I did not make it into the ADN program for next year and I am waiting to be admitted to my nursing program in fall 2006..I have completed all my pre-requisite courses and I have locked in my admission.
My husband have been married 3 years and were planning to wait until I finished nursing school to have our first child, but now with this entire next year free...I am having conflicting thoughts about which would be better...getting pregnant now while i'm waiting and having a few months to adjust before I go back to school...or waiting another agonizing 3 years to start our family. If I wait i'm wondering if it might be harder to go through a first pregnancy and adjust to a new baby when i'm just starting my career? I'm just afraid of struggling, I know that school will be demanding..and I don't want to miss out on those precious moments, but is it doable..and is this a choice someone should knowingly make? Please help
I've considered doing the LPN thing first and then doing an LPN to RN when the baby is about a year old, but am not sure if this is a good idea or not. Does anyone have any opinions?
This thought crossed my mind, but at my school the LPN program is about 1 1/2yrs and ADN is about 2 or a little longer. I think that taking the transition courses from LPN to ADN is about a year, but I may be wrong. So if I did LPN first and then ADN I would be able to work earlier, however it would only be extending my schooling even longer and then I would be working, going to school, AND caring for the baby. I decided I'd rather just do all the schooling in one shot to get to my final destination (ADN) faster. However, in the future, way down the road, I hope to possibly be working as an RN and go back to school for the BSN when the baby is much older and many hospitals will pay for you to go back for the BSN. Hope this helps! Good luck!
Kbclary4: My husband turns 41 tomorrow. He has two children (13 and 15) by a previous marriage. He is having a vasectomy reversal next Friday and we are planning to try for children immediately, even though I'm in school.
We thought alot about the decision, because as you said he wants to be able to enjoy them, and also enjoy retirement time one day. Ultimately we decided that we really want children together. One thing that encouraged me is that my father (mid fifties), his father (mid sixties), both said that they wish they would have had more children, and to go for it, he won't be too old to enjoy them. Maybe they'll help keep him young!
Currentstudent: My best friend struggled with similar issues for five years before finally adopting a baby. She and her husband are in the process to get a baby from China, they will be getting their match within a month or two and travelling about 6 weeks later. I've never seen her so excited or happy. I know the entire time was very hard for her, and that it's something not many people understand. I'll be praying for you. I hope the next step works for you--but if it doesn't, I'm sure that like my friend there's a baby out there just for you.
~I'm afraid that the baby would be short changed..my mind would be somewhere else.
I started my prerequisites when my daughter was 3 weeks old. I am starting nursing school in three weeks (three weeks after she turned 2yrs). I too was afraid my daughter would be shortchanged since not only am I in school but I have to work fulltime and wouldnt be able to spend that amount of time I felt I should with her. After having many people repeat the same thing to me, I have come to realize that my daughter most likely will not remember that the summer before she turned two "mommy left for work at 7a and didnt return home until after she was asleep at 930p four days a week for 10 weeks". I also learned its not the quantity of time you spend with your child its the quality. And yes it is hard not to spend the amount of time you would like with your child. In order to stop feeling guilty I convinced myself that Im doing this to benefit her future, which she will remember more than the first 4 yrs of her life. I was there for the first steps, first words, first everything.
While taking A&PII, I was studying for a test and she wanted attention so I taught her how to say hemoglobin :chuckle It will be well worth it in the end. Good luck with whatever you choose. :)
It was great to see your posts, and know that I'm not alone in this situation. I'm starting an accelerated BSN program in August, I will graduate in December of 06. I also have a previous degree so I've only had to take 2 semesters of prerequisites. We want to have children (my husband has 2 already from a previous marriage, and he'll have to have a vasectomy reversal--very soon--for us to have children). Originally I was going to wait until I was out of school to try to get pregnant, but now I am going to stop taking BCP and just see what happens. I have agonized over this decision, but for medical reasons if I wait I may wait too long.
I've decided that God will guide us to the right time, and that nothing, not even school, is more important than my family. I'm very nervous about how it will all work out, but then, even if I was out of school I would be settling in at a job, or doing something else. There's never enough time or money to have a baby unless you just go for it, and make it your priority.
Still, though, I'm very anxious about putting this all togethor. Also, I know that I may have to take time off or rearrange my clinicals to avoiding exposing the baby to anything. Is there anyone out there who did go through nursing school pregnant?
WOW! I was so glad to read all of the comments on this topic. I too am about to begin my first semester in an accelerated program. I am also trying to decide when to start my family. My husband and I have been married for almost four years and time is ticking. I am afraid to wait too long to have our first child but I am also afraid of compromising my education. What to do? Reading all of the replies has helped and I am beginnig to feel as though a family should come first and I think I can handle them both. So, thanks for all the helpful info.
I can't believe that so many people are in the same boat as I am! It is so comforting to know that others are feeling the same way!
I just got married on the 25th of June---I am done with pre-reqs, but waiting for the program. I live in south Florida, and we have severe waiting lists for RN programs- I have been waiting for 2 years!!!!!!!! I am getting in, in January- finally. I have taken so many excess classes to fill up my time while waiting! Anyways, I had been dating my husband for 5 years before our marriage. I am 24 and he is 28- He is REALLY ready for a child, and I think I am too- except for the school thing...It seems like it is taking forEVER and a day to complete this program. Although we are financially secure to support ourselves at this time- We both work and we finally paid off some debt, I worry that if we have a child it will stress things...besides me being in school. I am a trooper when it comes to stress, however, its scary to be that way while pregnant.
