Getting Pregnant during an ABSN Program? Great idea? Or huge mistake?

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  1. Is getting pregnant during an ABSN program a good idea?

    • 3
      Are you kidding me? That's a horrible idea!
    • 3
      Hard to say...could be fine, could be bad. It's a gamble.
    • 1
      Great idea! It's better to get started now.

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This has been current debate in my nursing school. Is it a bad idea to start trying to get pregnant half-way through a 12 month ABSN program? A lot of us are getting close to 30, so waiting until you have been working for a few years to start a family really isn't an attractive option.

So to those of you with some insight...

Is it easier to be pregnant during nursing school and have your baby before starting work? Or to be pregnant when you start working and take maternity leave as a new grad RN?

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I was 20 weeks pregnant when I graduated from my accelerated nursing program. I had absolutely no issues.

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Didn't do an ABSN, but I did find out I was 2 months pregnant right before my last semester. Needless to say it has its challenges, but its doable. I also maintained a FULL-TIME job during this period as well. Graduated 6 months pregnant, took off a few months off to enjoy being a new mommy, sat for NCLEX & passed in 75 questions on the first attempt. Only you know what you can handle. Good Luck !

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Having gotten pregnant during nursing school (not on purpose), I think both are a bad idea. I know biological clock is ticking and all, but if you're "getting close to 30", you do still have time to hold off for the time it takes to get yourself through school and established - that's like another 1-2 years, not 10.

1. You don't know how your pregnancy will go. You might end up on bed rest. You might end up with horrible morning sickness - that was me. I think I probably would have dropped out if it had been earlier in the program. As it was, I'd established myself enough that they were willing to give me leeway in clinicals to meet my needs (when I needed to eat, I really needed to eat!). I'd only choose to do it if I felt that dropping out and returning after the baby was born was a potential option.

2. Taking time off after school may make it harder to find a job as a new grad. Not impossible, and it depends on the job market in your area. But harder. It also puts a lot of pressure on you to go to work ASAP after the baby.

3. FMLA kicks in after a year of employment. If you start a job while already pregnant, you will not qualify for FMLA at the time the baby is born, and you'll have no legal protection of your job if you need or want to take time off beyond whatever sick time you've accumulated.

YMMV. I know someone else who got pregnant in her last semester on purpose and absolutely loved the timing. Just be sure you're going into it with realistic expectations. Pregnancy, even a relatively smooth one, can kick your ass physically and mentally.

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