Pregnant or having baby in nursing school - is it possible?

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I'm going into my 2nd year of my ADN program in the fall, scheduled to graduate in May 2007. So far it has been a great experience & I'm doing very well.

Here's my "dilemma". My husband and I have been thinking about starting a family (I'm 28 1/2 and he's 34), and I'm wondering if I'm nuts to even consider it while still in school/getting ready to work my first nursing job. We know we want to have children, but we were originally thinking about waiting until I had a year or two of nursing work under my belt. But we've recently been talking it over, and are both a bit concerned about the risks of waiting. From a health/fertility standpoint, I would rather not be over 30 for my first pregnancy if I can work it out. I think hubby is even more concerned about his age - he would rather not be an "older parent" if he can help it and I think has more of a biological clock than me! Hubby has a good, stable job with excellent benefits, though money will be a little tight until I get working again.

I am wondering if any of you have been pregnant or had a new baby in school, and if so how you made it work (or not)! Even if you haven't but have thoughts on the matter, that would be appreciated. Even if I got pregnant NOW, it wouldn't be due until Feb. or March. I do my preceptorship in April, so probably would want to avoid that time if possible. Most likely scenario would be being due early in my first year of work.

Thanks for your thoughts!

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Specializes in Rural Health.

It's possible during NS, several in our class have done it and/or are currently doing it. I also know several that planned (and did) to get preg. right after NS. I also know one girl that is planning on getting preg. this summer (we graduated this Dec) so she can pass her NCLEX, have her baby and then start a new job.

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My sister was 21 and had her baby while in school. She went to class Friday...her classmate drove her to the hospital that afternoon and she had the baby at 5pm. She was back in class Monday Morning. It can be done, but I would recommend if you are planning it, to plan it for when nursing school is over. It would just be a lot less stressful. What if something were to happen and you delivered early...you might have to miss a whole semester of school and that wouldn't be good. I know the biological clock is ticking but waiting a year might be the least stressful option :idea: .

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Wow...your story is eerily reminiscent of mines.

My husband and I are both in nursing school, ADN program (my husband graduates in June - YAY!). My son was two at the time we both started nursing school. We had already decided that we wanted my son to have a sibling; however, with nursing school looming over both of our head we decided that we would hold off. Of course we all know about best laid plains :uhoh3: . I had just finished my pre-reqs when I discovered I was 3 mos pregnant.

We were worried about juggling our busy work/school schedules, raising a four year old and the addition of a new baby; however, we were overjoyed at finding out we were expecting (I am currently 31 and my husband is 36). We decided to just leave it in God's hands.

My daughter is currently 6 mos. The first few months was a delicate balance act but we are doing well. It is hard but doable. There are times I feel like I can't make it (such as when my daughter was sick /clingy, only wanted mommie, and I also had a test to cram for AND a four year old demanding my attention). The good news is that I have a supportive husband who OVERstands the rigorous nursing program as he is also in it. We also have a great support structure with our families that will watch the kids for us so that we can study/clinicals, etc.

Currently, my biggest hurdle is breastfeeding my daughter and keeping up my milk supply (as with my son, I plan on nursing my daugter a year). The good news is that I am currently only taking a human development course in the evening and won't be starting clinicals until August.

Whatever you decide or what happens you will be fine. Good luck!

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Specializes in L&D.

It is doable~~hard, but doable. One of my friends had a baby during Spring Break 2nd semester. It was hard for her, but she had a great support system and managed just fine.

I am currently 8 months pregnant (and have 3 & 10 yr old boys)--we planned this PG so that I could graduate, take boards, and then have the baby. Today was my last day of school--so one hurdle down, two more to go.

Has it been easy? Yes and no. Class part was easy, although I have to tell you I have not been motivated to study very much lately. My clinical was pretty rough this semester. I loved it, but those 12 hrs were a killer. My preceptor was very nice and understanding--but let me tell you, I worked my butt off b/c I was NOT going to use my PG as an excuse.

