Get pregnant now or later???

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I am still working on my pre-req classes, so I am debating on whether or not to start trying for baby #2 now or after I finish school. I am thinking now just because I have a 2 year old and I want them to be close in age, also I doubt I could handle the smells and standing all day during clinicals being pregnant. I THINK I can handle school being pregnant and I really don't want to wait until after I get out of Nursing school because I would just be starting a new job, and wouldn't want to be planning my maternity leave already. Anyone think this is not such a good idea? I am not sure! I don't want to get this far into school and then have to quit (but I hopefully wouldnt have to quit...) :uhoh3:

Specializes in cardiac/education.

You are gonna get all different perspectives on this.

I would have much rather been pregnant during nursing school than during my first year as a RN.

The best time would be after you got one year in as an RN....you could drop down to per diem or part time and really take advantage of the flexibility a career in nursing has to offer. It is hard to get that flexibility until you have done your first year though. Plus, you get your skills solidified quick after school.... So.........if you can't wait that long...or WON'T wait that long (baby fever) I vote get pregnant NOW before you finish pre-reqs.

And like Cardiac says, she regretted waiting. Remember, your fertility is not a gaurantee. Some of us figure that out the hard way. There will always be a "better" time for a new baby.:uhoh3:

Best wishes on whatever you decide to do if you do wind up pregnant, a happy and healthy 9 mos to you!!;)

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

And oh yeah, prioritize your life and don't push out what is truly important to you. Figure out what is #1 and go with that... I have learned this lesson too! Don't let logic rule over your heart!;)

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I'd wait until after your through with school. Then you have the options of working when you want. Since nurses are in such high demand, you can find places and pick your hours/days. You would be able to spend much more time with the baby if you do it after school. If you have one while going to school, your time will be spread thin and you probably won't get the time with the new one that you want to spend with him/her.

Hey there's nothing wrong with having kids farther apart in age. My two girls are almost exactly 9 yrs apart to the day. And I'll tell you, I much perfer having them that far apart. I can spend just as much time with the younger one as I did with the older one when she was little. I won't have two kids driving at the same time, thus jacking up my insurance, I won't have two kids in college at the same time, this allows time to start putting that money away again. We were able to enjoy each milestone with the little one as we did with the older one. Its like having two only children (my girls are currently, turning 6 on Dec 23rd and turning 15 on Dec 28th) I'll never have "empty nest syndrome" as when my little one goes off to college, my older one will probably be setteling down and having her own kids.

I have friends who have kids that are as little as 11 months apart (WHAT was SHE thinking??!!) and up to 2 yrs apart. They were much more stressed out, tired, and not as patient as I was only having one little one at a time.

No one can really tell you what to do. You have to weigh the pro's and con's of doing it now or waiting. I just wanted to let you know that having kids that have a big gap in years apart can be just as good if not better than having them close together. Just my 0.02 cents ;)

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I'd wait until after your through with school. Then you have the options of working when you want. Since nurses are in such high demand, you can find places and pick your hours/days. You would be able to spend much more time with the baby if you do it after school. If you have one while going to school, your time will be spread thin and you probably won't get the time with the new one that you want to spend with him/her.

Hey there's nothing wrong with having kids farther apart in age. My two girls are almost exactly 9 yrs apart to the day. And I'll tell you, I much perfer having them that far apart. I can spend just as much time with the younger one as I did with the older one when she was little. I won't have two kids driving at the same time, thus jacking up my insurance, I won't have two kids in college at the same time, this allows time to start putting that money away again. We were able to enjoy each milestone with the little one as we did with the older one. Its like having two only children (my girls are currently, turning 6 on Dec 23rd and turning 15 on Dec 28th) I'll never have "empty nest syndrome" as when my little one goes off to college, my older one will probably be setteling down and having her own kids.

I have friends who have kids that are as little as 11 months apart (WHAT was SHE thinking??!!) and up to 2 yrs apart. They were much more stressed out, tired, and not as patient as I was only having one little one at a time.

No one can really tell you what to do. You have to weigh the pro's and con's of doing it now or waiting. I just wanted to let you know that having kids that have a big gap in years apart can be just as good if not better than having them close together. Just my 0.02 cents ;)

You made my day. :balloons:

My three older kids recently complained that we are too easy on their little bro. They mentioned things like their 7:30 p.m. bedtime. (My kids are 24, 22, 18 and 6.) Hey, I needed some downtime with three little ones!

I told them that having two kids 22 months apart was not easy - two toddlers, sibling rivalry. Then another comes when the youngest is 4. It was busy . . . having one 6 year old and one 18 year old is much easier and the six year old is like an only child and easy to care for.