I never thought of planning the pregnancy toward the psychiatric portion of clinicals---I didnt know that! It sounds like a good idea!
Ahhhh it is so confusing to plan a new family around school..
I am also having an issue with making this decision. I'm 25 and have been married for four years, my husband is 26. We tried on our own to get pregnant and couldn't, now I have an appointment with a fertility specialist next week. The problem is my program would start Aug of next year and my husband won't be here. He's being deployed over-seas for a year(in December). So, if I go ahead and get pregnant now I'll be finishing up pre-reqs and starting nursing alone with the baby. But, if I wait I don't know when I'll be able to get pregnant with him getting deployed all the time. Plus what if there's something wrong and the fertility specialist says we need to act now
I'm 36 and have a 7 1/2 yo boy. We've been trying to have another for over 5 years now (long sad story). The reason for my infertility isn't related to my age, however I have many friends who I've met through infertility support groups who are much, much younger than I who, for different medical reasons, are unable to have children of their own. It's really difficult to see them in their struggles and nearly every one of them talk about how they thought all they had to do was stop birth control pills and it would happen.
MY BIL and SIL are going through this now. She was finishing up college, starting a new job and training to run a half-marathon (all had been her goals for a long time) and she said well, we won't TTC (try to conceive) until after I'm done with all that, gotta finish school, etc. So she waitied and now after almost 2 years of trying..... they've had 1 early miscarriage and no other pregnancies they are going to a fertility clinic for treatment (which isn't covered by either of their insurance plans).
I know I'm rambling and I apologize. And I've been in your shoes before in trying to decide when it was the right time to start a family. It's not an easy decision no matter how young or old you are. If you know in your heart and soul that you want to have children of your own then you may consider having a simple blood test done to determine if your ovaries are functioning as they should given whatever your age is. (day 3 FSH test)
I boiled the issues down to best handle them myself:
1) work + baby = school + baby
2) work + school + baby = overload and probable disaster.
Dh and I are going to do IVF next month (in vitro fertilization) and hopefully we will get pg and have 1 (or 2 :) ) babies next June. I'm committed to finish school and become a nurse but my committment to complete our family and provide siblings for my son comes ahead of that.
Just a different perspective. I wish all of you the best in making your decisions.
Karen, I love the way you broke down your equation.
For me it would be School + Baby - Husband. LOL
If we got pg now he'd be back when the baby is around nine months. But, on the other hand I would have the baby during the three month break before nursing school and he would (hopefully) be able to be here for the birth.
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
No matter what choice you make (or is made for you, in the way of those "surprise" blessings that have been known to happen), it will be doable. There have been other threads devoted to this topic, and I think on all of them, every situation has been represented by someone who has managed. As far as what would be ideal for you? Keep in mind that you'll be away for fewer actual hours during nursing school than you will once you start your career. This doesn't necessarily mean it will be easier, of course, because it will be very hard to do the amount of studying you'll need to do and attend to a newborn. OTOH, if you choose to wait till you've graduated, you will be out of the house more hours, but when you're home, your time will be your family's. It's all a matter of personal preference.
Dh and I are going to do IVF next month (in vitro fertilization) and hopefully we will get pg and have 1 (or 2 :) ) babies next June. I'm committed to finish school and become a nurse but my committment to complete our family and provide siblings for my son comes ahead of that.
Karen
Karen, do you chart on FF? I just started over there and you name sounds familiar...
I started my prerequisites when my daughter was 3 weeks old. I am starting nursing school in three weeks (three weeks after she turned 2yrs). I too was afraid my daughter would be shortchanged since not only am I in school but I have to work fulltime and wouldnt be able to spend that amount of time I felt I should with her. After having many people repeat the same thing to me, I have come to realize that my daughter most likely will not remember that the summer before she turned two "mommy left for work at 7a and didnt return home until after she was asleep at 930p four days a week for 10 weeks". I also learned its not the quantity of time you spend with your child its the quality. And yes it is hard not to spend the amount of time you would like with your child. In order to stop feeling guilty I convinced myself that Im doing this to benefit her future, which she will remember more than the first 4 yrs of her life. I was there for the first steps, first words, first everything.
While taking A&PII, I was studying for a test and she wanted attention so I taught her how to say hemoglobin :chuckle It will be well worth it in the end. Good luck with whatever you choose. :)
I can so feel everything you are talking about. I started school when my daughter was 9 months and had to work full time to put the food on the table. My daughter is almost 3 and I am still in school and still working full time. I hate to do this to her, but I know it will be worthed. After I graduate as a RN(in 2007) I will not have to work some minimum wage jobs. The worst part is that I feel guilty every day for not staying at home with her. It is not my dream to be away from home. But I do whatever it takes to make a better future for my daughter. :heartbeat
elainebenes
25 Posts
I've considered doing the LPN thing first and then doing an LPN to RN when the baby is about a year old, but am not sure if this is a good idea or not. Does anyone have any opinions?
This thought crossed my mind, but at my school the LPN program is about 1 1/2yrs and ADN is about 2 or a little longer. I think that taking the transition courses from LPN to ADN is about a year, but I may be wrong. So if I did LPN first and then ADN I would be able to work earlier, however it would only be extending my schooling even longer and then I would be working, going to school, AND caring for the baby. I decided I'd rather just do all the schooling in one shot to get to my final destination (ADN) faster. However, in the future, way down the road, I hope to possibly be working as an RN and go back to school for the BSN when the baby is much older and many hospitals will pay for you to go back for the BSN. Hope this helps! Good luck!