Opinions Please!!

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I have been trying to get in to my nursing school for three years. I go accepted end of last year and started pre-reqs in January. I'm supposed to start nursing in August. I found out I was (unexpectedly) pregnant a few weeks ago. I am due late October which will be right in the middle of the first semester. My advisor is telling me I can either sit out a year or have the baby and come right back (no more than a week). This will be my first baby. I really don't want to sit out a whole year. I've already met people and became friends with other students and really want to stay with them for the next two years. I know it's a risk to commit to only taking a week off. What if there is complications? C-Section? Most people are telling me I need to take a year off and be here for my baby. I understand that. But, if I want to try, is it possible? I know it will be hard having a newborn. No sleep. I get that. But it's possible right? I have sisters who are willing to watch it. Any opinions and/or experience would be great.

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This is a decision only you can make. Do you have a good support system and is the father involved? I ask because a woman I went to school with had a baby during our second semester of clinical. She was able to come back after a week because her husband watched the baby while she was at school. Every school is different as well. For us, we usually had everything complied into 2 or 3 days of class. He would watch the baby during those days and she would the other.

You bring up a good point about the C-section. No one can guarantee that 1 week will be enough time (even without a C-section) for you to heal and feel ready to go back to school.

My personal opinion is that it would be best to wait, but as I said only you can make this decision.

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Your baby is going to need you and you will need to give the wee one all your attention.

The time you will have with your baby is precious. You never get that back.

The school will still be there.

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If it were me I'd hold off and wait the extra year. Newborns require A LOT of attention, and, like the above poster said, you won't get that time back. I know you said your sisters will help, but how much? Is the dad going to be in the picture? Are you going to have someone help you with the 10 pm diapering and feeding, and the 12, 2, 4 & 6 am ones? Shoot, my kids are 7 and 4 1/2 and it's still hard! You have to find time to study, plus time to be mom, cook, housekeeper, chauffeur...everything! I do have a husband that helps tremendously, but a lot of stuff still falls on my shoulders because he works. Just take some time to look over everything. School is always going to be there, and you will make new friends, trust me!

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Is it possible? Yes. I had a c-section and returned to (non-nursing) school the next week. I was taking 12 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays and wasnt working, and I had no complications during pregnancy except during childbirth that lead to the C-section. Keep in mind that if you do this, you will be (possibly feeling guilt over) missing a period in your child's life that is full of milestones and deleopment. It doesnt really matter if it's your first or fifteenth.

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its definetly possible. I am a junior in a BSN program and we had two girls have babies early in the program and one is currently expecting - they all have done fine and continue to be successful. It comes with its challenges but if you can stay focused and remain patient and determined - you can do it.

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Possible? Yes. But it will likely be one of the most difficult things you will ever do. Your post partum hormones are insane in the best case scenario. Worst case scenario you end up with post partum depression, anxiety, and combine all that with leaving your newborn at a week old?

I've had two kids, and physically I felt fine immediately following birth. We were out of the hospital in less than 24 hours from birth and, again, physically I was ok. Emotionally, I was ok for the most part. But a baby is a huge, HUGE change in your life, even if they are the best sleeper/eater/etc and that takes a lot of adjustment. What got me were all the little things - out of milk? It takes 4x longer to get out the door and to the store when you've got a baby. Not to mention all the people who will stop you to ooh and aah over your baby. So while it might take you 10 minutes now to run to the store for one thing, you're talking at LEAST an hour to do the exact same thing. And you're losing that much more of your study time.

So is it possible? Yes. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. You'll only get to experience your first once. I am not a baby person, but I wouldn't have traded in that first year of my kids' lives for anything. School will be waiting for you next year. Your baby won't be a baby anymore. I absolutely recommend being there for your baby and letting everything else get put on hold.

Most importantly, congratulations!!!! :heartbeat

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Congrats

Last semester one of my fellow nursing students was pregnant and she was due around the same time, we left class on a Thursday and resumed class on monday and she was not pregnant anymore, she did not miss a beat and maintained a higher gpa than me! :) Kudos to her and Kudos too you because I have faith that you will do the same :) ALWAYS look at the glass half full not half empty ! :)

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Considering you are referring to the baby as "it", I'm gathering you don't understand the gravity of the situation or what it's like to be a mom. I would sit out a year.

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If you want to try it, go ahead. I think (no offense) that too many people assume that EVERYONE wants to be a SAHM. I know for me and for several other people I know, I'd go bat-s*** nuts if I had to stay home with my kid 24/7, wee little baby or no. Especially wee-little-baby that takes up so much of your time. Everyone seems to assume that all women should stay home with their children and take care of them and some women just aren't built to be like that.

And I just figured that the OP used "it" because she doesn't know the gender.

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You don't have to be a sahm, but only taking a week off is unrealistic. You will also be exhausted from staying up with the baby since newborns eat at least every three hours.

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With enough support, people have done it, though. It's not impossible. I've seen other cases where people have less than a weekend. It's not optimal, but it's not the worst thing ever.

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