Was Anyone Pregnant During Nursing School??

Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN · Aug 13, 2008

I was--I took LPN boards on my due date with my first child. Fortunately I was able to get through that portion while still pregnant. I had no issues except sometimes I would get my clinical assignment shuffled around so my daughter was not exposed to something harmful.

Some people were pregnant in nursing school and went right back after the birth. Honestly, I had planned to do this when I had my daughter, but I hadn't anticipated how HARD that would be to separate myself from her when she was so little. I could have never imagined it....maybe if I had someone very close to me to care for my child while I was in school....

Anyway, if you have a C-section or a big tear or other complications, it may just delay your return to nursing school. I had none of these, so I can't tell your from first-hand experience how long it takes to recover from these things, but I imagine they would.

Again, though, lots of women have given birth and been right back in nursing school soon after and do just fine.

Good luck!

dyosabanana · Aug 13, 2008

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katmarieRN · Aug 13, 2008

I am pregnant now and start nursing school at the end of this month. I am due during my exam week in December. I've spoken to 3 of my professors and they seem supportive and indicated they'd work with me. I figure, God willing everything goes smoothly, that if I show that I am truly dedicated to the program they'll be more accomodating if I need it.

Feel free to PM me thru the semester if you have questions.

Good Luck!!!

calledtodo · Aug 13, 2008

I have a friend that is pregnant and due to deliver anytime and wants to start school right after giving birth. The only thing is you never know the outcome and can't really plan how the birth will go. I am sure you will be fine but try not to add any stress or pressure as far as giving birth and jumping right back into school. You can plan but just be flexible in the the end.

Sl1011 · Aug 13, 2008

I am pregnant now and start nursing school at the end of this month. I am due during my exam week in December. I've spoken to 3 of my professors and they seem supportive and indicated they'd work with me. I figure, God willing everything goes smoothly, that if I show that I am truly dedicated to the program they'll be more accomodating if I need it.
Feel free to PM me thru the semester if you have questions.
Good Luck!!!

Is this your first semester in nursing school? I hope to have some understanding professors as well... I really want this, but if I get pregnant I was just worried that the school would be completely inflexible with me.

katmarieRN · Aug 13, 2008

Is this your first semester in nursing school? I hope to have some understanding professors as well... I really want this, but if I get pregnant I was just worried that the school would be completely inflexible with me.

Yes, first semester. I'm in an accelerated program. I have PCOS so when I found out-- I was already 3 months pregnant. But I had already accepted their admission offer. The pregnancy is very much a blessing, and so is my acceptance into this program. I guess God feels I can tackle both -- Fortunately, He's also given me the stubborness to go for it

I've been proactive about communicating with my professors about my pregnancy. I think they appreciate it actually. The fact that I'm due during my exam week, actually works out well. I can get through the bulk of my classes, and have winter break with my newborn before sending him off to daycare in the Spring.

MIcrunchyRN · Aug 13, 2008

I was.. twice!!! (ROFL don't ask me what I was thinking!)

Actually it wasn't that bad aside from the fatigue and trying to hide pregnancy in the early weeks while combating nausea etc.

I was pregnant with my daughter. Finished thru my LPN and took 1 semester off. Restarted back up and my last semester I was pregnant again and graduate 16 weeks pregnant. It wasn't a problem at all.

I was hired at 22weeks pregnant but didnt get tofinish my orientation due to bedrest. They held my job until after I had him. I just went back at 10 weeks postpartum and am restarting my orientation all over again.

You can do it! To me my kids were always far more important than a career, but I knew I wouldn't ever stop going to school because of me having kids. You have to be prepared for lots of sleepless nights. Pray you get understanding instructors. (My one instructor let me redo an assignment because it was so bad... his reasoning was all the oxygen was going to baby and not me so being xygend deprived I could benedfit from being allowed to redo one care plan). And boy that careplan was a mess!

You can do it... just need to make sure its what you really want.

Penguin67 · Aug 13, 2008

First, I am excited for you as you plan your family! It is an exciting time! That said, I must give the nursing education perspective. Nursing school is not only mentally demanding, but also physically demanding. We expect the same work out of you if you are pregnant or not. Calling in sick for clinicals earns a make up day. More than two makeup days will result in us talking about whether you should continue in the course (ie is your helath more important than school?) I also teach women's health (OB, mother baby etc..), and really encourage students to wait until after they pass NCLEX to try for the first or subsequent babies. It is very hard to predict the course of any pregnancy, and you could have a smooth uncomplicated pregnancy (which is what I certainly wish for everyone), but the reality is that there are many complications and no one can accurately predict these. I've had several students who had babies during school and they either dropped the course, got a lower than expected grade that semester, or simply did the mimimum to get by. Some later struggled on boards. It is hard to study appropriately and take care of a newborn. It is not impossible, but if you have a choice, please delay childbirth until after NCLEX. You will then have a solid foundation for your career, a license and plenty of time to take for a paid maternity leave.

Just my two cents here. Good luck to you!

midgetredhead · Aug 13, 2008

I was pregnant during my pre-req classes and was due during final exams. Luckily she came early and I was able to go back and take my exams on time. My professors were all supportive and was going to allow me to make up the exams if I had to miss them. So I think that if you talk with your professors all should work out ok.

Also me and my husband have been thinking about having another baby (we have two kids already) and I just got accepted to the nursing program, but I'm not going to let anything stop me from having another baby or doing good in the program.

Scrubmouse RN · Aug 13, 2008

I'm also actively ttc and am planning on starting nursing school in the spring. I figured that if I wasn't going to ns I would be working and still be pregnant. Either I work and be pregnant or be in school and be pregnant. It's not like I was going to quit work if I became pregnant. Good luck! :)

6xblessd · Aug 13, 2008

I delivered my fifth baby in the middle of my 2nd semester of clinicals. Had her on March 31 and was back in class a week later. Skipped two clinicals (the max you could miss and not get booted) the week after I had her. Long and short is that I was back in clinicals (8hr evenings plus 1hr drive each way) when she was 12 days old. I had a very dear aunt come up and help out for two weeks, and my husband was able to take the baby to school with him (teaches at a private school---he just wore her in a baby bjorn, and she slept while he taught!) when I was in clinicals once my aunt had gone home. I took her to a few lectures (totally against the rules, but neither my classmates nor my professors minded for the first few weeks; she just slept or nursed anyway!), but otherwise managed to work things so that either my husband or my aunt had her while I was not there. Totally breastfed during this time, dragged my breastpump to clinicals and lectures; everyone was very supportive of it. The school year ended when she was six weeks old, and then it was summer break.

It was very doable for me, and I made As in nursing school. HOWEVER, I can't deny it was stressful and exacerbated a chronic illness (Crohn's); I spent a week in the hospital later that summer due to it. I don't know if I would have still been that sick without nursing school; I do think the pregnancy/postpartum had a lot to do with getting sick, too. (I did make it back to school for the 2nd year and graduated the following May, BTW)

Even with illness and such, I am so glad I did it the way I did it. Getting my nursing degree was the best thing I ever did (besides marrying my husband and having my kids, of course!) and was worth every minute of the blood, sweat, and tears to get it. And the precious baby girl didn't suffer for any of it; she's quite a happy, well-balanced 7 year old now!

Good luck whatever you decide. Just keep in mind that there are no guarantees you will be able to complete a semester----you could end up on bedrest, etc, etc. It's a gamble! For my next pregnancy (6th and final child!!) three years later, I ended up on bedrest the last few weeks. If I had been in nursing school for THAT pregnancy, I would have had to withdraw and start again the next year.

Lauren