Anyone Been Pregnant or IS Pregnant During Nursing School?

ErinJane · May 10, 2009

I've never been pregnant (currently trying to avoid it until I am at least 25) but one of my friends in the program was. I would suggest taking the semester after you have the baby off. Being pregnant isn't too difficult and the other students should help you. However, adjusting to being a new mom while in school resulted in her failing out. And taking one semester off isn't a big deal. Good luck! :yeah:

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · May 10, 2009

I've never been pregnant (currently trying to avoid it until I am at least 25) but one of my friends in the program was. I would suggest taking the semester after you have the baby off. Being pregnant isn't too difficult and the other students should help you. However, adjusting to being a new mom while in school resulted in her failing out. And taking one semester off isn't a big deal. Good luck!

Being that you have never been pregnant, it's kind of naive to say being pregnant isn't too difficult. It's kinda naive to say it even if you have been pregnant since everyone's pregnancy vary.

I wouldn't call being on bed rest for 6 months with and being in extreme pain anytime I tried to walk as not difficult. How about getting sick for 9 months straight all day long with vary rarely being able to eat something and not have to run to the bathroom. All pregnancies are not just easy and go smoothly.

Or when my third child decided to cozy up on my sciatic nerve for 3 months.

Our of 4 pregnancy's, 1 went completely smoothly, my second went smooth physically but I was exposed to fifth's disease while in my first trimester and I had no prior immunities to it, in turn I had to have U/S done weekly to make sure my son didn't show signs of anemia.

I love babies, I love pregnant people. But nursing school is demanding enough, I don't think I would want to bend over backwards to help out a fellow nursing student who purposely tried to get pregnant during nursing school. She should have thought about the effects of her decision before trying and expecting her fellow students to pick up the slack for her. IMO.

I am really not trying to sound so anti baby, but I am a realist and I am fully aware of when good pregnancies go bad and all aspects should be considered before making a decision. Not just assume that all will go smoothly and perfect.

wilksjo · May 10, 2009

hi

i started nursing school when i had a 1 yr old and a 2yr old. its extremly tiering. its not the clinical work, its finding the time to study at home and write my essays. i want to spend tme with my children but hard to find it. they tend to go to their dad more than me now when the hurt or ill, which hurts. but i know when they are older they will understand. im in my last year now and i know it will be woth it as i can give my children a better life.

my kids keep me going.

i'd say if you get pregnant just go back a semester, gives you time to bond and adapt . trust me time goes so quick. good luck.

ErinJane · May 11, 2009

I am not trying to be presumptuous. However, for the seven or so women I have known to be pregnant during college (two in nursing school) pregnancy was a grand physical adaptation, but nothing which resulted in them having to change their habits or day to day lives (with the exception of no drinking, partying, smoking etc.). I am so sorry that you had difficult pregnancies, but I don't want the OP to be scared. We are both relying on situational information. Especially in my NS, allowances are made and extra support is provided which assisted both of the girls I knew in making it through. I was trying to provide a picture of how, for the women I know, the challenge of the pregnancy is nothing compared to the challenge of caring for the child after birth.

And if you are insulted or offended by what I am saying feel free to message me on here. I am not meaning to offend, but my choice not to have children shouldn't bar me from being able to provide my opinion, and I did state that I have no personal experience.

And OP, it also will depend on your level of support. Do you have parents/friends/a husband who can help you through? If so, IMHO, you could do it. No need to put your life on hold for school.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · May 11, 2009

I am not trying to be presumptuous. However, for the seven or so women I have known to be pregnant during college (two in nursing school) pregnancy was a grand physical adaptation, but nothing which resulted in them having to change their habits or day to day lives (with the exception of no drinking, partying, smoking etc.). I am so sorry that you had difficult pregnancies, but I don't want the OP to be scared. We are both relying on situational information. Especially in my NS, allowances are made and extra support is provided which assisted both of the girls I knew in making it through. I was trying to provide a picture of how, for the women I know, the challenge of the pregnancy is nothing compared to the challenge of caring for the child after birth.
And if you are insulted or offended by what I am saying feel free to message me on here. I am not meaning to offend, but my choice not to have children shouldn't bar me from being able to provide my opinion, and I did state that I have no personal experience.
And OP, it also will depend on your level of support. Do you have parents/friends/a husband who can help you through? If so, IMHO, you could do it. No need to put your life on hold for school.

I am not at all offended, I am just being real. I wasn't trying to scare the OP, again I am trying to be real. NS doesn't allow you to miss many days during the semester. Picture perfect pregnancy's don't always happen. This is all just a reality and things that should be weighed in. It doesn't matter how much of a support system has if your pregnancy doesn't go well. Your support system can't go to school for you.

NS is not like other school programs where you can just stop and go as you please. Most NS's have strict guidelines of how many days and clinicals you can miss, how many times you can not pass a class or defer if a problem arises and so on before you are asked to leave their program. NS is also not the easiest thing to get into for many people so not something you want to be able to risk messing up if you can avoid it.

