Pregnant during nursing school vent

[IvoryLena]

Just found out I'm pregnant for the first time in my life and if calculations are correct I'll be due right around graduation time in May. I always thought I would be really happy when I became pregnant but I it's causing me to become depressed. I went to my first nursing convention but ended up missing all the lectures because I got morning sickness all day for three days staight. On my last test I ended up getting a high C which is very poor compared to my usual grades. Whenever I try to study now I either get sick from reading for some reason or pass out asleep in like 10 mins! I also suddenly have insomnia which has never been a problem for me at night. I wake up at least 4 times everynight now, and I'm not taking long periods of sleep during the day. Today in OB I had to cut an umbellical cord and then examine a placenta with morning sickness. The whole time I just kept thinking "DONT THROW UP, DONT THROW UP." It upsets me to think that during adult 2 I'm going to be as big as a house having to run all around the floor stressed out to no end. An more depressing than anything else is I have been trying and trying to quit smoking but everytime Ive failed so far. An my insurance dropped me one week before I found out I was pregnant. My boyfriend is so happy he could burst and I feel like crawling under rock. Over the weekend I didnt even get out of bed, just lay there all day for two days. I feel so guilty for not quiting smoking already but I really am having a giant difficulty with it. I also have bipolar disorder and I stopped taking my meds which is making it even more difficult. I really hope after the first trimester all these bad feelings/habits of mine will go away. Anyone have some suggestions?

[RENAISSANCE RN]

Hi,

Here are some suggestions:

Make sure your OBGYN knows that you are Bipolar. It is important for them to know this.

Allow yourself to get a C. AS long as you pass my dear, you can go back to full speed after the Baby is born.

Please get yourself into CBT or DBT while you can not take medications right now. Have a Psychiartrist work with you and your OB. A psychiatrist that specializes in mood disorders during/after pregnancy.

Realize that venting is venting and it it good to do it.... once in a while.

The sleeping thing will be a huge issue if not corrected. See if you can get some meditative skills.

you will be in my prayers

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Definitely contact your psychyatrist! My mother is bi-polar and I know that some drugs that are used to treat bi-polar patients can be harmful to the unborn child.

[Hooligan]

You sound like me last year! Everything will be just fine, I promise! My little girl was due last May...yes, just in time for graduation! Go figure! I was fortunate to have no symptoms throughout the first part of my pregnancy so finishing the fall semester was no problem. Unfortunately, due to complication with my pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), I was unable to finish my last semester but I'm all signed up to start again this January and will graduate this May. I hope you have smoother sailing than I did at the end! But bottom line, no matter what happens, when you get that little bundle home, it will all be worth it, I promise! Even though I had to put graduation off a year, I have absolutely no regrets!!! Congratulations! I hope you have a happy and healthy nine months!!!!

[Race Mom, ASN, RN]

Life is beautiful thing! Congrats! Enjoy your pregnancy. Do not feel negative about it. Forge ahead and don't look back. You can do it...a lot have already!

As for the smoking thing...don't stress out your little one more than it may already be. Take it slow. The thing that worked for me was to cut down how much of each cig I smoked. Start with not taking the last two puffs left. Do that for a day. The next day, only smoke 2/3rds of it. Do that for a day. then half. etc. At first it is a pure struggle, but by the 4th or 5th cig, yu actually want to put it out. Your body becomes adjusted to the "shorter" cig and is done with the craving when you get to that "mark". If you have difficulty with doing it so fast, cut down like I said, but do the stepdown over a few days instead of cutting down each day a little more.

You can do it! Just dont stress so much! Pregnant women are beautiful, just ask my dh. If you could get pregnant, while you were pregnant, it would have been my fate. :rotfl:

Woogy

[charlies]

You have got to quit smoking. No hand holding here. It is important.

Also, nursing school is hard. Try not to convince yourself that being pregnant makes it okay to drop out. We are all looking for an excuse, eh? I know I am. Many women finish nursing school while they are pregnant, so it can be done. Easily? Probably not, but it is not easy for anyone. The instructors are usually willing to work with you if you work with them.

[Race Mom, ASN, RN]

You have got to quit smoking. No hand holding here. It is important.

I think she knows that! It took a lot for her to even admit that she hasn't been able to quit completely yet. I'm quite sure she didn't post that to a group of people she has never met, just to receive replies like that without some help and advice. So if you have any for her, please post them.

Woogy

[charlies]

I think she knows that! It took a lot for her to even admit that she hasn't been able to quit completely yet. I'm quite sure she didn't post that to a group of people she has never met, just to receive replies like that without some help and advice. So if you have any for her, please post them.

Sorry, other than stating the obvious, I do not.

Also, regarding not being able to 'completely' quit yet (either you quit or you don't),and 'I think she knows that' (c'mon now give her a break), I have never found the role of enabler to be therapeutic.

[Priddyeyez]

Hey! I'm currently 8 months pregnant, and was a smoker when I 'found out'. I quit cold turkey after smoking since age 15-a pack a day, more or less. I really thought I couldn't do! But if I can you can too!

Here is what helped me-

1. DEEP BREATHES!! I think I smoked to get a deep breath in the first place!

2. Rid your life of things that make you want to smoke. If your boyfriend smokes, dont be around to watch him smoke. Smoking on movies can often be a trigger as well.(ex. ashtrays, lighters, ect...get rid of them!)

3. Find something to replace your smoking habit with. (ex. homework, exercise, cleaning the house)

4. Set milestone, and reward yourself for each milestone you reach!

Good luck to you!

[sydylo]

I am pregnant too, and due after the spring semester. ( A couple of weeks after) I find that my drive has vanished! I have to really force myself to study, even then, I do not study as well as I should. I am hoping that in my second semester, which starts soon, I will get my energy back. I was having trouble quiting coffee, but for some odd reason, about 3 weeks ago even the thought of coffee makes me sick.

I too had to quit smoking, but had to make my husband quit. There was no way I could quit while he was smoking. If your boyfriend smokes, he sounds like he might be willing to, since he is pretty excited. Tell him the effects of second hand smoke if he needs a little prodding.

[kcmommy]

I have a 9 month old little girl and I decided to wait until after she was born to apply for nursing, it set me back a year but so what, I realize you are already in ns but your baby is worth so much more than getting a c on your test. As long as you pass nursing you will be fine. I know a lot of peopl e who have had babies in ns and still made it through even though I know it sounds impossible. Talk to your OB about your problems, they are there for you and want to help you. Try to relax and rest as much as you can, the morning sickness and sleepiness will pass more than likely. It will all be worth it when you see that little face TRUST ME!!

Good Luck and keep your head up. It to shall come to pass.

[Race Mom, ASN, RN]

Sorry, other than stating the obvious, I do not.

Also, regarding not being able to 'completely' quit yet (either you quit or you don't),and 'I think she knows that' (c'mon now give her a break), I have never found the role of enabler to be therapeutic.

There is such a thing as not completely quit. If you go on the patch or gum, you are quitting, but haven't completed the process of having no more. Everyone quits in a way that works for them, and any steps to achieving that is to be commended.

How am I guilty of being an "enabler"? I gave her an idea to quit, by taking it slower to cut down on the stress the baby can be affected by when you quit cold turkey. Ask any OB and they will tell you it is better to cut down gradually than to be a total basket case, stressed out when you quit cold turkey. I never told her she didn't need to quit. I gave her an idea on a less stressful approach.

Woogy