Have any of you ladies here had to return to both work and school after maternity leave?

Gingermom15 · July 2015

I am in nursing school and have chosen to take the semester off, as baby is due during finals. When the next semester kicks off it will also be time to return to work and I already know I won't want to leave him because I will have work and/or school 7 days a week. I know it will be worth it in the end, but it's getting harder to convince myself to leave him all the time. I keep telling myself that we both have well-paying jobs already so providing isn't an issue. Maybe I'm trying to talk myself out of going back for a bit. Lol
If anyone here has had to do this, was it worth it or did you wait? Which worked out for you?

Katalyst16 · July 2015

I don't have any experience with this but I'm about to. I'm also in nursing school but have chosen not to take the semester off. They are willing to work with me and let me make up finals if peanut comes before then. I constantly am waffling about whether or not I'm making the right decision. If he doesn't come on time, which would be right near break, I may have to go back for a few days to finish with my newborn baby and husband at home without me. Ultimately I know continuing the program is the best decision for me, but it's still pretty hard. We've found a great daycare program he'll go to once he's old enough too, but I know it'll be ridiculously hard to leave him there. I can't tell you what it's like as I'll be going through it at the same time as you, just wanted to wish you luck and let you know there are other people in the same situation

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VixDecember2015 · July 2015

I went back to work after my first one was born. And I was working long days in the beginning, too. It was HARD, but I didn't have a choice because we live in an area where you really can't raise a family on a single salary. But I told myself that I just had to make the time I spent with my daughter really count. I also thought it would be important for her to grow up knowing that she had a strong mother who could handle both a job and a family. I didn't want her to grow up thinking that a woman needs to throw away her career in order to accomplish the other dream of having a family.

taysun · July 2015

Have you considered doing the semester anyway? Many professors will be accommodating and work with you as far as finals go, like taking them early.

Gingermom15 · July 2015

If I decided to wait for school until the baby is a few months older, I wouldn't see it as throwing my career away. I'm returning to work regardless.
I have spoken to the university and my adviser about making up exams and they all but suggested taking a year leave of absence or quitting my job. Quitting my job is not an option.

ETA I realize that my reply could sound rude. It totally wasn't meant to. I think it's great that you were able to finish school with work and a baby.

laurabwalker · July 2015

When I was in nursing school there we're a couple women that had babies, both of them took the semester off directly after having their babies. I really think it depends how the nursing program is set up, how stressful that semester will be? How much sleep do you need to feel efficient? Do you have clinicals and have to start at 6am? It's a hard call!

Gingermom15 · July 2015

It's frustrating to hear the other peoples schools work well with them and mine didn't give me any options for having him during the semester besides a leave. It's a strict program, so maybe that's why? 6a clinicals aren't an issue for me, I already get up at 4 for work. I've also considered getting my LPN because it is evening/weekend and using the credits I have already to bridge over. The BSN and ADN are both only offered full time, which is a very recent change. We planned on me working full time and doing school part time when we decided to have a baby, but the course changing its program kind of messed up all that.

taysun · July 2015

If you think full time is too much, I would consider LPN for the time being and then bridging over. That was going to be my plan before pregnancy so I could still work full time.

Gingermom15 · July 2015

@taysun you're probably right. And after hearing some people say how well their schools worked with them, I just may switch schools when it comes time to bridge over. I'm sure I can find a better option.

taysun · July 2015

sarahgn said:
@taysun you're probably right. And after hearing some people say how well their schools worked with them, I just may switch schools when it comes time to bridge over. I'm sure I can find a better option.

I would definitely look into your options, maybe even for as soon as next semester. Some schools will be accepting of babies in class or have daycare. Those options might make a full time program more feasible for you right away.

violetigerlily · July 2015

I'm not in nursing school but am in an epidemiology PhD program with full time coursework. I'm actually due right after Thanksgiving and could go in Nov or early Dec. I decided to stay in courses in the fall as I'd hopefully only miss a week or two and finals which should be manageable enough not to give up the whole semester. I'm actually taking the spring semester off instead so that I can have time with my baby instead of when I'm pregnant. Maybe that could be an option for you if the school will work with you to finish that last week or two of classes post partum? Essentially I might need to come back soon after to finish classes and take finals (although they're obligated to give the same accommodations to delay the exam as someone who has a medical issue like a car accident injury or illness so it doesn't need to be RIGHT away). It's probably more helpful if you have a spouse or family member that can take time off to take care of the baby for those days when you need to finish up. I am fortunate that if I go early most of my classes are recorded so I would be able to try to keep up at home but hopefully it won't come to that. I obviously haven't been through it yet, but if you're considering switching your whole program maybe it's worth seeing if switching the semesters you're taking off is a viable option. I'd much rather be pregnant in class and only have to go back for a week or two that suck to finish than managing a newborn for a whole semester of taking class. I handle exam pressure particularly well though (and accepted that my grades will probably take a hit for those finals) and everyone is different.