I never said you couldn't have your opinion, I said your comment about pregnancy not being difficult was a naive one especially coming from soneone who has never been pregnant. I didn't say you couldn't say that, I was giving my opinion on it as someone who has had 4 children and 1 miscarriage early on in a pregnancy.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · May 11, 2009

BTW at my school special allowances are not made. If you can't preform at the same level the other students are you are asked to withdraw and file for a deferment. (which isn't guaranteed). They make this clear at orientation. They have no problems with students being pregnant but make it clear that you will have the same expectations as all the other students. Which IMO is how it should be.

madnurse2b · May 11, 2009

I swear half my class has gotten pregnant! One managed to time her baby (well the baby timed it) and is going to actually make it to finals. Me personally I'm old and would like to get pregnant (and was advised to do it soon before all of my eggs shrivel and die) - but no way I can do that with school. But that is me.

nurseaid07 · May 11, 2009

well you all have such great minds and i really just decided that I didnt want to sit out another semester waiting I sat the spring out and now the summer so that I can work a while before she is here. I know its going to be hard work but that doesnt mean that it cant be done i think that if you want it bad enough you will do what ever you can to get it. as far as pregnancy i have been having a very bad one but since i been about six months things are moving along pretty easy so i am praying that I can get through this and get accepted into the part time program because no matter when u get pregnant no matter if it is after Iam done with school there will still be problems by me not having enough experience or havent been on the job as long when ever ppl get pregnant i say go for what ever you want because child dont slow you down you slow yourself down thats the advice my mother gave me when i asked if i should wait and thats the advice i would iam giving i think it is good advice but i feel that you as a person know what you can and cant do as well. good luck to all and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU WONDERFUL MOTHERS !

Lovely_RN, MSN · May 11, 2009

I started nursing school when my baby was 4.5 months old and I graduated two years later at 23 weeks of pregnancy! It was so very hard to leave my baby at such a young age and I was still breastfeeding. It wasn't a great situation but since I was in my 30s when I began nursing school I felt like I didn't have a choice. I didn't want to wait years to go to NS and I didn't want to put off having a second and then a third child. I do feel that I missed quite a bit of the first two years of my daughter's life but I feel like I did what I had to do. I tried to make the most out of the time that we did have to spend with each other and hopefully she won't remember much if anything of the last two years. I got pregnant during the second to last semester and spent some of Fall '08 and Spring '09 dealing with the ups and downs of early and mid-pregnancy. I also worked 32 hours a week as an LPN, double weekend shifts, at the same time. Looking back I have no idea how I still have a sound mind and I think that I pushed myself too hard. It was very difficult and honestly even one whole month after finishing I STILL feel burnt out and very fatigued at times. It is doable but I wouldn't choose this route unless there is no other way to meet your goals. People thought I was amazing but they weren't in my body and had no idea of the mental, physical, and emotional stress I endured to finish NS.

These days my biggest challenge is trying to find time to study for NCLEX with a toddler around. I know I have to do it before I give birth because life is just going to become more complicated but it's really hard to be focused when you are running after a 2 year old all day long.

P.S don't be surprised if your nursing instructors and supervisors are less than sympathetic and helpful. I wasn't cut an ounce of slack in school or on the job. I actually think that the scheduler at my job took a perverse delight in giving me the hardest assignments once it was pretty obvious that I was pregnant. Having to suck it up and get your assignments done, study for tests, and do clinical rotations with morning sickness and fatigue was also not fun! It's not my place to tell anyone not to do it but since the question was asked I am going to tell the truth. I went to hell and back being pregnant with a small child in nursing school. However, the fact is that I am not superwoman and I managed to survive so know in advance that you are setting yourself up for a stressful situation but if you choose to do it...it can be done.

nurseaid07 · May 11, 2009

Thanks BX-RN2B but I wanted to ask you do you think it would b better to just go the LPN route than to go the RN route or just do what I was planning on doing which is THE RN part-time program do you believe I would b better off just going LPN or going the whole nine yards because when I get into the nursing program if iam accepted in the fall i should know by july or june i will have a newborn baby about a month old i think that i can do this because i so need to do this i cant keep putting it off but this is my first baby so i wanted to get your input because you have been through the program

Lovely_RN, MSN · May 11, 2009

Unless you're going to be in a 1+1 program I would suggest you go straight for the RN if you can. I did the LPN the first year and then the RN the second year. I think it takes a lot for a person to go back to NS once the reality of what it is hits them. If I had did the LPN and had to find another school, fill out more applications, take more pre-reqs, I would be likely have never went for my RN.

Thanks BX-RN2B but I wanted to ask you do you think it would b better to just go the LPN route than to go the RN route or just do what I was planning on doing which is THE RN part-time program do you believe I would b better off just going LPN or going the whole nine yards because when I get into the nursing program if iam accepted in the fall i should know by july or june i will have a newborn baby about a month old i think that i can do this because i so need to do this i cant keep putting it off but this is my first baby so i wanted to get your input because you have been through the program

Not Your Nurse · Mar 31, 2011

Im trying to figure out a very similar situation currently.

I have my Associates in Nursing at this point so now Im going to take BSN classes but I'll be giving birth with about 3-4 weeks left of classes.

Im really not sure what to do, I dont want to postpone another semester (I already postponed this past sem.) and considering Id only have a few weeks left Id like to stick through it but Im not sure if thats realistic

Le sigh :confused: