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.

mindyxl3igh

2 Posts

Crazy. I feel like this is my thread! lol, we had been trying for a baby for about a year and we finally got pregnant, well I miscarried at 8 weeks and 2 days. It completely broke me. I got on anxiety meds and everything afterwards. I also decided to go back to nursing school. I went about 6 years ago and never finished. It was a hard decision for me to talk to my boyfriend about taking a break from trying to focus on school, I was boo-hooing, but it is what we've decided. Personally, I am going to be aiming to try to conceive where I will be giving birth right after graduation or even between my 3rd and 4th (last) semester, because for our LPN program, the last semester is just leadership. That is what we have decided, and then we will go from there. I'm pretty sure we are going to try to aim for somewhere in between the 3rd and 4th semester...I would even be willing to take one semester off if needed and then complete the leadership class. I haven't fully decided, but I do know we will be trying before I graduate and not after. Good luck in whatever you choose! It will all work out either way, and I wish you the best, from a fellow baby fever lady to another! I know how you are feeling!

There is never a "perfect" time to get pregnant and start a family so I would recommend to let your heart guide you and celebrate when it happens. However, I know I'm a bit old fashioned but I would not recommend to start even trying to start a family until AFTER a wedding.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN

5,879 Posts

After having given birth during nursing school, my advice is to wait until you have a year under your belt as a nurse, unless you are older and your fertility is at risk. You'll have the rest of your life to be a mother (obviously there is a window for being able to get pregnant), but you only have a limited time to be a nursing student and new nurse trying to learn and absorb all there is before your learning curve is disrupted.

Only you know why you are in such a hurry, so take that in consideration when reading these responses. We don't know you or the many things (reasonable or not) that are influencing your desire to become pregnant right now.

A manager where I work just gave birth 6 weeks early (everyone is doing great!) but still, keep possibilities like that in mind when you plan to give birth a few weeks after graduation. Sometimes babies and doctors and your health like to throw monkey wrenches in plans.

Roy Hanson

211 Posts

Specializes in as above.

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.

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.

Roy Hanson, if you ever decide to quit nursing or find a second job, you would ROCK as a jr. high/high school counselor! LOL

Horseshoe, BSN, RN

5,879 Posts

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.

Oh good grief. Or, you know, use birth control.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN

5,879 Posts

Roy Hanson, if you ever decide to quit nursing or find a second job, you would ROCK as a jr. high/high school counselor! LOL

Ok, but this is a college aged woman, an adult, not a middle school kid.

KelRN215, BSN, RN

1 Article; 7,349 Posts

Specializes in Pedi.
A manager where I work just gave birth 6 weeks early (everyone is doing great!) but still, keep possibilities like that in mind when you plan to give birth a few weeks after graduation. Sometimes babies and doctors and your health like to throw monkey wrenches in plans.

This is what I was thinking reading the OP too. If you plan to give birth a few weeks after graduation, what happens if you need to go on bedrest at 25 weeks? Or give birth prematurely? Then you don't finish the program and have to try to do your final semester with an infant? Possibly one in the NICU?

My best friend gave birth at 23 weeks and 6 days and I've been a pediatric nurse my entire career so I can't not think of things like this.

Specializes in NICU.

I would tell you do not get pregnant at all since you said"my boyfriend".

Like the song goes you should have put a ring on it.But you decide what you want to do.There are two sides to these choices,.

Farrah 34

259 Posts

Pregnancy and how the life with a new baby would be is unpredictable. I had a perfect pregnancy with my first child but she was extremely fussy and a difficult baby and when she turned two we found out about her autism, severe speech delay, and some other delays. So, I have been taking her for therapies almost every day which makes it harder to find a time for studying.

My second pregnancy was horrible. I had nausea and vomiting for the whole 9 months. I was taking Micro, A&P, and comp1 and was dealing with my 2 year old at the same time. The delivery was hard and I was at the hospital for 4 days after my C-section because of the complications, but the baby was a happy calm baby, and he was sleeping most of the times, so I easily passed nutrition and 2 other courses in 8 weeks right after he was born.

All I am saying is that you cannot predict what will happen during pregnancy and the first few months after the baby is born. Don't rush. Wait until at least the second year after your graduation.

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