I'm thinking about trying to get pregnant and start nursing school? Yes or No?

mage · Jan 18, 2005

I suggest one at a time. 25 is young and you have time . If you get the education you can choose your work schedule and build your career around your families needs. Nursing school is not so flexible, But remember whose life is it anyway? Make your own dwcision.

mattsmom81 · Jan 19, 2005

When I started nursing school in 1995, our instructors told us, "Don't make any major life decisions over the next 2 years---don't get married, don't get divorced, don't buy a house, don't sell your house, and whatever you do, DON'T get pregnant!"
It was good advice then, and it's still good advice. Nursing school is incredibly intense; basically you live, eat, sleep, and breathe it 24/7. I was raising four children at the time, and I was exhausted ........I can't imagine having a new baby and going to nursing school at the same time. One or the other is bound to suffer, and both ventures are far too important to give less than 100% each and every day.

ITA!!! I got pregnant (unplanned) in my last 6 months of school and it was difficult. My major worry was what I might get exposed to that might hurt the baby...CMV or something, etc. The fatigue was bad and I was passing out about the time I wrote boards...and preeclamptic by my last month (due partly to stress I'm sure...I was working as a RN by that time).so yes it is tough.

I would do one or the other...and get adjusted to one before starting the next venture. But that's just me and 20 20 hindsite.

Good luck and best wishes to you! :)

ICUsleep · Jan 20, 2005

I'm not an attorney, but I am not sure that it is legal for your school to refuse to make reasonable accommodations for your pregnancy. I encourage you to get good legal advice regarding your rights- particularly if they will make the difference between you finishing this program or dropping out!

Yeah, they do have to make accommodations. They also can't refuse to let anyone sit down. Why do some people make life hell? Ridiculous.

smkiya, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2005

I had my daughter 10/13/04 (my actual due date). I was happily employed steadily climbing the ladder, due for another promotion to Senior Mgmt with my firm when my husband and I decided to get pregnant. One day, after I found out that I was pregnant, my company announced that they were closing our in 3 months (of course). I could've relocated, but my husband has his career and we just got back from California 3 years before.

I decided to go back to school and join the nursing profession. I immediately applied to nursing school, and was put on the waiting list for January 2005. My company closed in April 2004, and I started school in the summer. I took A & P I, Computer Sci, and Eng II in Summer I and A & P II with Intro to Psych Summer 2. In the fall of 2004 I took Chemistry, Microbiology, and Intro to Nursing. (My A & P II class gave me a baby shower )

I worked the weekend before giving birth. I gave birth on a Wednesday and was back in school the following Monday. Two weeks later I was back at work on the weekends (16 hours Sat and 16 hours Sun). I spent a lot of time with my daughter who is now 3 months sitting on my lap listening to her music CD as I type. She studies with me, and we stay up late together (she usually sleeps while I'm in school or spends time with her father (daddy's girl or grandmothers).

It is difficult sometimes just because we have to drive 35 miles to take her to my mothers while in school. My husband drops off and I pick up. It definately helps having a hands on husband who gave me a job sitting at a desk (to make ends meet) on the weekends in a barely empty office building, monitoring cameras and making sure the employees who come in sign in... while I have my textbooks spread out in front of me. (32 hours of study hall, I call it). My first Nursing class with clinicals started Tuesday, I have class twice a week and clinical one day a week. Again, its no walk in the park by any means but its definately doable...

Oh and if you're concerned your grades may suffer, I have a 3.7 GPA. :)

Good Luck!

HappyNurse2005, RN · Jan 20, 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by nurse_wannabe
I would have to cast my vote in the "NO" ballot box as well.
I am pregnant (oops!) and due exactly one week after graduation in June!
Although I'm barely 4 mos. along, I am already having a couple of issues. We have a long walk from the parking lot to the classroom, followed by a trek upstairs. We are not allowed to use the elevator there OR at the hospitals. By the time I get to where I'm going, I'm so out of breath I feel like I'm going to croak. This, according to my OBGYN, is normal and there is nothing to be done about it.
At clinicals my feet swell and my back aches. Although we get only a 10 min. break in the morning and a 30 min. lunch break, we are not allowed to sit down at all, not even to chart! And did I mention that NSAIDS are no longer an option for pain? LOL.
My LPN program is for 11 months. In that 11 months, we can only miss 60 hours before being expelled from the program. So that's another issue I'm going to have to deal with if for some reason I have to have the baby early.
And last but not least, you will be tired all of the time and will find it hard to concentrate in class.
Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck!
Oh, and I also wanted to say that although I am going to try my very hardest, at this point I am about 75% sure that I will end up having to withdraw from the program. And at my school, there IS no leave of absence. You just waste all of the time and $$$ that you put in.
I'm not an attorney, but I am not sure that it is legal for your school to refuse to make reasonable accommodations for your pregnancy. I encourage you to get good legal advice regarding your rights- particularly if they will make the difference between you finishing this program or dropping out!

