New Grad and Newlywed

[RDBSN16]

I just have a question about being a new grad and a newlywed. I graduate in December and will be getting married in April of 2017. I want to get some experience just so I can get my career started. But what about starting a family? I want kids, my husband will want kids. How do I balance that AND being a new nurse????

Tell me your opinions and experiences.

[ItsThatJenGirl, CNA]

I understand that millions of women working have had kids. I'm just trying to figure out since I will be a new nurse how it would be if I immediately got pregnant.

This is my opinion, and mine alone.

In a perfect world I would not get pregnant within the first few years of marriage. I also wouldn't get pregnant at 21 (I had my first at 25, and I still feel like I was too young). I wouldn't get pregnant right out of nursing school. I'd allow for a few years for career development.

Again, these are purely my opinions, based on my experience with life as a wife/mom/student/working person.

Good luck.

[DowntheRiver]

What are your priorities? If having a child is more important to you than nursing, then have a kid then worry about nursing. If nursing is more important, discuss it with your fiancé. There's time to have children. Don't stress about it. People will tell you to try now because you might be infertile in the future. It's always a possibility. It's a reality for me but I don't regret it because I do have an excellent nursing career. So now my husband (who also focused on his career) and I have the income to go through IVF or adopt, whichever we chose. Things always have a way of working themselves out. If you have this ideal timeline in your head chances are you are going to be disappointed. I always, always, always thought I'd have a kid by the time I was 28 but here I am, 30 and still trying to figure it out. Again, YOU need to decide your priorities with your fiancé.

Also, unless you have your BSN, it should not be reflected in your username - am I correct moderators? I am an RN with an ASN working on my BSN but since I have not attained that degree it is not reflected in my username and/or AN credentials.

[Libby1987]

Graduating at 21, married at 21/22 you have time to get a couple of years of experience sans whatever pregnancy symptoms you might end up having. I had *easy* pregnancies but still had some mild morning sickness and dog tired in the first trimesters. Once I had my skill set better developed, I could do my job well despite the discomforts of pregnancy. And before that I could go home and sleep to my hearts content after exhausting stressful workdays with no dependents needing me yet.

Millions might combine everything and ride the stress out but why not be one of those rarities who spaces it out optimally?

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

Is it really necessary to take on all that new stuff at once?

Sounds like lots of stress points that could be avoided.

Learning time management and prioritizing is a useful nursing skill.

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

Also, unless you have your BSN, it should not be reflected in your username - am I correct moderators? I am an RN with an ASN working on my BSN but since I have not attained that degree it is not reflected in my username and/or AN credentials.

I'm not a moderator but I do agree with your interpretation of the TOS.

You don't have a BSN until you have received the degree from your educational institution, you aren't an RN until you have received that designation from your Board of Nursing and you aren't Mrs. Anybody until you sign the papers.

It would be good practice to obtain the designation before you (OP) start using it.

You did ask for opinions. Do you want to write them as well?

[RNKPCE]

A long while ago I graduated in December, got married shortly after and moved with my husband to a new city. I started my first job right after I got married. We waited a few years to have kids and I wouldn't change a thing on how we did it. Each step is stressful in its own right, no need to compound things more than necessary. If your nursing degree is important to you, get some solid experience. Once you have that it will open more doors for you and give you more flexibility for when you do have children.

[safenurse10]

Hang in there! I have a good friends who balance marriage, kids, and hobbies just fine. Just got to see what your schedule will allot. Also, don't find time, make time!

[WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN]

My username reflects a 1970's Chrysler advertisement. You posted on an internet forum. I commented my thoughts. That's how this works.

Oh I hope you have the pigtails.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Oh I hope you have the pigtails.

Fun fact: My dad sold Buicks at the time.

[ohmg]

My wife, an RN started having kids whilst working full time her first year. This continued through our 2nd, her working full time. She added graduate school on top. After this, for our next two children, I went to nursing school, and worked full time, and currently am working on my graduate degree, and am working full-time.

So I guess the question is, what are you looking for? If you want to be a stay-at-home-mom, then there are part-time/prn options for that. If you are willing, you can work and have a family. It's a choice.

[ohmg]

Also, unless you have your BSN, it should not be reflected in your username - am I correct moderators? I am an RN with an ASN working on my BSN but since I have not attained that degree it is not reflected in my username and/or AN credentials.

...sorry, but who cares? She could write MD. Allnurses certainly doesn't verify, and there are likely troves of CNAs, EMTs, laypeople pretending on these boards...

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

First off, remember you won't qualify for FMLA until you have out in a year of work. So I Would start there. Settle in to your job and marriage, get finances in line and go from there. My husband and I were married for 5 years before we had kids, we traveled, set aside a nest egg so I could go part-time and I started working on my BSN. I worked on my MSN after we had kids.

Just enjoy life!