Regardless of what you choose to do, good luck and know it will be worth it in the end!

rockinmathchic · July 2015

Your scenario sounds exactly like mine during my first pregnancy. I kept going to school and work through the summer and took off the fall semester because my son was due in Nov. He ended up coming in Sep after some complications, but I went back to work (full-time) after the new year and to school (at nights) for my last semester a couple weeks after that. I'm not going to lie, it was really hard, but it was worth it to get school out of the way. It helps that I had a really good support system and really only had to be away from DS two nights a week at most. I look back on it and all the blood, sweat, and tears that I went through were all totally worth it and only a small blip in my memory.

Get it girl!! You can do it!

violetigerlily · July 2015

Side note: I found that I got some push back from the administration too (saying to either take no time or take a year), but when I stood my ground, explained what accommodations I wanted (helpful to know the school's official policy on this ahead of time--advisers often don't know it well and go for the easiest ways out) and what my plan was for getting the work done they were a lot easier to work with. It may or may not work for you, but if you have a plan that you think could work, it's good to try until you get an absolute no or really good reasons why your plan wouldn't work.

Knottie67744546 · July 2015

I feel you guys pain ...ive never not worked or went to school so its going to be hard to give up that and my independency. My DH looked at me crazy when i wanted to look for child care after maternity leave was over. Im just so afraid to have to lean on hubby financially. I've always had my own money. I am due dec.6th and decided to stay in school part time. My teachers were very accommodating and sent me the syllabus in advance so I can start on the work in the summer. So grateful for that. I dont feel the attachment to staying with my baby just yet but maybe because this is my first and i am underestimating how much LO will need me but im freaking out more about not having money in my account to do whatever i need to do for baby. :-(. Hubby is not feeling it. He makes enough for us to get by but its still not enough for me. Maybe im just trippin. We had a huge argument on what we should do.

Gingermom15 · July 2015

I'm thinking doing my LPN at the vocational school around the block from my house might be for the best. Then when I'm done with that, baby will be a little over a year old. I won't feel as guilty about going back to bridge over. I will be home more for him that way. I would much prefer to stick it out and get the RN done, but my boyfriend may be getting deployed in March, so he would be with my mom or sister 7 days a week. I would hate to have both his parents be absent for his first year of life, hat would kill me to think someone else is raising my child.
The RN nursing courses do not give much wiggle room for make ups. One of the professors last semester had a student have to make up two exams (for medical reasons) and she spoke with the administration to have her put on academic probation. The advisers are a pain to deal with as well. I may even go to a different university to bridge over because the credits transfer to most other schools in the state.
Thanks for all the advice! I really appreciate all of it

Gingermom15 · July 2015

Either way, I am definitely not leaving school completely. I have too much done to stop now and I could never see myself doing anything other than healthcare.

BCIndychick · July 2015

I say nursing school is hard enough without a baby, but I have seen other classmates in the past have their baby on the weekend and return to class on Monday. I don't know how they did it. If your school is like mine was and taking a semester off means waiting an entire year to take those classes again then go back!!! If not then taking some time to spend with your baby and allowing yourself to heal sounds like a good idea. Good luck whatever you choose.

Gingermom15 · July 2015

BCIndychick said:
I say nursing school is hard enough without a baby, but I have seen other classmates in the past have their baby on the weekend and return to class on Monday. I don't know how they did it. If your school is like mine was and taking a semester off means waiting an entire year to take those classes again then go back!!! If not then taking some time to spend with your baby and allowing yourself to heal sounds like a good idea. Good luck whatever you choose.

My university is super strict about leave. If j don't take classes in the spring semester, I have to wait until fall to enroll which would put me taking spring 2017 classes. I would have to re-enroll in the university again (which is a pain), retake the hesi and compass, write another entrance essay and be put on a waiting list. The program is very competitive to get into and I wouldn't have any leverage over anyone else on the waiting list. That's what I'm having trouble deciding, if all that is worth waiting to possibly not get in during that enrollment period or should I cut my losses and take my credits somewhere else? By the sound of other users experiences, my university isn't very child-friendly. It's a great school and nurses get hired upon graduation from there but it's starting to seem less and less worthwhile.

mltarrio · July 2015

I am in a similar situation. I will be having this baby during the 5th year of my PhD in Pathobiology. I have completed my coursework, but my workload is heavy, with 60+ hours in the lab every week. I can take 8 weeks of leave to have the baby, then back to the grind. I am concerned about not being home enough with my new baby, and if I will even want to finish my PhD by the time this happens, not to mention practical details like how I will find time during a 12 hour experiment to pump several times.

I try to remind myself how hard I have worked for this already, and what a good example I will be setting for my kid. I also picture her at my graduation and that helps me want to push through it.

ketobaby · July 2015

Keep pushing for your dreams and education. You will be glad you did. Now you'll have extra motivation (your little one).

ChiccoBeanz · July 2015

Have any of you ladies here had to return to both work and school after maternity leave?

Re: Have any of you ladies here had to return to both work and school after maternity leave?

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