Conceiving in nursing school?

KJM-RN, BSN · Mar 8, 2011

I give you credit. I have a 3 year old son and will just be starting nursing school in September, finishing up the last of my pre-reqs right now. I have found the workload and stress of raising a family and school to be completely manageable, but I'm not sure how it would work if I had a newborn. I think about that all the time, I would love to have another child, but it seems inappropriate while in school. On the other hand, it also seems inappropriate to have another after school when I would just be starting out as an RN. So I obviously have none of the experience that you're looking for, just support.

Happy BSN · Mar 8, 2011

My first school, LPN school, was incredibly stressful and you could only miss five days total, I believe it was. Personally, I would want to separate the stress of nursing school from the joy of pregnancy, but others might have a better idea.

CNA2bRN13 · Mar 8, 2011

Well, after I get my ADN, I'm going to take a break for a few semesters and go back to be a NP. If I wait, then I will be pregnant with a full time nursing job AND in school. It seemed like the lesser or two evils. :) Waiting until I completely through with school would be entirely too long.

Rooskenator · Mar 8, 2011

I am in the exact same boat as you. I don't want to wait & have them too far apart, but I also want to go to Nursing school. It'll be stressful for a while, but stressful either way, so why wait? Just my two cents :)

Devie06 · Mar 8, 2011

Few things: My pregnancy nausea was so horrible I had to drop out of school and now I'm back a year later. Also, nursing school requires clinical hours which is fast paced and on your feet. Pre-reqs are book work, and studying. Actual nursing programs are different. Also, the economy is still a little rough. Employers arent gonna want to hire someone who won't stick around or need maternity leave in a few months. But I guess it depends on your area. Also, keep in mind that NP programs are graduate programs and most will require 1 year minimum RN experience. Also keep in mind benefits and FMLA time off. My husband and I plan to wait until I finish school and work for 3 months. Then I can be comfortable in my job, we can conceive, I will have paid time off and a year of experience, then I can apply for graduate program or wait another year for our 2nd to be a bit older.

CNA2bRN13 · Mar 8, 2011

I also have another factor playing into the decision. My family has a strong history of reproductive problems. I had 3 sisters, and one had to have a historectomy, one had several miscarriages, and another had an oopherectomy and can't have children. All of them had this in their 20's! Cervical and Uterine cancer in childbearing years is very common in my bloodline as well. The sister who had the historectomy also had a cervical cancer screening come back abnormal the other day. I'm scared that I will put it off and knock myself out of the chance. I'd have to have a good deal more credits for the NP, so I should have the year experience before I go for that, I only plan on going to school part time when I work. I'm going to take the baby step approach to it where I go for Bachelors and so forth. Once I get my ADN, I'm not in such a big hurry to get to NP, if that's what I decide to do. I will give up on becoming and NP if I have to, but not an RN.

Also, my son would be almost 5 and starting preschool by the time the new addition would come along. So that's a plus. The nausea is what worries me the most. I saw a pregnant girl dissecting the other day and had to rush over there with some strong spearmint gum to try and help her. (It did, no mishaps!)

Devie06 · Mar 8, 2011

I'm sorry about your sisters, my family has some of that in it as well. Did you have trouble conceiving your son? And a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding has been shown to help prevent certain cancers. I have also read somewhere that taking birth control pills can prevent breast cancer and such. I'm not trying to be rude at all or mean in any way, but it seems like your mind is made up already so why are you asking us? lol.

All I know is that if it were me, I would not plan my life around the fear of one day encountering a medical problem. I would do what I could to maintain good health, get my Paps and exams (maybe given your history you could get 2 a year or something?) regularly, and strive toward my educational goals. I want to do what is best for me, my daughter, and our future children. That does not include another baby while trying to juggle nursing school. But, that is me, and not you. If you and your husband truly want another child and you've decided together that it is the best for you and your family needs than I wish you all the best! :twocents:

CNA2bRN13 · Mar 8, 2011

I was just wondering how many people have done it successully, or have the same experience. I haven't 100% made up my mind yet, just weighing it. I didn't know if it was a common thing either. In my school it is, so it made me wonder how common it was.

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Mar 8, 2011

I was just wondering how many people have done it successully or have the same experience. I haven't 100% made up my mind yet, just weighing it. I didn't know if it was a common thing either. In my school it is, so it made me wonder how common it was.[/quote']
Well, I had both of my kids when I was in (non-nurse; CPM/LM) midwifery school, and let me tell you- midwifery school is ten times more grueling than nursing school. I had clinicals and looooong on call shifts, with births that sometimes lasted upwards of 24 hours. Not to mention the full time classwork. I took a month off after my son was born, and then I got my license just before my daughter was born, so I took 3 months off before beginning my midwifery job.
I feel like I was able to spend plenty of time with my kids, and I was a 4.0 student. It definitely would have been preferable to have been able to stay at home full time with my kids, but that is just not my reality. I stopped working after my son was born, so I only had school until I got my license. So... short answer is YES- you can do it. I actively tried to conceive my daughter while I was in midwifery school.
I am currently 28 weeks pregnant with twins, and I graduate from nursing school in December. I am a surrogate, so obviously I conceived on purpose. if I end up on bed rest, then I will have to take a semester off but if everything continues to go smoothly, it should not interfere with my classes or clinical in anything more than a minor way. Again, I have been able to maintain an A (knock on wood).
Only you know what you can handle, but I just wanted to chime in and say that it CAN be done, and IMO it isn't any more difficult than working and having a baby- which women do ALL the time.

NPvampire, MSN, RN, APRN · Mar 9, 2011

I had a different experience. We had a "surprise" baby that was due a few months after my graduation. 80% of the jobs I interviewed for backed out somehow after I told them my news. Some of them told me truthfully I would have to be fired at delivery, since I didn't have enough time or FMLA, and rehired later--and BTW, I'd have to pay back thousands of training costs. Yeah, okay, right. X on that job.

Others simply made me an offer, and when I told them I would have to be out BRIEFLY (I was only out 5 weeks and I worked until the last day) they just didn't call again or sent a "sorry but we have found another..." letter in the mail. It was really discouraging.

Then, when I finally got a job, it was in med surg and I was horrifically sick, dizzy, vomiting, bleah. Ended up having to quit that job on advice from the doctor--not to mention I spent every night in the staff restroom about passed out anyway. I ended up finally in a "no gore" setting that accepted my LOA but it took a while. And all this was when the economy was still very strong.

If I were you I'd have the baby and recover before you job hunt--or be very clear during the interview of what you need--even if you're wearing maternity clothes and feel like a beached whale, they may still not "know" you are pregnant.

CNA2bRN13 · Mar 10, 2011

Yeah, that was behind some of my reasoning for timing it that way...I would want some time to recover and get over all of the wonderful hormones before returning to work. I also don't want to go to an interview looking huge and miserable lol. The job market is bad enough without making it harder. But also, I wouldn't want to get pregnant until after I have worked for at least a year as a nurse. I know a lot of employers would get upset about that. I worked at a bank when I got pregnant with my son, and they gave me hell. I started hemorrhaging one day, and they would not let me leave for about an hour. My husband was standing outside of the bank waiting to rush me to the doctor. I didn't know what that meant, it was all new to me, so of course I panicked. Then, they called me at the hospital and asked if I was coming right back. Um no. My boss even told me I couldn't leave the teller line to go to the restroom between so and so hours, but everyone else could go take a trillion smoke breaks whenever. This whole experience has scared me into being pregnant and employed. I ended up quitting and I told HR why, and he didn't work there much longer after that.