Taking A&P during the summer... With a 3 week old!

Trenata · Apr 18, 2013

There is no way I could have done it esp. over the summer with a newborn!!!

A&P is a full time commitment even outside of class. A newborn is an all encompassing and overwhelming person who is just an extension of you for the first 3 months. Assuming you don't have a C-section and your baby doesn't have colic which both happened for me, it is still overwhelming to have a newborn! Would you be putting the newborn in daycare? Daycare is a nasty germ factory that I wouldn't want to expose to a newborn. Can you take the class online? That may be more feasible to study while baby is sleeping! If you are breastfeeding, going 6 hours without feeding can be miserable and cause mastitis!!!

If science isn't your best subject, baby aside, I wouldn't risk failing or getting a low grade which is much, much more common over the summer science courses.

Anyway, just my thoughts! Congrats!!!

HeatherMax · Apr 18, 2013

Congratulations on the baby!

Is there ANY other class you could take this summer?

lauraline · Apr 18, 2013

Wow, congratulations. I envy you!!! I think the timing of this could be on your side. So many people try to conceive and are unable to for months and months--imagine that while planning around sending in applications for nursing school. Better to have your little one before you start nursing school rather than in the middle of it all! If I were you I would take my time with the A&P and not try to rush it. Worse case scenario you have to wait another semester or year to apply, and end up having to spend more bonding time with baby.

space monster · Apr 18, 2013

Aside from taking away from bonding time with your baby, I think your biggest issue would be sleep deprivation. I cannot even begin to describe how sleep deprived I was for the first couple months after both my kids were born. I think it would definitely impair your ability to think clearly and retain information. I'm sure there are people who could do it, but if it were me, I'd definitely wait!

RainMom · Apr 18, 2013

If you're determined, you can do ANYTHING!

I started college full time with my first degree when my oldest child was 6 wks old, completing my associate's just before he turned 2 yrs. Second degree (RN) many yrs later, I became pregnant halfway through unexpectedly. Baby was born just before spring break & I essentially only missed one week of school, including one clinical. Yes, there may be nights with little sleep, but studying with a newborn isn't so bad; rock them while studying notes. It is harder later, in my opinion, when they get older & demand more attention, to be able to make time for studying. Find out when the cutoff date for withdrawing from class is without losing your tuition; probably only 1-2 classes, but that way you could give it a try & see how it goes at first.

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2013

If science isn't your strong suit, then I would suggest waiting until maybe the second summer session, if there is one offered. Having a baby, especially your first, is so completely game changing that I can't begin to describe it. Honestly, I have an A in both A&P I and II, but I would not have done it with a newborn. Part of it depends on how determined you are, but you are facing the unknown with a baby. I wish you the best of luck with both baby and classes.

mram34 · Apr 18, 2013

Not to mention post partum depression. Yikes. I can appreciate determination but to what extent.

Taylor1432 · Apr 18, 2013

Thanks for all the responses and congrats! I will be breastfeeding but there is an hour break in the middle so I can pump and he would be staying with a friend instead of daycare. The idea of leaving him so early makes me feel pretty guilty though. The alternative is to take the easier classes online like med terms and psych during summer, micro during the fall(a&p is already filled up :yawn: ), a&p 1 during spring and a&p 2 fall2014(they don't offer a&p 2 during summer). I'm just worried about taking micro before a&p and also I've heard it's a bad idea to have such a long break in between the two a&p classes. Like I mentioned, I'm not so great at science so I'm trying to do this the smartest way here.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 18, 2013

I would NOT recommend taking A&P in an accelerated format when you have a 3 week old. Especially if science isn't your strong suit. Yes, you may be in a hurry to get your pre-reqs over with, but what's the point if you struggle to get a C? You need to take this course when you can devote your time to it. You will not be able to give your complete focus when you have a 3 week old. You'll have no sleep and if you're breast-feeding, you're going to need to pump so others can feed the baby while you study. Between being up every 2 to 4 hours, you're going to be EXHAUSTED! It's going to be hard to retain all the information when you're sleep deprived.

Focus on taking care of your baby. Take some easier classes in the summer, if you're determined to take them. I don't want to be negative, but I want to you to realistic about this.

Best of luck to you and congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your little one

Medic/RN2B · Apr 18, 2013

You are just setting yourself up for failure. You should focus on your baby at 3 weeks old not school. Try taking some online classes instead to knock out some other pre-reqs. And I took ANP 1 and ANP 2 about 8 years apart and had NO problems. Good luck but IMO its a bad idea.

MommaTy · Apr 18, 2013

You still have to take A&P 2 after A&P 1, so personally at 3 weeks old your baby will be waking up every 2-4 hours around the clock. I would wait until the fall semester. The baby will be a little older and enough for you to do a science course at a slower pace. I took A&P 2 when my 5th child was 6 months old. I skipped the spring semester after my child was born because I have 5 kids and know how you need to get as much rest as possible. You will only be 3 weeks postpartum, you will still be bleeding. Wait until the fall semester. Good luck.