New nurse... with a baby on the way

[*nurse*mel*]

I graduated in August and took a Med-Surg internship. Shortly after that, my husband and I found out we were pregnant. Now that my internship is almost over (middle of February), I have to start bidding on open positions in the hospital. I'm due in April and have some concerns that I'm hoping you guys can help with. First... I'm not concerned about not adjusting to night shift... I worked that while in school. My concern is whether to work days or nights with a new baby. My husband is a high school teacher and is gone from 7-4 everyday. We're hoping to not use day care (and if so, not often). But I'm wondering do you really think I'll be able to work, then pick up the baby, and actually sleep before having to work a second night in a row? My husband thinks that night shift is better for the baby, but I don't know. As a new nurse and adjusting to being on my own, it would be better, but as for sleep, will it ever happen?! For days or nights, I'd wake up at 5, work from 7-7:30, then return home around 8:30. Even though it's only three days a week, which one seems more feasible with a brand new baby? Has anyone had experience with this? What should I do?!?

[AprilRNhere]

I think either one. Baby's don't know night from day yet. I'd push to work the days in a row though so the rest of your schedule isn't interruped.

Congrats!!

[RNBelle]

if your hospital has a baylor program that might be an option. you could do nights or days on the weekends and then be home all week with the baby. the only downside is that you wont see your hubby as much because you would be working every weekend.

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

First of all, congratulations!! :)

Day or nights shouldn't be any different. You need sleep regardless of the shift. If you pick up the baby after you get off work, I don't see how you'd get much sleep before going to work that night. Why does your husband think night shift is better for the baby? I find that people that don't work night shift really have no concept of how it is to work nights and they don't realize that we need our sleep too.

I know a few people that I work with (we're on night shift) have someone come over during the day and watch the babies/kids while they get a few hours of sleep. That's one option to consider if you don't want to use day care, that way the baby will still be there with you, yet you can still get some sleep.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

I find that people that don't work night shift really have no concept of how it is to work nights and they don't realize that we need our sleep too.

When I first started my career as a nurse, my mother-in-law, who lives in another city, would plan her visits for when I was on my stretch of nights. She figured that I'd be there during the day to entertain her, and her DS would be there during the evening to do the same. The first time she did that, my DH took some holidays and took her to see the sights during the day so I could sleep. The second time, I thought to myself, let her come... She was confused and a little miffed when I told her she'd have to amuse herself because DH was working and her grandchildren were all going to be at school. She whined about how I should be happy spending time with her since she spent all that money to come visit. The look on her face was pretty comical when I asked her when she expected me to sleep if I was coming home from 13 hours of work at 8 am, fixing her breakfast then taking her shopping, out for lunch and then fixing supper before I went back to work. "I hadn't thought about that!" Obviously. The weird thing is that she used to work the night shift for Yellow Pages when her DS was a little boy; she couldn't look after him and work nights too so he went into foster care for two years...

I don't have a problem with any of that any more since she isn't speaking to me...