Planning a pregnancy - advice re NCLEX, jobs, etc?

[Clovery]

So I was in the nursery all night for clinical yesterday and I've totally been bitten by the baby bug. Plus my son turns 1 next week and I know I definitely want one more child. I also want to graduate from nursing school (ADN), take the NCLEX, hopefully get a job, and get my BSN online.

Here are the things I need to consider:

- I will graduate with my ADN in December 2012, hopefully take and pass the NCLEX the following January.

- I'm doing well in school and I don't get too stressed out with it.

- My last pregnancy was without complications and I generally felt fine up until the end.

- I am 31 now so waiting until I have a BSN and job security could put me at borderline advanced maternal age.

- I will schedule a c-section so hopefully I won't have to worry about spontaneous labor.

So if I started trying to conceive in May, that would give me a February due date, and I'd be 28 to 32 wks pregnant at the time of graduation. Do you think that would be doable? Surely I could waddle in to take the NCLEX the next month, right? That's assuming it happens the first try, which probably isn't likely, although I will start charting my cycles several months before for optimum results.

My concern is that it could take several months to conceive, which puts me in the position of having graduated and passed the NCLEX, but being pregnant when trying to find a job or being forced to wait several months before applying.

How long is too long to wait to apply for jobs after graduation? Ideally I'd want to have the baby and then start working about 3 months postpartum. If there are several months between graduation and applying, will it look better if I'm in a BSN program?

Any advice would be appreciated, or just tell me I'm crazy or w/e

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I would personally NEVER try to get pregnant during nursing school. Never. A couple in our class did - all but one had to repeat the semester. They could not keep up.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

[student89]

Take it from me...being pregnant and in nursing school don't mix. I was on the waiting list and i figure I would not get into that year so i decided to get pregnant with my second child that way she would be six months pregnant when i reapplied the next year. my first was 3 at this time. It took two weeks for me to get pregnant and a week later I was accepted in. The first semester was pure hell with being fatigue and the morning sickness during clinical I barley made it out with a c but i was miserable. Second semester was even worse because i was uncomfortable for 3 hour lectures and standing on my swollen feet. I had her on a wednesday and returned to school on a monday because i had too and that was the worst thing leaving her so soon. I am now breastfeeding because i want the best for her and its annoying having to use my 30 min break during clincal to pump while my friends eat. Please wait until after school I was also over looked for 2 extern jobs because i was pregnant. It is not fun at all and its very stressful and its unfair to the baby because your gone and having to study all the time. Think before you conceive.

[Clovery]

I was pregnant with my son during my first semester of nursing school and was fine - never had any morning sickness or terrible fatigue and even quit smoking at the same time. But I hear you... I'm just afraid that my kids will be too far apart or that by the time I get around to conceiving again I will be pushing 35.

Thank you both for the advice, I forgot about the swollen feet - that did bother me sometimes towards the end. I probably won't breastfeed because I had such a horrible time with it with my son... I'm definitely reconsidering. But honestly I know I can do it since it's only 1 semester that I'd be pregnant (I don't have summer classes) and then just taking the NCLEX.