Nursing school and a newborn?

[NicoleLynch, ADN, BSN, RN]

Hello! I am curious to know if anyone has attempted nursing school while having a newborn baby? I am currently getting ready to start taking my last pre-req course before I apply for nursing school which starts this fall. I found out in January that my husband and I are expecting our second child, and have a toddler who will be 2 in July. I am hammering out the pre-req's, getting my GPA and points toward nursing school as high as possible, but now I am worrying and trying to decide what to do before it's too late to apply. My baby is due in September, the same month that nursing school starts. This is assuming that I am accepted. The only pre-req I have left is chemistry which, long story short, should have been taken care of a long time ago but I was not made aware of by my advisor until the last advising day this past fall quarter. Any spring credits that I take don't apply toward my pre-req's on my application... Chemistry is a must-have. Obviously this is a problem. However, I could potentially be accepted in the 2nd round of application reviews. My GPA is a 3.6 and I have not had to retake any classes that would count against me, so I stand a fairly good chance of getting in during the 2nd round if I do apply.

I am wondering if I should apply anyway and just see if I get accepted? However, I am worried that if I do get in and can't handle the stresses of having a newborn on top of a hectic school schedule that I'll fail out. I want to be an RN so bad I can taste it. I know that this is what I was meant to do. I'm starting to lean toward waiting a year and applying later once both babies are a bit older. I'll also have all the required courses out of the way at that time. The only thing I'm not real excited about is waiting another year. I'm 27 now. It's not like I'm fresh out of high school and attending a 4-year college where I would be a graduated RN, BSN by the time I was 22... Any advice from those who've been there? Thank you!

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

Only *you* know what you're capable of handling. Do you feel you can devote adequate study time and still take care of a toddler AND a newborn? Do you have a strong support system at home? Will your spouse understand that he's going to have to take up a lot of the slack and do a lot of the work around the house while you're in school? Nursing school is nothing like taking pre-reqs.

Having said that, one of my classmates had her baby on a Wednesday and was right back in class the following Monday during our first semester of nursing school. She made it through with good grades. She is definitely Super Woman and highly motivated. I couldn't imagine doing what she did. I was exhausted when I had my son and just can't fathom going through nursing school and having a newborn on top of it. It's really what you feel is going to work for you.

If it's not imperative that you go to school immediately, I say, take a year off. Enjoy your time with your little ones :)

[NicoleLynch, ADN, BSN, RN]

If it's not imperative that you go to school immediately, I say, take a year off. Enjoy your time with your little ones :)

Thanks for your reply. My husband is very supportive and so is the rest of my family, so the support network is not an issue. He also just got a really good job that we've been waiting on for awhile, so I know me staying at home and going to school later on won't be a financial burden. I am definitely leaning more toward taking the year off from school and taking care of my babies. It just makes more sense than being so stressed and over-burdened that I'm literally pulling my hair out.

[RunBabyRN]

Thanks for your reply. My husband is very supportive and so is the rest of my family so the support network is not an issue. He also just got a really good job that we've been waiting on for awhile, so I know me staying at home and going to school later on won't be a financial burden. I am definitely leaning more toward taking the year off from school and taking care of my babies. It just makes more sense than being so stressed and over-burdened that I'm literally pulling my hair out.[/quote']I think that would be wise. You never get that first year back, and there's so much that happens. Plus, you don't want to risk sacrificing your shot at nursing school. Both are very important to do right the first time, and I would try to avoid such an overlap if at all possible. We have a guy in my program that started with a 5 week old, and he was exhausted and had a hard time getting his studying and papers done, but he's still in and about to graduate. We do what it takes to make things work sometimes, but I think if you can reduce the amount of stress you're putting on yourself as both a new mom (again) and a nursing student, you'll be glad you held off a year.

Best of luck to you! :)

[NicoleLynch, ADN, BSN, RN]

Thank you! I know it can be done, but I don't really think I need to put myself through so much unnecessary stress.

[FutureNurseK]

Whether is a new born or toddler it wont get any easier apply now rest later..lol literally...my good friend had her child week before the program and was right back at it...i have a 2 and 3 yr old..scary...but its all about your will power..push.press.suceed. good luck

[NicoleLynch, ADN, BSN, RN]

I was reading your post earlier about you being a mom to young kids and going to school. It was very inspiring. Good luck to you and thanks for your vote of confidence. :)

[FutureNurseK]

Yes maam you can do it if your heart is set at being a nurse :)

[Irish_Mist, BSN, RN]

We are having a baby due August 30th (right around your due date). I have two prerequisites left before I can go to nursing school (micro and chem). I have decided to wait a bit before I apply. This will be our first child and I'm really not sure what I can handle. Since this is your second and you have experience as the mother of a newborn, you have more of an idea of what you can and can't handle. You know yourself. If you think you can handle it, then you should do it. If your husband is supportive, even better. I for one would not be able to handle it but that's just me!

[16mm]

If you can afford to stay home that first year you should definitely do it. Echoing another poster you will never get this time back. Having a newborn and a toddler is very stressful and nursing school is very stressful. Thats a lot of stress on your shoulders. I know it can be done, but if you don't have to do it you should wait. Nursing school will always be there, but babies don't stay babies.

Also consider that this is really your last chance to stay home for quite a while.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I was about to apply to a bridge program but then I found out I was pregnant with my first child due in July, the program starts in August. I knew I wanted to be there for my newborn. So I decided to delay applying until the end of this year for the fall of 2015. I have been an LVN for 4 years & my best friend got her RN-BSN not long ago. So I am dedicated to get my RN! My boyfriend got a great job & I have an awesome support system as well. I know delaying school for 1 year isn't gonna kill me.

[mirasmom]

Congratulations on expecting your next child. As many have said, it's truly up to you to decide. I've had a subsequent child born with a much more demanding disposition, and juggling a toddler to boot was very tiring when I went through it. As far as waiting that whole year waiting to get in, an idea I have is maybe doing nonmedical personal caregiving. Maybe on an incredibly part time basis, filling in for people as needed after your baby gets a bit bigger and you can arrange . That way you can get some experience dealing with clients and becoming familiar with assisting with daily living, ambulating, toileting, feeding and things like that. I've enjoyed doing this and feel it will be invaluable experience for when I begin nursing school in the fall.