Pregnant and nursing school?

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Hey there!

Is anyone else having a baby in the middle of a semester in nursing school? I just got into my main nursing courses with clinicals starting in May. I am due to have a baby in March just at the start of a new session. Luckily I take courses online and I only have to go to lab one day per week. I also work as an aid so many of the skills we are being checked off on this coming session I have done before. My professors are so great and willing to work around everything. I'm praying everything works out so I do not fall behind. Anybody else in the same situation? What are you planning to do? Are you taking a semester off?

To dranger and f8dagrate: Instead of judging her for being pregnant, how about you just answer her question and offer words of encouragement? Is that so hard?

How and when did I judge her. I just don't understand it. I did encourage her to stay as long as she safely can in nursing school then take a semester off. We all know the stress-fullness of nursing school, why would I pat her on the back and say great job. All I can say is be safe and do the best you can.

I couldn't do it, (well I *could* have), I fell in love with my newborn and just couldn't leave her. I took a year off to stay home with my baby, and now that she is 1, I am back enrolled in nursing school :) For me, I just had to make my baby the priority. I did finish my first semester of nursing school, but in addition to the baby we bought a townhome and moved out of district of the community college I was going to, so I am now repeating the first semester at my new community college because I couldn't transfer the completed courses. It might take you a little longer (or it might not, it sounds like you have a nice online program), but you'll finish :) Good luck and congrats.

Specializes in ICU.
I couldn't do it, (well I *could* have), I fell in love with my newborn and just couldn't leave her. I took a year off to stay home with my baby, and now that she is 1, I am back enrolled in nursing school :) For me, I just had to make my baby the priority. I did finish my first semester of nursing school, but in addition to the baby we bought a townhome and moved out of district of the community college I was going to, so I am now repeating the first semester at my new community college because I couldn't transfer the completed courses. It might take you a little longer (or it might not, it sounds like you have a nice online program), but you'll finish :) Good luck and congrats.

This. I don't know if this is your first child or not, but once that baby is born, it's a whole new ball of wax. There is no way I could have gone to school right after having a baby. You need to do what is right for you, but I will say this, they are only this little once. And the time goes by so quickly. I knew my son would be my only one because of fertility issues so I ate up every moment I could with him. I thought every new stage was better than the last. He is now 8 and is in 2nd grade and he still fascinates me. I love to watch him sleep and I think I can't believe I made that!!! You need to do what is right for you, just don't let nursing school interfere with what will probably be the best times of your life. Do not miss a moment because you will never get that time back.

I'm in school with two prego people right now, and I'm one of a handful of us who have small children while going to nursing school. Is it hard? Sure. But you can do it. It's all about prioritizing. I don't know if this is your first baby but really babies don't do much the first year so you can find the time to get things done. Best of luck to you!!

Congratulations!

I just had a baby 4 months ago during my second year of nursing school, I took a week off from my surgical rotation and went back to finish it off. I have not taken a break but my husband is currently on paternity leave so my little one is being well taken care of. It is doable if you are focused and have support :)

Specializes in Cardiac, CVICU.

We have a 5'3 Asian lady in my class and she was pregnant last semester. She was not allowed in contact precaution rooms and was asked to not do anything too physical.

I started an associate degree program in nursing school two years ago with a four week old. She is my third baby. And I am now in my final semester of the same program five months pregnant with my fourth child and when graduation happens in May, I will be just a few weeks away from delivering. My children are 7, 6, and 2. It's VERY hard. Doable with a good support system. I believe those negative people who say things such as I could never do it or I wouldn't do it or you should just drop.....say those things because they really couldn't handle it. To each their own. Good luck! And you will look back and think, what an accomplishment. I also know of two other girls in the program who are more pregnant than I am and have seen other girls pregnant in the past in the program and do just fine.

I am currently in my last semester of an ADN program. I got preggo just after first semester ended. It was very difficult to manage school, work and dr appts. I was in mental health, which was scary because the place we did our clinicals was known for assaults on workers and students. Luckily, no harm came to me or my other two classmates who were preggo at the time. I ended up delivering in the two week stretch between semesters and I was exactly 2 weeks postpartum when I started my 3rd semester. He was my second child, however. My husband was very supportive as well as my mother-in-law who took 2 weeks off to help me after I had him. It's do-able. But, you have to be prepared for the worst. One of my other classmates that was preggo with me (due only 3 days earlier than me) had planned to return to school after birth as well. She ended up having an emergency c-section and had to take the semester off. Remember: the health of you & your child come first! School can wait for that! I would suggest taking a semester off if it is your first baby. First time mommyhood is so overwhelming and no one can prepare you for that.

I have seen classmates in actual classes ,not online classes, who come to class until their actual delivery, if their condition allows it. Meaning there are pregnant students who are well and capable enough to do so, and excel on what they do. The only things that draws you back is the stigma of being pregnant as a student, don;t let it stop you from pursuing what you want to accomplish, don't be bothered of what others may say against your condition , as long as you can manage to come to school and the school administration allows it , then go ahead and do so. You are due to deliver in March , if it is a normal delivery , you will be up and running in a weeks time.

I started with my first semester of my ADN program when my little munchkin was 7 months old. She just turned one and I'm in the second semester. She is my only little one at home. That being said, I am glad I didn't wait any longer. When they are that young, they sleep quite a lot. They're also less mobile so I was able to get some studying in during tummy time, play mat time, etc. now that she's moving around a lot, it's a lot harder to get anything accomplished until she goes to sleep (and when she goes to sleep, I'm ready to go to sleep too!!). It's, of course, your choice. But it never gets easier (until, maybe, they head off to college themselves!), so I'd be hesitant to delay things too long....it will be difficult to do at nearly any stage with kiddos at home, but like so many before you, it can totally be done. Good luck!

Specializes in Pediatrics, Cardiology, ER.

Finishing is certainly doable while in nursing school. Out of the 10 people in my clinical group, three of them got pregnant(obviously not me). All three of them were also working some while in nursing school as well. Two finished and graduated with the rest of the group. One had to drop back to the next semester.

I am really not sure how one of them managed to time a delivery during the one week break between Senior 1 and Senior 2. Another delivered right after the exit finals as well. I will admit I kind of chuckled watching some very pregnant nursing students during the L&D rotations.

Still, I have to respect some very tough and very smart ladies.

Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

I had a classmate last semester deliver her baby on Wednesday and was right back in lecture on Monday. It was 3 weeks in to the semester, so we didn't have clinicals yet.

I don't know how she did it, but she made it through with good grades, too. Our instructors tried to get her to drop & restart in the January cohort, but she chose to stay. So, is it doable? Yes. Personally, I wouldn't have been able to keep going to school, just with the sheer lack of sleep taking care of a newborn. I was exhausted just being a mommy.

Leave yourself an alternate route to finish school if you find you can't do both. There's nothing that says you have to do it right now. I admire you for trying it. It's a LOT of work :D

One of my very close classmates found out she was pg last semester. Luckily, she's due on summer break. She's going to try to come back in the fall, but she's not going to beat herself up if she has to take a semester off and start back up in January. You've got to do what's best for your own personal situation.

Lots of luck to you and congrats on the arrival of your little one :D

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