Getting pregnant during last semester or during new job?

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  1. When you be the best time to get pregnant?

    • 4
      During last semester to give birth shortly after graduation
    • 18
      After working as an RN for at least 6 months

22 members have participated

I will be graduating nursing school in December 2019. I've been having baby fever badly for the past year and I've been trying to hold off on getting pregnant until after graduation. My boyfriend and I have recently been talking about when to start planning on getting pregnant since graduation is just over a year away. I don't know which would be the smartest option.

Should I try to get pregnant around April or May so I'll be due to give birth a few weeks after graduation? I would be eligible for maternity leave through my current CNA job. I could take the NCLEX during my leave and have an RN job lined up for shortly after my leave is over.

OR

Should I wait until after I graduate and have been working as an RN for at least 6 months before trying to get pregnant? I would have at least a year of RN experience under my belt and I'd qualify for paid leave.

i would say start trying around summer because pregnancies are never predictable. That way you can finish school and possibly your nclex exam . Classmate just had the same problem but she was due around spring break. Needless to say she chose to be induced so she could come back in time before spring break was over and ended up needing a c section. Her dr wouldn't clear her to do clinicals and our teachers required that form because coming back that fast could cause issues. She wasn't allowed to return until the fall semester and now she's a semester behind.

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The old school "make sure you get married first" annoys me. But I know that's because I've been in a committed unmarried relationship for 10 years. A ring wouldn't make our commitment any stronger.

Anyway, to OP: I would wait until after nursing school because as other's have mentioned, ish happens. My first two pregnancies were low risk and uncomplicated, so now I live in fear of my 3rd throwing me for a loop. I am going to make sure I am graduated with a license and make sure that I will be eligible for leave even if I do go early. I am in a diploma program now so I will likely use my time on leave to finish up my online RN to BSN if its not yet completed.

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Specializes in nurseline,med surg, PD.

Please do your child a favor and give him a real dad. Husbands are a lot more likely to stick around than a boyfriend.

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I understand the whole old-school tradition of get married before having kids. That's what we were planning in the first place. I don't graduate until December 2019. That's 1 year and 3 months. A lot can happen in that amount of time. My NOW fiance just happened to pop the question over the weekend while we were celebrating my birthday.We've been talking about getting engaged/married for the past year, but we were both experiencing some family issues so we were holding off on getting engaged until things settled down a bit. Without going into too much detail, one of the issues was a grandparent's death and another was parent's divorcing.

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get married first or is the boyfriend afraid of committment, then finish your schooling and work for awhile. Give your kid a regular family. Keep your legs closed for a year or two, not open for business. THEN once you have a regular job, then open for business! Stay off drugs & booze/smoke for a year to give the kid a chance at a normal life. Nothing worse then seeing a baby born from a addict, the baby does go through withdrawl, and it AINT pretty.

I understand the whole old-school tradition of get married before having kids. That's what we were planning in the first place. I don't graduate until December 2019. That's 1 year and 3 months. A lot can happen in that amount of time. My NOW fiance just happened to pop the question over the weekend while we were celebrating my birthday.We've been talking about getting engaged/married for the past year, but we were both experiencing some family issues so we were holding off on getting engaged until things settled down a bit. Without going into too much detail, one of the issues was a grandparent's death and another was parent's divorcing.

Now let me address a few issues I have with your comment.

- First of all, you seem to be very old school and enjoy assuming other's personal situations.

- Thanks for your concern, but I'm on birth control so I can have sex whenever I damn well please.

- What do you mean by "have a regular job?" I'm working as a CNA and have been for 7 months now. I work full-time and go to school full-time. I plan to continue working as a CNA until I graduate and pass the NCLEX. How is that not a regular job?

- The last part of your comment is what really gets on my nerves. Who do you think you are assuming that I am an addict? FYI, I don't smoke or do drugs. I can't even be around smoke because it triggers my asthma. I drink 1 glass of wine with dinner, maybe 3 nights per week.

