My fiance and I want to have a baby. Our original plan was to wait until I'm out of school but I grad 12/2016. Next month I'll be 30 and he'll be 40. The way I see it is if we wait it'll be another 3 years. Two years to finish school and at least 1 more year to start working because I don't want to go into a new job pregnant. I rather start working with a baby between 1-2 years old.
We've discussed it and he will be willing to get me a nanny and carry the both of us financially so I won't have to work but a few hours a week so that I could be home with the baby and study. Is this crazy?
We are gonna TTC between late July thru October so that I'd end up with a summer break due date. If my due date is mid May I'd be able to spend at least 2.5 months with the baby before I'd have to go back to class in August. How hard is it to be pregnant while in nursing school? I figure it will be a lot harder to be pregnant when I'm an actual RN. Plus I won't want to rush back to work afterwards. This is probably crazy but we both have baby fever LOL. My BSN is calling me but so is motherhood. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!!
All I can do is share my story since the decision is ultimately yours on what is more important to you right now. I was not pregnant in nursing school (thank God), but during y first pregnancy I had hyperemesis until almost 7 months. I would vomit or dry heave at least 10 times a day and was severely nauseous for pretty much the entire day to the extent that I could only down maybe 500-700 calories a day. I was hospitalized a few times for dehydration and nutrient deficiencies. During y labor, my potassium was so low that I had to get potassium infusions twice (can I say that it feels like FIRE going in). Also my sodium was very high which caused very high blood pressure. All the stress made for a long painful labor, a distressed baby, and an almost emergency c-section. I also got a very large episiotomy in order to get baby out fast once she was crowned. Then my healing time took longer than normal. I wasn't able to really walk without pain for 2-3 weeks. Also during my pregnancy I developed sciatica at about 4 months. I would get such sharp pain in my leg that all I could so was slump to the ground and wait for it to pass. Before pregnancy I was physically fit, and ate healthy. I have never had a health issue in my life beside the normal colds and stomach bugs. If I had been in nursin school I would have had to drop ad not return until at least a month after baby was born. My second wasn't much better except the morning sickness wasn't bad enough to put me in the hospital. The labor was better. I know you could have a perfectly healthy pregnancy. But also consider, you might not. You have to think if the risk is worth it. If having a baby is higher on the list of importance than finishing nursing school on time ten go for it. You could be completely fine and sprig right back after baby is here. But you could also have complications that delay graduation. What is more important. I won't try to advise you either way except to tell you to really think about what you will regret more later, not having a baby right now, or possibly not finishing nursing school on time. GL wth your decision.
And just just to em on a lighter note, my SIL is currently pregnant and she has had the picture perfect pregnancy. The kid that makes me hate her just a little lol. She has nt vomited once. Only been nauseous a couple times, was only tired for the first few weeks. And has no aches or pains. Just an all around perfect pregnancy. She could totally have been in nursing school during her pregnancy. She, however, chose to have a baby first and go start nursing school in Jan 15 when her baby will be about 6 months old.
Yes I know there's a possibility of a troubled pregnancy. My thought on that is I am a healthy person with absolutely no health issues. That's not to say it's impossible to have trouble though. Grrrr it IS something to think about though. Thanks!
You do have a lot of comments but I would like to share my story regarding this. With my first, I was extremely healthy, at a good weight (not over or under) took vitamins, great diet, etc. I was in cosmetology school and was on my feet most of the day. This wasn't a problem bc I'd always worked as a waitress. Long story short, I went into preterm labor at 23 weeks. Luckily, they were able to stop my labor from progressing and I carried until 37 weeks. During that time, I was put onto bed rest and went into labor twice. I also had to have a c-section which caused a longer recovery. I graduated cosmo school 6 months late.
With my second, I was also extremely healthy but worked at a desk job as a paralegal. (It paid better than doing hair and gave me health insurance). Right around the 29 week mark, I developed severe asthma and could barely walk up the stairs without a rescue inhaler. I also had to take daily asthma meds. Right about 32 weeks I went into labor. They stopped it and said I could go to work (since I was at a desk), but had to not walk around as much as possible. 36 weeks, I had to stop working and was put onto bed rest. Carried until 38 weeks and delivered via c-section.
Now, I am really healthy and two awesome kids and about to start nursing school. Just because your health is one way now, doesn't mean that will not change. Pregnancy and my body do not agree. I also died during the first delivery. My husband and I agreed that we were done after the two bc I could not handle going through another pregnancy.
Nursing school is insane! I could not imagine trying to go through it while pregnant (with pregnancy brain, it's real) and then with an infant. It sounds like you will have a lot of help, which is good. Just remember, you will want to bond with your baby. I had really bad postpartum depression after my daughter and didn't bond properly when it really mattered. I promise you that you want enough time to really establish that bond.
Only you know what you are capable of. However, you also don't how your body will react. I wish you the best of luck!!
WoW, me and my husband want a baby too. I'm 29 and he's 38. If I get in the nursing school that I want, I should graduated in 2 years (May 2016). We had talk about that many many many timesssss. Finally, we decide to wait. My personal opinion is I work so hard to get in the nursing school then I don't want to lose it. I also don't want my baby to be so stress because I know that I will be. However, if he can take care of you and you think it worth to try so go for it. It will be hard but it your life. DO WHAT U WANT :)
Speaking just in my own case I would not do it. But I also have 2 kids and ended up very very sick through both pregnancies. Like bed rest for 6 months, sick!