i am pregnant in nursing school now, due right before graduation. reasonable accomadations? the only reasonable accomodation they want to make for me is letting me stay and not kicking me out. i am perfectly healthy and pregnant. i was pregnant all last semester, and will be for 90% of this one. i have yet to miss or be late to a single class or clinical. i get good grades. i am also supposed to have a note from my dr saying i have no physical restrictions on what i can and cannot do in clinicals. i had one that said "no heavy lifting" and that was nixed and i was forced to get another one. so if you go to my school....dont get pregnant.

Heath82371 · Feb 10, 2005

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Heath82371 · Feb 10, 2005

some how I posted X2

lmcnabbkv · Feb 10, 2005

Nursing school is hard enough in itself than to do it while pregnant. It is doable but you also have to think about the fact that you could be placed on bedrest etc at any time during your pregnancy. This is what happened to me. Luckily I had one clinical left and we could miss one...then I took the summer off, went parttime in the fall. My daughter was born in October and I managed fine. You will need a lot of help and support though. The sleepless nights are tough, so is finding time to study with a newborn, and then you have to think about breastfeeding if that would be what you would do.

I'm not saying that you can't or shouldn't get pregnant during school, but you also need to consider all of the unknowns and factor those into your decision. Weigh all of your options carefully and decide what is best for you. Good luck in your decision!! :)

webblarsk · Feb 10, 2005

Although I had my third child during my final year of nursing school it certainly wasn't planned and I certainly wouldn't reccomend it! I had my son over spring break and returned to school the next week. I had alot of guilt issues over not spending enough time with my son. Not to mention trying to breast feed him. Pumping during clinicals. Just a big hassle! Only my opinion though!

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2005

:twocents: I would vote no. If you get sick and have to take off , your going to miss valuable parts of your education. You have to give 200% in nursing school, it requires focused dedication. I would most definitly wait untill you have finished, a child can be very expensive as well. You dont want finances clouding the issue ,if you can get around it. Then you have to get up at 5 am or so for clinicals then stay up late studying. :banghead: It can be done but, it will be hard for you. I have 5 kids and it is just short off hell:smackingf ...If I had to do it again I would tell my husband to keep it in his pouch, until I was through...

I love these smilies... :yeah:

rebeccainlv · Feb 10, 2005

I ditto the others that say no. I'm a single mom and have a 6 year old daughter. I can't imagine doing nursing school and having a newborn, or being pregnant.

I do my 12 hour clinical shift on Saturdays. Child care places usually aren't open or they cost alot more. Also, they don't take babies under 6 weeks old.

Nursing school is a 24/7 job. You can't afford to be distracted in any way.

At least wait until your last semester. That way you wont' have to worry about doing clinicals while you're pregnant.

You can't take time off from school, either. So much is covered in every class that it's hard to make up any missed classes.

neuronursein06 · Feb 11, 2005

My boyfriend and I have debated both the marraige and pregnancy thing while I'm in school! I'm done May '06 from a BSN prgm- and while I'm certain we'll be engaged in the next month or 2, we both really want to start a family- we're 30 and 31. If I were to get pg during school (next year, at least) I'll be ecstatic- but I'm not going to pointedly try anyway! Our other thought is the planning a wedding while in nursing school- or getting married in the midst of it. We won't be able to take a honeymoon right away anyway, as his residency ends in June and a fellowship in cardiology starts... I see lots of med students getting married in the middle of it...who knows.

I have a good friend who had a baby in Nov, and her school (not mine) gave her hell....she ended up having to drop out, and was a semester away. She has to wait another year to complete her last med surg clinical, etc.

Having never been pg, I don't think I could be pg and in school....gosh, you're only 25!!! Live a little for a few more years!

Good luck...

Erin