Teachers!

kaylamarie16

My husband and I just got married on June 29th, this summer. We are in our early twenties, I will be 23 at the beginning of August. We have been together for 8 years, given the ups and downs we experienced in our teen years. We both want to be parents more than anything and I don't know anyone who has had baby fever as long as I have had it. I swear I had baby fever as a child and my family would back that up. I have wanted to be a mommy since I was a child myself. It's all I've thought about so I know I am mentally and physically ready to be a mom. My husband is very ready to be a daddy, we are just getting the financial stuff sorted out now after our wedding. But I am in my last year of school plus student teaching as I am going for my Elementary Education degree with a reading and Kindergarten concentration. However, my question is, would you say being pregnant during student teaching or being pregnant during your first year teaching, is the better route to go? I student teach Fall 2014. My husband and I would like to start trying before next summer. But I just am worried how being pregnant possibly, of course who knows how soon I would become pregnant and student teaching. Only because I want to do my best but I have confidence I can do well, granted my pregnancy is steady. I have supra ventricular tachycardia and my obgyn and my cardiologist have told me I would have to wean myself off of my beta blocker medication before getting pregnant I am very nervous to do this but I will do what I need for my baby. I guess I am just looking for some opinions from teachers. I know that if someone thinks to deeply into when to conceive, no time will ever seem "perfect", because life happens. Thanks!!

dragonfly711

Hard call to make. I could see being pregnant during student teaching might not be to big of a deal except you will be tired big time so it might be stressful.

Also where do you live? I am in NY and teaching is a career change for me I have been looking for a job since 2006. I am elementary, special needs and literacy. No one will higher without experience with that being pregnant going on interviews and a brand new teacher might not be the best way to go.

Tough spot but hard to say depending on where you live. In NY teachers with years of experience are having a hard time finding jobs.

Hope this helps. I am at a private school as an assistant teacher gaining experience.

ks3pink

I would not have wanted to be pregnant during student teaching. I would want to secure a job first. I had my boys the beginning of my second year and being pregnant that first year was tough. I want too worried about my job because I teach high school math but elementary teachers are plentiful so I would be very careful. GL in what ever decision you make.

CMDR513

It will be hard either way. You never know what will happen (when you get pregnant). What happens if you have morning sickness, etc. If I were you, I would complete student teaching and then begin trying to conceive. If you end up being pregnant right away, you can always go the substitute teaching route. With DS, I got pregnant (1st cycle) during my Masters program. I only had 12 weeks left. It wasn't bad. We have been TTC #2 for over a year now. 

MrsWiseone

I'm a teacher as well. we just started ttc in June. During my 2WW, I was reading up on my new school benefits and they dont allow maternity until you have been there for one year. When AF started i was sad but relieved.

I would recommend you wait until you have a job secured. I was like you always wanting to be a mom. My brother was convinced i would pop out a kid within a year of our wedding when i was 24, but my dh convinced me to wait 3years. The time has gone by very quickly and we are definitely in a much better situation both financially and living arrangements.

Best of luck in whatever you decide!

rayschicky

I just finished my ten weeks of student teaching about two months ago and there's no way I would have been able to do it while pregnant. I was exhausted from teaching all week and then having to work after school and then stay up till the wee hrs lesson planning and marking after that. Unless its different where you live, it's unlikely that you'll get a job off the bat, so it may be easier to be pregnant as a sub where you're not bringing your work home with you every day instead.

ErikaLynn75

Student teaching will be an incredibly stressful experience requiring long hours and hard work. And it's nothing compared to your first year teaching. Teaching really doesn't get easy until about year 4. I understand your desire to be a mom, but if you want my honest advice I would wait until at least the spring of your first year teaching to TTC. That way you'll be well into year 2 when you deliver.

rainbowmkr1979

I would say wait till you get a job. I'm a teacher as well and like one of the other members said you'll most likely be very tired and stressed during your student teaching year and most likely your 1st "real" year as well. And depending on your state and district you may not get leave until after at least a year or two of being there. We don't get maternity leave in my district but can get 20 days of paid leave if we've been there a year. You'd have to check. Either way if I were in your shoes I'd wait, even though its so hard...

Good luck! 

EB0625

I'm a teacher, and can't imagine having a.baby during student teaching or my first year......I'm starting year five and just now am thinking that I have the brain capacity to be a mom. Of course, I'm one of those that gets stressed out really easily. You know yourself better than anyone on thus board does. You do what's right for you! :

julieandjojo

Hello! I am a teacher too. I was doing special ed high school for 3 years and this year will be switching to elementary special ed grades 4-5. I can empathize with you w/the baby fever, I have also had it since a child. I know exactly what you mean! However, and I know you don't want to hear this, I think you should wait. Wait to see if you get a job, and if you do, wait one year on that job, and then TTC, You guys are young and have plenty of time. I wanted to have like 2 kids by now (I'm 28) but by making myself wait, I am now finally in a financial and career place where it makes sense for me to get pregnant. If I was pregnant or had a newborn my first year of teaching, I don't think I would have made it. Teaching is so much more work than it seems, so much more planning. Plus with the Common Core and everything, if you get pregs before you get a job and take 6 mos - 1 year off, by the time you are ready to jump in the workforce there will be new graduates with more up to date knowledge and skills than you, unfortunately. BTW I also would not advise being pregnant student teaching or afterwards while seeking a job.

