Am I crazy to consider this?

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DH and I are expecting our first baby this September!!! We are quite excited and cannot wait. Prior to finding out I was pregnant, I had planned on starting graduate school in the fall. However, now obviously I will be delaying this until the Spring.

I was thinking about going to NP school part time (so six credit hours) and working 36 hours a week. Would this be totally crazy with a four month old?? We don't have family in town, but we do have an awesome day care center at my work - which I can also use while I am studying, taking classes, etc.

I believe my schedule will look like this:

Sat A

Sunday off family day/study

Monday A (baby will be in daycare every other week - hubby has every other Monday off)

Tuesday A (baby will go to daycare)

Wed off - study day - will go to the library from like 1p-6p (have baby go to daycare) - but we will have the morning together to do something fun :)

Thursday off - mom/baby day and when hubby gets home at 5pm I can study also

Friday - classes from about 10a-4p (baby will go to daycare)

My husband is awesome about cleaning, cooking, etc and has already said he will take on all of those responsibilities while I am in school! And I have always been a quick learner and done well in school (although never had to go as a parent)

What do you all think? Am I going to be taking on too much?

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Specializes in ER,Neurology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology.

I was going to school, working, running home business and taking care of my 4 year old. The only thing I can say is that working 36 hours a week and going to school leaves no time to spend with a child and it exausting, especially if your child doesn't sleep though the night.

I feel like you really want to go to school and I understand what you are feeling, but when your baby comes you will truly KNOW what you should do.

When I had my first child, my whole world changed and my priorities shifted.

I would lean more towards taking care of my child vs going to school.

Good luck to you whatever you decide :)

Natasha

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

I have 3 kids, 2 homeschool (self study) , one in college, work 30 hours a week, and take just one class a semester, all online. When they were babies, all I wanted to do was stay home and cuddle, and as they grew go play with them.

Things to think about:

-infants don't stay that way very long, and there's no going back to it

-school can happen any time

-intellectual stimulation is great, reminds you there are other things than diapers

-there is personal satisfaction in getting good grades (good for the ego)

-there are many online courses, so you can do distance learning on your own schedule, without leaving the house

- one class at a time still gets you to the goal eventually, and not as much stress: when the time comes for your practicum for NP (which is not online), little one will be older and ready to play with others in day care

NO YOU AREN'T CRAZY! just consider all the different alternatives in how to get there. You can do it! :balloons: Good luck and God Bless you and the little one!

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I have always wanted to be a nurse. As a young family, I never even considered it because I never thought we could pay for it and we couldn't of afforded daycare. Nor did I want to afford it. That being said, not trying to sway you either way. I now have a 9 & 10 yr. old whom I have homeschooled their entire life and they have never been to daycare. My nursing thoughts got sparked again, and I have been accepted to start in April. I will be homeschooling during the day and I will be in RN night classes for 2 years. My husband is great at helping around the house and loves being with the kids. We will have a 2 hr. gap everynight where I will need family to help with the kids ( husband has to go to work). But we have recently moved cross country to be near family. So we have the volunteers. Most family assumed I would be putting the kids in school, but nope and they think I am crazy. But I know I can do it. Even at 9 & 10 I don't want to sacrifice any time I have with them. And at this age, I don't know about your kids, but mine still love to cuddle. I would say as they get older they need you more, not less like most have led me to believe. My daughter is starting to go through the puberty thing a little and you won't believe the wonderful little mommy/daughter talks I have been priveledged to get to have with her. So I don't think I can say any age is more precisous than others, not to me. None of the ages, or stages you can get back. All of the ages, they are only that age once. I have decided to go ahead and go and they know I am doing this for our family. And in 2 years it will be worth it. The only thing I can say about an infant is that you can't reason with them and say, shhh mommy needs to study. And you can't really control if they sleep through the night or not.

just things for you to consider from someone who has waited. My only other choices are to wait til they are even older, like 18 and then go after they have moved onto college or moved out. just my thoughts on the matter.

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OFF TOPIC

Misty - Kudos to you to continue homeschooling; I think that's awsome!

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Thanks all for your posts. I have plenty of time to think about it, but it has just been on my mind alot. I know I have worked as a nurse for the last five years and I am very ready career wise to start a new challange. I have also been the type of person who can juggle many things at once - I've always been able to easily work lots of OT to bring in extra money and also manage to work out, keep the house clean, have a social life, etc. I usually run on 5-6 hrs sleep without any problems. (now that I am pregnant I do try to sleep at least 8 for the baby though)

And I do think perhaps my goals may change some when the baby comes. But I also do believe that with a child, there is no better time, like a pp said. I think emotionally it will be hardest one ME when the baby is young and harder on the child as he/she ages. But I may be completely wrong with that. I'm not a parent yet. I also know that the baby will be in daycare less than most families where both partners work even with me working full time and going to school (thanks to nursing's flexible schedules).

But I truly appreciate all of your input and advice, it is good to hear from those who have done it before.

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

I would wait until the baby is born, and then think about it. See how you feel then. It would probably be do-able (I went back to school when my baby was 8 months old), but your perspective might change after baby is here.

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Congratulations on your pregnancy!!! I hope you love being pregnant--it's one of the most awesome feelings in the world.

I, too, had planned on putting my baby in day care when it was time to go back to work--I was very into my career. Somewhere during my maternity leave, I realized that I didn't want someone else describing all of her "firsts" that I missed out on, and that this stranger got to share and experience them with MY baby. I also realized that later in life, I very well may look back and really regret missing all of her moments but couldn't see myself regretting being home with her. I quit my job and never looked back.

This is just my experience. What I'm trying to say is that becoming a mother changes you in ways that you can't imagine. Just be open to that possibly happening to you too.

Good luck!

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

duplicate

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

I think it depends on you and your dh. I was in school for most of my girls childhood (theyre now 22 and 24) when i asked them if it bothered them , my younger one said " we never noticed... you always had time for us!

so if you have already learned how to multitask, which it sounds like you have, you should be fine, imho.. just take it slow till you know what you can handle...and enjoy that baby!!

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All of this assumes, of course, that you will continue to feel great and that your baby will be very healthy and not have any special needs and that everything else in your scenario will be good. I sincerely hope and pray that everything will go your way.

I have no idea how to advise you but it sounds like you really want the NP thing and have decided to do it. So good luck and best wishes. You can do it.

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