I will say the 18 year old gives the 6 year old a hard time. So, sibling rivalry know no age limit.;)

steph

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I really can't tell a person how to answer their biological clock, but I can tell you from having finished an LPN program just last year that there was no way that I could have successfully completed it pregnant. And, I can only cringe and imagine an RN program.

We had a classmate in our LPN program who entered pregnant; actually two. One of them had to drop during fundamentals because she was too sick. The other one had a c-section the last week of clinicals, and finals was the following week. This woman came back a week later, sore and all to take the finals because if not, the whole semester would have gone down the tubes. She told me that there was no way that she was going to 'give' the semester away. She had one more day of clinicals. She was fortunate in that her classmates did most of her lifting for her. She was tired, had swollen feet and just skated by most of her exams that first semester.

There is no guarentee that classmates will be empathetic towards pregnancy. I am not saying this out of spite. I didn't have any of the pregnant students in my clinical group. If I did, of course, I would have helped them. But, nursing school is draining for even the best of students. I have seen the ones that were expecting experience hell on wheels. My take on this is to wait. But, if you really want to do it, get ready. Some professors are not going to give you any breaks. Nursing school is usually very strict on absences and latenesses. If you miss an assignment, or are over the quota of lateness or absences, they have no issue with booting out the student. You may be lucky, but I have seen the worse end of it. And, that much stress during pregnancy is not good for you or the baby. Carrying heavy books, running to make it to class, studying half of the night...goodness. Think hard and heavy on this one.

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If you were 10 years older I would say have a baby now, but I also, like most people here, recommend waiting. Maybe plan to get pregnant after 6 months at your first job? Then you will have no problems with finishing orientation and getting the full year of experience and easily earn your maternity leave and a good amount of paid time off.

I'm 24 and I REALLY want to have a baby, so I totally understand how powerful the desire is, but I don't think your children will be damaged by having a space between them. A lot of the times a child who is several years older is VERY excited about a new baby and does a GREAT job being the older, protective sibling.

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Specializes in acute care.

I have baby fever, too....TRUST ME!...but as hard as it is to get into nursing school, and knowing where I don't want to be if I were to have this kid now...I have chosen to wait until after graduation...or maybe after hearing the words "You're hired"...I dunno...anyway, I would rather wait until I was a nurse, and would be able to better provide for my child then I could now....even if it means having my frst child in my 30s...but that's just me...your situation and mine aren't the same..only you can decide what is best for you.

WOW!! I was expecting people to think it was a good idea! Now I REALLY have a lot to think about. UGH it is so hard because my body is saying "BABY NOW!!!!" You know, I have the "baby fever" and I can't stop thinking about babies. So it will be hard to think logically, but you two make a very good point, I guess you forget how hard it is being pregnant and how EXTREMELY tired you get. I guess it would be hard to work full time, then have to get back in the car and go to school every night.

Hard decision.:smackingf:innerconf

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Specializes in Government.

With my fellow students in and after nursing school, it was all over the map. In our small class, two got pregnant during school, dropped out and never finished. Three had babies right after graduating and never ended up practicing nursing.

I think it depends on how much you want to work as a nurse. I saw other people overcome amazing things to get their degree and work as an RN. A dear friend once said "a baby can just be an excuse to not do something you really didn't want to do". If you really want to be an RN and work as an RN, you'll make it work, baby or no.

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Specializes in med/surg.

I agree with the others who say only you can decide when the time is right for you. Having just finished school in august, I know how difficult and stressful a nursing program is without being pregnant (hard to get up in the morning and go to class if your nauseated, fatigued, aches and pains).

My opinion would be to either finish your pre reqs, take a break and have a baby, then start into a program-or do what I did and get pregnant weeks after you graduate. This way, you are able to focus on one goal at a time!

Good luck in whatever you choose!

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Wow thank you all so much for your opinions. It has given me more perspective and different ways to look at my situation. I still have a lot to think about but I am pretty sure I have made up my mind on what to do. I'm VERY motivated and being pregnant or not, I will finish school and become an RN. I already have the highest grade in my A&P class, that is with working full time and caring for a toddler... When I was pregnant the first time, I worked all the way up to 9 months, half the time working in a WAREHOUSE of all places! I also have about a year and a half until I can start the RN program anyway, so I have time to have a baby and get through with the pre-reqs at the same time. If I get pregnant soon, the baby will be born during the summer and I won't take a summer class so I think it could work out. I don't mind not being there EVERY second for the new baby because I want my husband to be able to bond with this one and feel what I felt with our first. Anyway, I'm glad there are so many nice people in this forum that are understanding and willing to give me different views. It really helps.:loveya: *also, I have no friends here in Texas because I moved here from Oklahoma a year ago, so I like having people to talk to, even if it is only by typing!!

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what ever choice you make i hope it works out..no two prenancies ae the same but you will be glad that your kids will have best friends when they are grown

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