I think that if you are going to plan a PG, I would do it so that you can have the baby next June/July. It is just so much easier to be done before having a baby.

Good luck on your decision!!

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I can't wait to have kids, but I plan to wait about 6 months after I graduate (also in May of '07) to get preg. I have thought about trying to get pregnant around September or October of this year. That way the baby will be due in June/July. I don't think this is a bad idea...IF...I am to have an uneventful pregnancy. I just don't know that I would have an uneventful pregnancy, and don't want to risk it, being this close to the finish line. The problem is, I want to take time off after I have a baby, at least 6 months, but preferably a year to be a SAHM. I kinda hate to do this so early in my nursing career though...I feel like I would forget everything I had learned. Anyway, I'm not much help, but I understand your dilemma.

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I don't have a personal experience with this, but I have a classmate who just had a baby. We're pretty far along in our nursing program (being seniors), and the professors have so far let my classmate bring her baby to lectures and so forth (until the baby cries and whatnot).

Just mentioning this b/c having a baby during nursing school is definitely possible like others have been saying. I, personally, would plan to have a baby only after getting an internship done or something to that extent. And that'd be at the earliest, so that I have time to "settle" into the whole nursing career and all that good stuff.

Good luck on your decision :)

Seems like us nursing students have to make too many of those... Don't ya think??:D

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I just took my final today! yah! I am 30 weeks pregnant which means I was pregnant for almost all of my senior year. I also work full time with 2 kids at home (10 and 3). It was difficult but I don't regret it.

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Well i started class in aug 1997 due in october. Went to school on a monday morning cause we couldn't miss the hospital orientation spokesperson and me and a classmate sitting across the room from each other timing contractions. The instructor saw us at the time they reached 5 minutes apart and thought it was time i go to the hospital. she was born 4 hours later....lol. i still had some time. well i went back to school thursday because you could only miss 5 days a semester. The things we do....its doable

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I'm in the same boat! I start my ADN program in September. DD will be two, I'll be 29. I'm so torn as to if we should try for a summer '08 baby, or if I should get that first year of nursing under my belt before having #2. I took a year off when DD was born, and it's extremely important to me to do that again. I work part time now (plus school) and would like to continue working part time when I get my RN. I hope to get into an MSN program for midwifery. It just seems like it would be easier to start that first job immediately after school instead of staying home for a year with a new baby. I'm thinking that with experience, there'd be more opportunity for part time and per diem work. Another thing that I've thought about a lot is the exhaustion and nausea of my first pregnancy. It was tough, and there is NO way I'll get pregnant on the 'earlier' plan if I am still working at my part time job while in my last year of school (hoping to somehow be able to quit by then!). But your plans could be really different. If you'd be happy with a 12 week maternity leave and going back to work full time, then maybe your decision will be very different from mine. It's such a tough one! One silly thing I have thought of is trying for a late July/early August baby so that the worst part of the morning sickness would land during winter break and the beginning of the spring semester (DD was born late Aug and I felt the worst in Jan/Feb) :) But I'm not fertile enough to be that lucky. Oh, and if you start a job and are already pregnant/get pg right away, they are not required to give you any leave, in case you're not aware. I believe you have to work somewhere for 12 months before FMLA kicks in.

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Hmmm. I think it is doable, but why put yourself through the stress? Why risk either haviing to drop out of school and go back later or never going back at all? You've come this far, I suggest you see school through first.

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Specializes in NICU.

I'm in an Accelerated BSN (one year long) and two of my classmates got pregnant about two months into the program - they both seem to be fine. The girl I know best did extra clinicals in her 7th month so that if she had to take time off right after the baby was born she could do that. We're in our final preceptorship now and the only problem I've seen is that she's had to take a couple days off when the baby was sick. Talk to your director and try to find clinical sites that will let you pump if you decide to breastfeed. If you like I can ask her for her email address so you can ask her how she did it...

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