Advice Please: Work and Family

racing-mom4, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

If I would have waited till my life was smooth to have my kids, I would have never had them!!!

It will be tough, but it is doable, I went to school with many mothers and many pregnant woman. I was in class with single moms, married moms, women who took care of thier own parents and had kids still at home.

If you want kids have them, you will find a balance.

Good Luck.

RN1982 · Jul 16, 2008

i will be entering into nursing school this fall and i will have 2 and a half years until i finish the program. i have been married for 4 years and me and my husband have been talking about having a child. i was wondering if anyone had any information/advice/experience they would share with me, please? i realize i should wait till after i finish school, but how long should i work before we decide to have a child? how do employers react to a pregnant employee? how hard would it be to be pregnant and work? what else should i consider? i don't want my job to suffer, but i don't want my family life to suffer either.

i would seriously wait until after you finish schooling to have a baby. you are young and have quite a few years ahead of you to have children. employers probably won't treat you any differently if you are pregnant. i don't know if they would make your patient load any lighter but from my observations where co-workers of mine have been pregnant, they weren't given any special treatment. my best advice is, when you graduate, get your license, get your job, wait a few months or at least until you are ready to be on your own(when you get off orientation), then get pregnant.

MisterSimba, BSN · Jul 16, 2008

I agree 100% with Michigan. You're very young. I'd say finish school and work for a couple of years before starting a family. I know that everyone is different, and you clearly want kids at a young age, but if it was me, I'd want to go out with my husband and/or with friends, travel, enjoy sleeping in on my days off, etc...

Children are a blessing and I adore them, but they will change your life forever....

Whatever you decide, I wish you and your husband all the best!

RN1982 · Jul 16, 2008

MisterSimba is right. You are young. Get a couple years of nursing under your belt, have fun, go on vacations, save some money then have babies.

MasonsMommy · Jul 16, 2008

I have a bit of a different view on this (does the name give it away?). I have a ten month old son, and am actually more motivated than I ever have been to get through Nursing school. Now that I am constantly busy between my son, work and school, each one of those areas of my life motivates me to get through the next.

I completely understand why anyone would want to wait a while to save money and travel, but I felt incomplete without a child...it was always my biggest goal outside of Nursing. Is it easy? NO! Not by any means, but if you're passionate about starting a family, follow your heart.

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

i'd wait until i was finished with school, maybe work a year. do remember however, pregnancy is not a disease, don't act like it! expect to do EVERYTHING you'd do if you weren't pregnant when it comes to the job, including isolation, and lifting. i had 2 beautiful healthy children, worked 12 hours and went into labor when i got home. i took care of whatever came along, including aides isolation and lifting people out of bed. i ate on the run like everyone else. you will be considered a nurse first, pregnant second. i truly didn't like working with the pregnant women who thought their pregnancy was a ready excuse not to carry their weight. working pregnant is definately do-able! do it with style and grace! :nurse: