Hello! I am a current 1st year medical student. Given that I am 27 and won't be done for at least another 7 years, I have been thinking about when I would like to have my first child. For 3rd and 4th year students, how doable is to be doing 3rd year rotations while pregnant? Ideally, it would be nice to have a kid early 4th year of medical school. My other option would be to get pregnant during M4. Thoughts?
Pregnancy during M3?
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never 
just adopt
just adopt
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do it after your intern year. youll still be in your early 30s. nothing wrong with having kids at that age as you should be used to delayed gratification
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Being pregnant and having a child in 3rd year is doable. Most people that do it will require a LOA and some have to repeat the year. Having family and spousal support for childcare will make it much easier when you move to go back to work.
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I think people on SDN have discussed successfully giving birth in M3 or M4 but I'm having trouble finding the threads. This MD had hers during M3 discussed here (and also one during residency, one during fellowship and one in private practice - count 'em 4). She also wrote an article about it here.
I think it's possible - with support (good partner who shares the burdens often even more than 50% or local family or a nanny - having money helps too), good luck with rotations and timing and good pregnancy health - which can't be predicted ahead of time. For example I never threw up in two pregnancies, had no heartburn, slept like a rock and missed no work other than for appointments and worked up to the day of delivery. Others - like those with Hyperemesis gravidarum or Pre-eclampsia or placenta previa - aren't lucky and those can't usually be predicted or prevented.
D
deleted480308
One thing to consider is a residency can’t fire you for getting pregnant, they can (assuming they don’t tell anyone out loud) rank you lower for being pregnant or talking about your beautiful 2month old
Shigaliketoxin
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Plenty of people give birth during 4th year. And once you find out you're pregnant, your school can work with you to switch around your schedule so you have the more grueling clerkships at the point in your pregnancy that you would prefer.
Additionally, plenty of people give birth at all points of training. There's never a "best" time. The time that you choose is dependent on so many factors outside of school.
It's an old blog, but read through Anna in Med School - she had 2 during med school (she took 5 years because she was a combined MD + masters student, but was definitely pregnant with them during some busy times of school).
Additionally, plenty of people give birth at all points of training. There's never a "best" time. The time that you choose is dependent on so many factors outside of school.
It's an old blog, but read through Anna in Med School - she had 2 during med school (she took 5 years because she was a combined MD + masters student, but was definitely pregnant with them during some busy times of school).
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Delayed gratification can only work so long when it comes to biology...... I think 20s are peak for biological viability and health of embryos (if I learned anything correctly from embryo/repro). It starts to slowly decline after age 32.
Essentially you need to make a cost benefit analysis when it comes to biology and your career. Which is more important to you? You'll likely tank some of your residency prospects if you are pregnant on the interview trail/during rotations. You could tank the health of your future children if you wait too long too.
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The discomfort and possible disability while actually being pregnant is only one consideration. The far greater concern is taking care of little Precious after s/he is born. Now THAT is draining! (time, money, energy) And that part of the equation continues for YEARS, so the more flexibility and control over your hours you have during that much-longer chapter, the better.
What are your current thoughts about number of kids and specialty? And what kinds of family support will you have available?
What are your current thoughts about number of kids and specialty? And what kinds of family support will you have available?
Obviously it's a bell curve but if you want to use individual numbers: Peak is 24 at which point it starts to decline. Then at 30 the rate of decline speeds up, and then at 35 it drops off a cliff.
There's no "good" time. Just gotta figure out the least worst time for you and your partner. I had classmates that did it during 3rd year and 4th year and residency. I know people who had to and/or chose to take time off (research year provides a lot more flexibility) and people who went straight through.
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Had 2 classmates who became pregnant during second year. One took the next year off and the other was basically a student half-time. If you're trying to do it in a way that you would graduate in only four years, you should either do it first year or you should become pregnant in the fall of fourth year IMO.
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These facts are mysoginistic and I'd like you to apologize for oppressing womyn with these facts.
/s
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I'm also an M1 who just turned 28. I would have done it this summer if I had know 1st year would go well but the time has passed. I had an epiphany a couple months ago and decided to move up our fourth year timeline to during 3rd year. I'd rather be pregnant and sick while in 2nd year (we are P/F). it would mean that I'd have more time for doctor's appointments, etc. I also like that a third year baby means I would't be pregnant during interviews and that I can spend 4th year enjoying the first year of my child's life. Added bonus is that if we have trouble getting pregnant, we can have time to try (the problem with fourth year was all of these tight time frames for getting pregnant). We are shooting to have a kid sometime during third year and I'd take a block off (which is common at my school) and hopefully, restart with lighter rotations. We plan to have our kid in daycare with my husband taking some time off as well, if needed. You won't be the first or last person to have a kid while in medical school. Make sure you stay true to your values and think what is the worst that can happen? A year extra of med school? Good luck!
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