I just found out I'm pregnant, but still have two years left in Nursing school - should I take a year off?

I have my prerequisites finished and am set to start the actual Nursing program and clinicals in two months. This will be my husband's and my first baby, and I'm already feeling very overwhelmed. I'm due in February, which is right at the beginning of my Spring semester of my junior year.

My mom is very worried and has been talking to me about taking a year off. I know I'm not the first to have a baby while in college, but most the ladies I know who have while in the nursing program are older and already had other children.

It's true that I can be a high-stress person. School is important to me and I work hard in my classes, so far I've had straight A's. However, I realize my baby needs to come first now and my grades will probably be second.

More than anything I'm worried that the stress of school, work, and life in general is going to be too much and have adverse effects on my baby's health.

Has anyone been through this? Moms - what do you think? Thank you!

I'm 23, husband is 24.

Both of us work on top of school.

It took us a while to figure out what we wanted to do, and I've done school off and on so much that now that I know what I want to do and I'm on track I REALLY want to just plow through and finish.

With most people that I know that had stop going to school and planned on going back, I would say that 89 percent did not go back and has regretted it for the rest of there lives. Talk it over with the person who you trust for advice and list the pro and the cons. But I would say if you are due in feb just take that semester off. Your hormone's will go, go WILD!!!! Then spend time with your baby enjoy, once the child hits school time the time flies by and they're grown. Besides you could do other things as well like take one or two classes, or take some classes in the summer. The get right back in there in the fall. The baby should be sleeping all night. Good luck. If you ever need someone to pounce on hey I'm here for you. quilter. email gbusse@fidnet.com

Finish as much as you can, while you can. Once the baby gets here, you are going to want a year off with him/her. Especially, if you are a first time parent. Lots of people never make it back to school.

I think you should take a year off at least.

You said you were a high stress person. Pregnancy is not the time for a high stress anything.

Stop talking to your mother, by the way. Last time I checked 23 was an adult. You have been responsible working, going to school, and married.

Talk to your husband. Figure out a way to make it work.

Congratulations!

I would keep going to school now, that way if you need to take time off after the baby, you would be that much farther along. Is that possible? I know the nursing programs Ive been researching are hard to get into. The stress will be fine, I know it's not good, but it shouldnt harm the baby. That was my plan, do as much school before the baby. I hope you figure out the best option!!! Good luck and congratulations!!!!!!!

I am also in college and will be a junior this fall. My son is 3 months old. Last semester, I did online classes and it wasn't too bad because I was pregnant but I know nursing classes are not online. I would try to do as much as you can now. If you can do the fall semester, then I would do it and maybe take the spring semester off. I would see how you feel by next summer and maybe you could start up again fall 2008.

Good Luck and congrats!

talk to the people in the nursing program, like advisors and things. i know that nursing is very competitive and where im from, most of the programs have long waiting lists and i would hate to see you lose your spot in the program. see if they can hold a spot for you the following year. also, nursing is a very stressful program,and your advisors may be able to give you advice on wether to take the year off or if you would be able to finish atleast the first semester w/o too many risks.

i completely understand how you feel, if i was ever in your situation i wouldnt know what to do because school is just asa important to me so i wish you the best of luck! and congrats!!

Let me just tell you my experience with all of this!

I was starting my second year of radiology school - and found out the first week back that I was 3 weeks pregnant. Of course I freaked, thinking it wasn't possible to get up every morning, go to school plus clinical rotations and work 2 jobs and keep up the house....

Well - I proved everyone wrong who worried about things. I worked both jobs, went to school EVERY DAY, as well as did EXTRA clinical rotations so that when I had the baby, I was able to take a month off and not have an issue.

I had to go back about 3 weeks after having my son (this was May of this year) and it was hard at first, but knowing that I graduate this July made it all worth while.

I was induced on a Tuesday afternoon - I was at school that Monday taking my physics final (which I got a 100%...)

So you see, it IS possible, it's just what you think you can do. My son turned out fine, and I just like to think that he gained so much knowledge during all those physics and pathology lectures that one day he'll grow up and cure some life threatening disease, haha.

See, you are lucky - you can still do all of the things you need to do (well, maybe with a weight restriction).. but I couldn't do ANY operating room rotations, or fluoro exams until I was in almost my 3rd trimester...

I think you should be fine! Congrats on the baby, congrats on nursing school... Show everyone you can do it - as well as yourself. It will be tough, but OH so rewarding at the end...

I am a mom of two and also get overwhelmed. You've got the basics out of the way and that's a huge part of it, but the clinicals will be stressful and if you're around sick people during your pregnancy you may be forced to miss school anyway. I'd say take this semester off. It's not only best for your baby, but it will most likely save your grades! You need to put all of yourself into your schooling if that's what you want for yourself and it wouldn't be fair to your child or your body to be focusing completely on school and overwhelming yourself. You're young and you can go back next semester or even next year. Like I said, you've got a lot of it done, so take a small break to have your little one and go back when you can devote all of yourself to school again. Aside from that, if you were doing clinicals and you got sick and something terrible happened, you'd never forgive yourself. Take care of your family first. The school will be there when you're done!
Congratulations and Good Luck!
P.S.- I would find out from your school or teacher what the provisions for the nursing clinicals are...you may not even be able to do clinicals pregnant due to health/safety issues. If you weren't allowed to attend during pregnancy, you would be able to skip this semester without having to feel bad or regret anything later on down the road. Talk to your husband about it and you'll surely come to an agreement on it all. Take care!

i was wondering about this too because i wanna get pregnant but im just starting my 10 months to be nursing school for LPN. i wanted to know if it was possible that i can get pregnant in the middle of that year so i can have the baby when im done and graduated. my fiance is 23 and im 21.
it is stressful. and i dont see the harm in taking a few months off. as long as you get yourself back on track.
congrates on the baby! :D

i would say 'no', dont take a year off, because you may not finish the program......go through as much as you can before you deliver, then go back after like 2 months or the next semester starts....that way u'll have time to bond with you're baby but your goal wont totally be on the back burner, or even totally wiped off of your goal list.........trust me, i got so distracted away from my educational goal went deciding to take off for just two semesters....

Nursing is tough. I had 2 kids and a husband. I ended up with a "Nursing School Divorce." It is hard enough without the complications of having a baby. Good luck honey. The best thing might be to approach your mom and say, "I am finally on track and I want to keep chucking away. Will you help me by keeping the baby while I study? Ect." I know some of the girls had babies and younger children and they were fine with it. Keep on trying, you will get there.

When you stop going to school for a year, you tend not to go back but I know some people who never stopped going to school. Totally up to you.