I'm due to deliver a week before clinicals start. Should I take a semester off?

[Hamik24]

I am a junior in a 5 year nursing program and recently found out that I am pregnant. I'm not worried about being pregnant for the next semester, as I'm still working strictly in the classroom; but I am due to deliver the week before the next fall semester (when we start clinicals). A friend suggested that I take a semester off to spend time with my newborn and heal, but if I miss one semester in the program I'm in, I have to miss the entire year. Has anyone had a newborn while they were in clinicals? I guess I just need some reassurance that it's doable.

[premedturnednursing]

I don't have any kids, and maybe this has already been mentioned (I didn't read every post)...what about patient safety? What happens when your baby hasn't slept all night and you arrive to clinical with little to no sleep and haven't prepared for the day?? I think you will be doing your patients, yourself and your child a great disservice to return to school so early. Just my 2 cents. Hope I don't sound snarky/rude...

[elle_RN]

I'm unexpectedly due with my 3rd child and will be due on the first day of clinicals next fall. Odds are I will give birth before then due to my history. I'm not planning on taking any time off but obviously things can change. My school does have a part-time program so worst case scenario I switch to that for two semesters.

I wish I could give you some advice about clinicals but I'll be in the same boat. I CAN tell you my experiences with being in school though. My first was born 2 weeks before the start of my first semester of college and I went full time. My second was born when my daughter was 25 months old, and right in the middle of the semester when I was finishing my pre-reqs and going half time. He was 35 weeks and had a 2.5 week NICU stay. I still managed to get As, breastfeed exclusively, and only missed two classes because I gave birth that day. Did it suck sometimes? Heck yeh! But I did it. I had a lady partsl birth that aside from an idiot resident's scissor happy ways, I quickly recovered from.

You won't be "missing" the first few months of your baby's life. You'll still be there the vast majority of time. And like another poster said, they won't remember anyway. You can still breastfeed...just invest in a good pump (I recommend the PumpInStyle). My kids have never had formula because of that thing.

My advice is to contact a sympathetic advisor and find out what your options are. Since you are due before the semester starts you have a little wiggle room. If you have your baby and can't imagine leaving the house, let alone helping other people, you can decide to take a semester off. A lot will have to do with childcare. If you have someone reliable to care for the baby it will be possible to go back quickly. If you have to wait for daycare your baby will most likely have to be 6 weeks old.

Good luck!