juggling preg. & children in vet school

[246202]

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I was curious if someone who has been in vet school pregnant and/or with child(ren) could share how their typical days were/are while in vet school.

What are some of the time managment techiques that were used? Any woes or things you did not consider? Any advice you could share would be greatly appreciated. I am really trying to grasp the feasibility of the concept based on feedback from those with the actual experience.

I really do not want this to become a thread about if one should become pregnant in school and the varying opinions on the matter. That thread has been previosuly established.

Thanks!

 

[Jochebed]

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[critterfixer]

I have teenagers, so I thought it would not be an issue, but I was wrong. Sometimes I spend a great amount of time away from home to stay at school and study, and my girls do feel the effects. There are times I have to put aside my studies to just be mom, and so you have to be willing to sacrifice an A for a B if that's what it takes to meet your children's needs. I have missed out on a lot of the social activities with my classmates because I have other responsibilities, so you have to be ok with that, too.

That said, having a partner in parenting makes things a whole lot easier. My first semester was EXTREMELY difficult on all of us, emotionally speaking, because my husband had not yet relocated. Now that he is here, and works from home, he is able to take on a lot of the parenting, and my grades and mental health status have gone up dramatically.

My classmate has a 4-year-old, and she is a single parent. If her son is sick, she has to miss class. She really does not have another option. She is likely going to send him to live with his grandparents in another state when we do our clinical year, because the hours we are expected to keep will not be compatible with single-parenting.

My pregnancies were long ago, and I know some people have gone to vet school and gotten pregnant. But I can't imagine it, because pregnancy made me soooooo tired. I also suffered horrible morning sickness for a full five months that was really All Day Sickness. I puked constantly. So for me, pregnancy and vet school would have been next to impossible, but I know it can be done. I think it would be hard if you are one who gets sick during pregnancy and if you can't find a way to get enough rest. But some women sail through pregnancy feeling great, so I guess it is impossible to say. The biggest factor would definitely be the fatigue.

Also, if you plan to breastfeed, you would need to get permission to bring the baby to school with you, because it is very difficult to pump enough milk to feed your baby in your absence and your boobs get incredibly sore if you can't nurse regularly. Just something to think about. The other alternative would be to ask for a designated area to sit and pump, but frankly it takes a lot longer than just nursing the baby would have taken.

 

[Starwrecker]

I have a 5 year old and I agree with a lot of what critterfixer said. Sometimes I have to be away from home to get anything done. I'm currently trying to get my study room finished at home so I can lock myself in there to study, but still be home. I also give up a lot of study time just to spend time with my daughter. There's nothing like a 4 or 5 year old looking at you with those big blue eyes saying, "Mommy, you're never home and I miss you and want to play with you." 🙁 (I also work two jobs, so that increases my time away from home, too.) I've given up on straight As and a stellar GPA. I'm content to just pass and make it out with my DVM.

Then there's the social aspect. I don't attend most of the evening club meetings or social events. My evenings are for my family. Many of my classmates don't understand that and think I'm stuck up as a result, but whatever. I'm not trying to impress anyone. 😛

It's definitely a challenge, but doable if you're willing to sacrafice.

 

[Jochebed]

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[critterfixer]

I am glad to hear you are having such a nice pregnancy, and yes, I am envious!

I was a really great milk producer and nursed my youngest for just over 3 years. With the first baby, I went back to work full-time when she was 7 months, and tried to pump. My girls could drain a breast in 7-8 minutes. Pumping for an equal time just didn't yield nearly as much milk, but maybe the newer pumps are better. I was never able to get my second to take a rubber nipple of any kind, no matter what. She just plain old said, "no thanks!"

It's great you can spend the first month at home nursing. It will help a lot with your milk production. And then if for some reason you just can't pump, at least that critical first month of breast feeding will be taken care of, and that's the most important time in terms of health for the baby. Plus, it helps the pregnancy weight just drop off. My caloric needs went way up nursing vs. pregnancy. I liken it to the "demands of lactation" on a dairy cow. 🙂 Seriously, I just could NOT eat enough to keep from losing weight.

I hope you continue to have a smooth-sailing pregnancy and an easy, short labor and delivery. We will expect pictures of the baby, though. 😉

 

[projekt]

Did you not have any formaldehyde exposure during your pregnancy? Our school doesn't allow pregnant first-year students, so far as I know. They have all been asked to defer to the next year to mitigate risk. I tend to agree.

We do have a senior who just had a baby. I don't know how they do it!

 

[Jochebed]

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