You have to decide what's more important right now and go from there. How are you going to feel if you have to withdraw? What happens if you have complications? Or if you can't return right away? I know age is a factor that's why I suggested weighing the pros and cons.
We did it. I'm due in August (we get summer breaks) and I start back in September. I'm in a full time BSN program with very little leniency as far as making up clinical hours, etc. I've had a normal pregnancy and made sure to really take care of myself and rest when necessary but I also completed Peds, OB and a psych rotation all this past school year (while pregnant). It's honestly your call. My school is pretty tough but this was year 2 for me and I felt pretty comfortable with what to expect versus year 1 and feeling completely stressed out. I heard the same arguments presented here but my husband and I decided to just go for it and worst case scenario was pushing graduation back a year. So far that doesn't look like it's going to happen. One thing that does play a factor for us: daycare when baby arrives. My mother-in-law is going to watch him when I'm at school/hospital and that's a huge favor to us while he's very small. So consider what happens when baby arrives too. Good luck! :)
I would say the decision is one you need to make together with your significant other. Everyone will have their opinion of what worked for them or what could happen. You have to sit down and discuss the what ifs, how dedicated are you to buckling down and completing nursing school. Even with an uncomplicated pregnancy it will be rough, is it doable absolutely. I'm not really a fan of these type of post because what worked for someone else may work out differently for you.
I had a baby in school. I found out I was pregnant a week after I was accepted. I was in my 3rd quarter when I delivered. I had the option of taking a quarter off but I decided to just keep going. I had my clinicals finished before my due date and talked to all my professors to see what they would need from me/what I would miss while I was out. I took 1 week off of school and had to go back. Being pregnant was not hard, it is trying to find to study with a little one. Daycare is also an issue. I am 32 and husband is 46. There is still time for you to have a baby.
Specializes in Med/Surg, Surgical Post-Trauma, Peds.
I am an example of healthy person + pregnancy = high risk pregnancies.
I am very healthy, very active, current with my immunizations, get my yearly check-ups, etc, however, when I get pregnant that is definitely not the case. I get High BP, Preeclampsia, get put on bedrest, almost had a 27 weeker etc etc.
The second I am no longer pregnant I am as healthy as can be again.
I am about to enter a nursing program and if it wasn't for that my boyfriend and I would be trying to conceive. I luckily know that I am not a good candidate for being pregnant during nursing school. If it wasn't for already knowing, I would be having the same thoughts as you about getting pregnant.
Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.
Wow. I just figure because I have no health issues it is unlikely I'd end up with trouble for the majority. Sorry to hear yours went that way. Hopefully it was worth it.
While I know several women who've also had the kind of pregnancy you can envision for yourself, easy, baby born close to the due date, and they've been able to work up to the day or two before birth, and bounce back from labor and delivery with in a short-time frame. It doesn't always work that way. Being young and healthy is not a guarantee for a trouble free pregnancy. While you are much more likely to have a trouble free pregnancy being young and healthy it doesn't always end up that way.
My parents conceived their first when in their late twenties and both in good health. Most of the pregnancy went fine for my mother, unfortunately in the early 3rd trimester she started feeling unwell, and couple of days of feeling unwell and she went to the ER. With 8 weeks of pregnancy left I was brought into the world by emergency c-section in order to save my life, my twin sister had already passed away. I spent nearly the first month of my life in the hospital, and according to my parents spent much of my first 6 months of life attending doctors appointments.
To this day my mom has never gotten a good answer as to why we all got so sick. Maybe there isn't one. My mother was very, very glad she was working at the time for a family-friendly company who let her take the time off she needed. She was pretty much a mess for about the first year of my life in her own words. Having to deal with the stress of my birth, the anxiety of having a fragile baby and home, and the loss of my sister who she didn't really get to grieve and mourn for in the moment because of all the other stress. She coped but said she didn't really start living again until about 18 months had passed.
I can understand the desire to have kids now... I'm feeling baby-fever myself right now and really not wanting to wait another 3-5 years to have kids, but with this story in mind I can't consider having kids while in school. I'll still be young and hopefully in good health 5 years from now.
Ultimately the decision is yours, but really stop to consider all the options, not just the happy ones, and see if it still seems like something you want to try for.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I'll update my situation.
I went to the ER last Friday for n/v, I ended up having a seizure & they admitted me. I was induced today at 37.4, my baby had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice & fluid in his lungs. By the time I get discharged I'll have been in the hospital for a week.
This is a difficult question to answer. I'm currently 7 months pregnant and with the way I've felt the last few months, there is no way in hell I'd be able to be a good nursing student. Being pregnant, at least for me, is not easy. As other posters have mentioned, what if you have significant health issues during your pregnancy? What if your baby does? There are no guarantees that you'll have smooth sailings. Can you imagine dealing with that kind of stress while in nursing school? With all that said, this is a HUGE decision for you and your fiancee to make. I'd make a list of the pros and cons for each scenario and go from there. My vote is to wait until you finish. Best of luck to you no matter what decision you make.
Yes I know there's a possibility of a troubled pregnancy. My thought on that is I am a healthy person with absolutely no health issues. That's not to say it's impossible to have trouble though. Grrrr it IS something to think about though. Thanks!
HammockBound
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Our school said only if you have a Dr note that allows you to lift 50 lbs. But they also said they have only had 1 dr. Agree to that that ever.