School and a baby

autonomyforall · Jan 9, 2016

I am having difficulty getting cosleeping to work for us, baby just wants to nurse constantly. She isn't sleeping, gosh I am so sleep deprived. I had no idea that sleep would be the biggest issue when having a baby. Any suggestions?

Definitely check out the COSLEEPING facebook group. I don't know how you guys sleep now, but there are lots of pictures of various bed set ups, peer support, and things like that.

sunshinesusu · Jan 14, 2016

Thank you.

Jm12345 · Mar 18, 2016

I know this is a little late but I wanted to let say it is completely 100% doable. You just need to continue to tell yourself that it is not an option to get ahead, to not study for an hour etc. I was pregnant with my first baby in my fundamentals semester of nursing school and I was exhausted, but I pushed through the classes and I pushed through those long clinical days. I arranged daycare and back up daycare MONTHS ahead of time (but you don't need that much time I just was so nervous about it). Then I had my daughter by C-section and had to start med-surg and peds 3 weeks post section. My instructors were all incredibly supportive and I struggled with lack of sleep, and my body still healing from the surgery and from the pregnancy. My daughter actually made me work harder in school because I wanted it so badly for the both of us. So she could grow up being proud of her mom "the nurse", and so that I could provide for her. The stress of nursing school is definitely no joke. The same goes for being a parent, and a new parent at that. I think the emotions of both aspects, for me at least, became a little to much sometimes. I was very emotional, withdrawn from my peers, and one point snapped on a professor. I was incredibly fortunate that she was patient and such an understanding person. Compassion is after all one of the biggest aspects of being a nurse (I think so at least). That being said, I worked incredibly hard, slept very little, and was challenged more than I ever had been in my entire life. I ended that semester with an A in peds and an 88.78% in med surg ( SOO CLOSE!)..... You will be fine. Stay positive, use all the support systems you have in place, study study study and get as ahead in the material as you possibly can! By the way I graduate December 2016, I just finished OB and I just started psych. My daughter is almost 8 months old now and she was so much easier when she was younger and slept all day (sleep, eat, poop), but I was more emotional unstable because of my hormones. So you have to find that balance. This is just my situation everyone is different but almost everyone in my program has kids (multiple kids....plus nursing school.....I couldn't imagine). You get out what you put in, Good Luck!