Pregnancy and Nursing School

beth66335, BSN, RN · May 31, 2009

I have a friend who got pregnant (not on purpose) in the middle of her first year and had the baby in September of her senior year. She struggled a little, but did fine and graduated on time...however, she had a perfect pregnancy, and no one is guaranteed that. You could have complications, end up on bedrest, or anything. It's up to you of course, but if it was me I wouldn't add on anything else just now to my plate. Good luck whatever you decide!

tfleuter, BSN, RN · May 31, 2009

I was going to say the same thing. If you have a uneventful pregnancy (and if you get pregnant right away) then your plan would probably work out quite nicely. If anything, have a back up plan in the event that once you become pregnant, you can't stay in school. Find out how your particular program would handle that situation and if it varies depending on how far along you are in the semester. This is also a good idea so that you can mentally prepare yourself incase you are not able to graduate as planned. It will be a lot less dissappointing if you accept that risk beforehand then if you don't. Good luck in whatever decision you make!!

Lovely_RN, MSN · May 31, 2009

I got pregnant during my last semester and finished school at 23 weeks. I had some m/s but not much and other than that I was fine. I'm glad that I didn't have a baby in the middle of the semester like some of my classmates that would have been too much for me. The only downer is that my job search is delayed until the end of the year when my baby is 3-4 months old and all of my classmates will likely have passed boards and found jobs by then. So I do feel a little held back right now since I am stuck in my LPN position at a SNF waiting to go on maternity leave.

missybear88 · May 31, 2009

I agree w/ the above. When I was I was pregnant, I had terrible morning sickness (Hyperemesis gravidarum) that lasted until I was 4 months. :eek: I couldn't even get out of bed, let alone go to school/work. I ended up in the hospital multiple times because I was so dehydrated and malnourished. It was hard. Most woman don't have m/s as bad as I did, but complications like that could arise. Just make sure you have a back-up plan (or several, lol) in case you need to miss school. Best of luck to you and your husband! :)

BabyLady, BSN, RN · May 31, 2009

Hi-
I start my last semester of an RN program in August. My husband & I were contemplating starting out family with the thought that if I get pregnant in June or July, then I won't have the baby until March or April, 4 months after I graduate. My goal is to get my BSN and then a school nurse job and I thought that I could do an online program after the baby was born. Any thoughts or suggestions on this.
Thank you to all who respond

There is something else to consider...how far after graduation do you plan on looking for work?

Granted, pregnancy discrimination is against the law, but they don't have to ask when you go in fully pregnant. We all know that discrimination is alive and well, and as a new grad, jobs are extremely competitive right now.

You just want to make sure that they hire you for you and there is no reason for them not to hire you.

If you aren't planning on looking for a job until after the baby is born, then it's a moot point.

Lunaticus, LPN · May 31, 2009

One of my dearest friends found herself pregnant midway through our second semester. She ended up suffering from PIH at about month eight, and was consequently placed on bedrest shortly before the baby was due. If it wasn't for a VERY understanding clinical instructor and the fact that, as a group, we crammed all of our clinical hours into six, short weeks, she would have been unable to complete third semester. After the baby was born, she then had to contend with the rest of our third and all of our final semester with breastfeeding an infant, no sleep, and studying to boot. After her husband was deployed to Afganistan in April, it took the combined efforts of several, close friends (myself included), to make sure that somebody could watch the baby while she did her preceptorship. I know the whole situation was EXTREMELY stressful on her, and it took a great deal out of her. She graduated right on time, but she would be the first to caution anyone against getting pregnant in nursing school.

JomoNurse · Jun 1, 2009

Good for you! I'm so glad to hear that you were responsible and waited to have your child for when you were actually going to be there for your little tot. Some people I know decided to have children/raise very young children during nursing school only to dump them off in institutionalized daycare for someone else to raise their kids. What's really troublesome is when "mommy" rationalizes it out of horrendous guilt by saying that it'll be better for the child in the long run. News flash, 2 year old little Johnny doesn't understand that, and to him, it's his very own mother abandoning him during the day. Young children need to be with their mommy during the day. Kudos to you!!! :)

Ellean55 · Jun 1, 2009

To the original poster of this thread, I think you should decide what is most important to you at this point: Is it getting your BSN or being a stay at home mother. Assuming you and your husband are fit and healthy then why not delay a little longer and get your BSN? Its better to have a career than be a stay at home mother with nothing to show for.

mesa14 · Jun 1, 2009

Thanks everyone-

I think I will wait, just so I don't have to put so much stress on my unborn baby or myself, and then I can get my BSN and really settle into my life as a nurse before starting a family. It's just hard to resist those motherly instincts and wanting to be a mom, but another 2 years isn't long.

Thanks again

Jolie, BSN · Jun 1, 2009

Its better to have a career than be a stay at home mother with nothing to show for.

Do you truly believe that stay at home parents are devoid of accomplishments?

Ellean55 · Jun 1, 2009

I have no respect for women who CHOOSE to stay at home when they could have had a career (I am not talking about divorce, etc) those things can be avoided, but when a woman takes the conscious choice to opt out of the chance to have a career then I am sorry you wont gain any respect from me.