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The OP asked for advice about the timing of a potential pregnancy as it relates to nursing school and professional life. She did not ask for anyone else's approval of her adult decision to engage in a sexual relationship with a committed partner, nor did she ask for opinions on the subject of having a child outside of marriage.

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Specializes in Cardiac Stepdown, PCU.

Wait.

I have seen an i credible amount of patients come through my unit and they all have that "Oh I was going to be a nurse, then I had little Timmy" story.

I'm not saying that's you. I am saying that pregnancy is unpredictable. Infants and life in general is unpredictable. You could have the most perfect pregnancy. Or one that leaves you bed ridden. You could have a picture perfect little boy or girl. Or one who is chronically ill. It's completely unpredictable. Add in finishing school, studying for the most important exam of your life, and trying to find a job as a new mother? It's likely more stress than you need.

And what about financially? What about the cost of pregnancy and an infant while trying to finish school? How much money do you have at the end of the week? What about the end of the month? How much will a newborn add to your expenses? Can you cover it? And what about child care? Children are expensive and sure, people end up pregnant without considering that all the time and they make due. They scrounge, cut back, pick up extra shifts, and get second jobs just to pay for formula or diapers (and don't say oh I'm breastfeeding because that has its own issues). Where is school then? How long is that exam put off for? Where is the time for a job hunt or interview? Money for scrubs and the gear you'll need for you.

Finish school. Pass that exam. Land your RN job. Then tell that fiance it's time to put a bun in that oven.

Also. Small note. Consider medical insurance. You likely have it now considering you are employed as a cna, but I know at my facility RNs have different insurane offerings (we're union, CNAs are not, may have to do with it) and our insurance plan is basically $0 across the board for anything not an ER visit (turns to $0 if admitted) if we use our company's Healthcare network. My coworker just got news last week she'll be having twins. She'll pay absolutely nothing for them because of our insurance.

Sit down with your fiance. Talk. List out the good and the bad and all the what ifs. Decide for the both of you if now is the best time for both of you, or later is. Granted there's never going to be a perfect time to have a baby; only a time that best suits you.

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1. Get married

2. Get a job.

Then maybe worry about having a baby?

Crazy, I know.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

I think option #2 of having a baby later on after you are a nurse for a year, will be the least stressful, most beneficial way to go. That way you have a bigger paycheck, FMLA, and you aren't stressing about NCLEX while caring for a newborn.

Best wishes!

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It's all about priorities. Is having a baby more important, or is establishing your career more important?

I decided to have a baby and it took eight years and near 100K. Hopefully, you'll be luckier than I was, but don't assume you can "get pregnant on Tuesday and have a baby on Sunday". It doesn't always work that way.

Trying at a younger age increases your odds of success and you'll have more options if there are difficulties.

I agree with the oldsters who say it's better to get married first. It's not something that everyone feels the need to do, but there is something nice about the father of your children being your husband.

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People are often very good at making the best of life's curveballs and dealing with circumstances of limited choices. But you have choices! So I say:

Don't willingly make the choice most likely (of the two) to put you in a position where you can't do or enjoy either new role (nurse/mother) the way you might wish you were able to!

Again - lots of people do both in close proximity and do just fine. But if you're able to plan ahead - I'd plan in a way to be able to have undivided time (and mental/emotional energy) to devote to each thing at its respective time.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I get the baby fever thing. I feel like your age here makes a difference in my opinion. If you are young in your 20s I'd wait till school is done because you have no idea what pregnancy will bring you. You could have a great no complications one or you could be throwing up for 9 months (this was me) or deliver early. If you are in your 30s and you are worry about fertility go for it now. You can always finish school but there is a clock on baby making. I remember the pull to have a baby, its real and hard to ignore, but i think you will be able to enjoy that newborn/infant stage more if you aren't trying to go to nursing school at the same time. Its hard to not have the time you would like for your children.

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