse2B444, and 1 other like this.
  5. Jan 6, '10 by
    Another thing to consider is I have never found anyone to care for my children at the times I need. Their preschool was 3 hours a day - not enough time for me to even get to/from school. I could never afford a full time daycare, and now they are too old for daycare, but I do need transportation assistance. Even now, I have had no luck finding someone to take and pick them up from school. One girl when they were younger said she would watch them, but every day she had something new come up so she never made it and I always had to take them with me, pushing the stroller filled with diapers and toys, and carrying my baby, toddler struggling to walk alongside. I had to study with my kids on my lap or while cooking dinner and yelling at a kid to take his bath, which then required me to run up the stairs and make him bathe, then feed them dinner, forget the studying. Whoever says a newborn is more demanding is crazy! (sorry LinzyRN) Having a newborn is the easy part.

    Quote from LinzyRN
    I had a 8 month old when I started pre req's and she was three when I started in the nursing program. It has been very hard. I was gone all day at school and clinicals, but when I was home I had to study. I never got to spend time with her. Thank the lord I had lots of help from my husband and mom, but a newborn is a lot more demanding than a 3 year old.
    Fiona59, janhetherington, and nurse2B444 like this.
  6. Apr 25, '11 by
    OP here - reading back over these, I'm honestly not sure I made the right decision. I'm 9 months out from graduation right now. I'm a straight A student and I haven't found the program all that challenging. I mean, of course there are stressful days and weeks, but it's not the beast I was expecting. Since we missed our chance to have a baby before school, we're now trying to figure out when it will work best. Our new insurance maternity coverage doesn't start until August, so if I got pg in September, I'd be 4 months pg upon graduating. No one will hire a pregnant new grad. That pushes us back to the indefinite time when I am finally able to find a job. This is easier said than done in the DC/NOVA area where new grad jobs seem to be nonexistent. (We have to stay in DC/NOVA for hubby's job). So, if I can't find a job for (conservatively), 4 months, then wait until the training period is up, that's more than a year from right now. That's pretty much unbearable since our baby fever started over two years ago. Nursing school probably would have been the ideal time to have a baby, in restrospect. Better than trying to fit pregnancy/new mommy time into a new grad first hire situation, when the job market is so terrible. For people struggling with this issue, consider seriously the problem of the new grad job shortage before planning your family around your career.
    VolunteerCPR likes this.
  7. Apr 25, '11 by
    I was a plan your family around your career person. I had my career and waited to have my baby. I think it is better to plan your career around your family if you can afford it. At the same time, I think the nursing program would be a lot more difficult when you add motherhood into the mix.
    I have my career, I am 31 years old and I have a 7month old baby. You will have it all too, just in a different order.
    The typical way a family is planned (in the ideal world) is to have a career first then a family. A lot of people just don't have a choice to be a parent first, due to today's economy. By the same token, due to today's economy maybe it is best to get a career first (financial stability), if you can find a job.

    Hugs OP, it will happen for you! You will have it all soon! I think any woman who has a college education has it all by today's standards!
    nurse2B444 likes this.
  8. Apr 25, '11 by
    Quote from rkitty198
    I was a plan your family around your career person. I had my career and waited to have my baby. I think it is better to plan your career around your family if you can afford it. At the same time, I think the nursing program would be a lot more difficult when you add motherhood into the mix.
    I have my career, I am 31 years old and I have a 7month old baby. You will have it all too, just in a different order.
    The typical way a family is planned (in the ideal world) is to have a career first then a family. A lot of people just don't have a choice to be a parent first, due to today's economy. By the same token, due to today's economy maybe it is best to get a career first (financial stability), if you can find a job.

    Hugs OP, it will happen for you! You will have it all soon! I think any woman who has a college education has it all by today's standards!
    rkitty198, thank you for your kind and understanding words! it's hard for everyone these days, and I'm always grateful to have the options I do have available to me - I know many people don't have the luxury of choice, they just have to make it work!
  9. Apr 25, '11 by
    I forgot to congratulate you on your pursuits! The baby will be next! Good luck and best wishes for a long career and mommyhood, by the way it is so exhausting so take a nap and a bath for me!
    nurse2B444 likes this.
  10. Apr 26, '11 by
    Quote from JoPACURN
    Are you on drugs?

    Please decide what's a priority. Baby is always first (once you have one) and once you're in nursing school no one and I mean NO ONE is gonna cut you slack.

    I teach and I don't listen to excuses. and yes, I HAVE CHILDREN.
    Ouch.. Kinda mean, but very true - and here's what else ; they don't cut you any slack in the workforce either! I work with several breastfeeding mothers and my heart goes out to them. You really do miss a lot. In this sense wanting to have a baby is very selfish. sorry
    Fiona59 and janhetherington like this.