 Bottom line, if you want to teach for a year, then have a baby and never return to work, it wouldn't so bad if you were to get pregnant the first year. However, since you invested all that time and money into your degree, I suggest you make a career of it. Which pretty much means you have to wait IMO, which sucks!!! But, waiting until my career was settled is the best thing I think I have done for my future baby. 

ccollins06

Hard question, just wanted to give you another perspective. I Agee with PPs who say they could not have done student teaching or year 1 while pregnant. It.is.so.much.work.

For that reason we decided to wait until I had secured a full time job before TTC. That first year we weren't actively ttc, but we didn't TTA either. When it didn't happen in that time frame and my cycles were realllllly long off BC, I knew something was up.

Now it's been 2 years of actively TTC and still no baby. I tell you all this not to scare you, because looking back I don't think I would have done things differently. I am glad that I got a few solid years experience and don't feel it's been time wasted. I am elementary too and it is VERY competitive in my area. We're talking an average of 500 applicants per posting.

I just wanted to remind you that we are not as on control as we like to think. I wouldn't start trying until you are truly ready financially and career wise because it could happen cycle 1. In the same breath, it can take a healthy couple up to a year to conceive, so don't get too hung up on time tables. Heck, I thought I would be able to time my delivery so that I wouldn't have to take so much time off and could roll my leave into summer. Bahahahahahah!

My point: in a nutshell, be realistic about what you want to accomplish in life and career before baby, but also be flexible!

GL!

sourapplemartini

I went into my Elem Ed Masters program when DD was 6 months old. Got pregnant when she was 18m old, right at the beginning of my year long student teaching assignment. Finished my assignment 3 weeks before DS1 was born. Took a year off, wasn't able to find a job. Did a few LT sub positions, started on a second Masters in '10. Got a job in August of '11 for a one year position. Got pregnant in November. Took a year off, finished my second Masters and am looking for FT work. The positions here are getting 200-300 applicants each and I am still looking. I am a veteran and I wonder if that has contributed to the number of interviews I've had more than my education and experience.

Would I do anything different? I wonder sometimes if I made a "mistake" not waiting until I was done student teaching and into a job before having DS1. It depends on the job market in your area. If they're scrambling for teachers then it's a different story. But if you're in a MEd program, chances are you're near a university and that's not the case.

Having been pregnant during student teaching and my first year of my classroom I will say it's really freaking hard. I used to leave work, go home and sleep for an hour before picking up the kids just to make it through the evening. I feel like near the end of the school year (DS2 was born in July) I wasn't able to give me 100% to my kids because I was just exhausted. My teacher prep program also required a portfolio to "pass" the student teacher seminar, and trying to make coherent, professional thoughts while dealing with baby brain and exhaustion.  

That being said, you're also just 23. The advice might be different for someone coming from another career in their 30s or something.

kaylamarie16

Thank you everyone! I am glad to read all these posts from people who are or was in similar situations as I am.

I was 19 and became pregnant and I would have been about 20 when my baby was born but I miscarried and I've been holding off for this many years already so I just feel like it's so hard! But, some of you mentioned that :.

My husband has a secure and highpaying job. We live in North Dakota. Our state is growing, especially where we live. The oil is booming. He helps me so I can take full credits each semester and I am close to being finished.

I suppose waiting even longer and more years would be the best thing but my mom also has the heart condition I have and she had my siblings and I quickly, 4 kids in 5 years. But when she had my brother at 29 her heart was giving lots of complications during labor and although she wanted another her doctor said it wouldn't be smart. So I feel like I may have this worry I will be the same and I want a larger family but would be grateful for whatever I am blessed with.

Thanks everyone for all the kind and helpful replies!! It's nice to have someone to talk to considering none of my friends have careers etc and none have lost a baby before either. They all have kids too, though.

KdgTeacher

My first year of teaching I taught kindergarten.  I'm always beyond exhausted at the beginning of the school year, but teaching kindergarten is whole different level of exhaustion.  I can not imagine adding 1st tri exhaustion on top of that. 

I'd wait until I was at least into my second year of teaching; but that's me.  Good luck!

MissHSoonToBeMrsS

I don't think the student teaching would be horrible being pregnant.  However, as PP have said, your first year of teaching is EXHAUSTING.  I was usually at school by 7:00 a.m. and sometimes didn't leave until after dark.  There is also a lot of work that you will need to do at home such as lesson planning, grading, etc... It's obviously rewarding, but busy.  It should settle down in a couple of years.

I also agree with PP about trying to find a job while pregnant. It may be a bit more difficult if they know you will already need time off when you first start your job.