Pregnancy in Vet School or Residency?

[Bonsall]

I am a slightly older vet student about the finish second year and my husband and I are interested in starting a family. That being said, I also really want to do a internship and internal med residency.

Is it possible to have a kid during a residency program? From what I've read, it seems like it would be nearly impossible to do so during an internship year, so I'm debating whether I should have a kid at the end of 4th year or wait and try to have one during a residency. I know I wouldn't get any maternity leave, but with FMLA I could take a little time off unpaid (though I'm not sure if this would set me back in my residency at all).

Does anyone have any experience with this? I know it would be extremely taxing, but is it feasible?

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[katryn]

Can't speak to doing it during residency, but I had baby #1 between second and third year, and am pregnant with #2 and about to graduate. We had a classmate who had her baby during our clinical year, and two others who are currently pregnant during clinics, so 4th year pregnancy and babies are definitely possible!

I honestly think its hard no matter when you try it. So really, its just a matter of how comfortable you are setting yourself back at any given stage of school/training if you get overwhelmed or have to take extended medical leave.

 

[jmo1012]

i have no experience here whatsoever, but you might want to think about where your child will be at developmentally during residency if you got pregnant now. thats probably preschool age? there are a lot of fun and wonderful things that happen during those years that you will likely miss out on as a resident (plays and park dates and classroom volunteer, etc)

 

[MassDVMMPH]

Lots of kids in my vet school class were pregnant during our 4th year. One woman actually went into labor during boards (we were the last class to have National Board Exams on one day and the Clinical Competency Exam the next day). She actually finished taking the exam and then went directly to the hospital to give birth. So, if you want to avoid that scenario, I'd definitely try NOT to be 9 months pregnant when you have to take the NAVLE . But our vet school was very supportive of family, and having children while in vet school was not frowned upon at all. Our class actually set a record for the number of kids born to a vet school class there. I'm not sure all schools are like that - my school was in the Midwest and was very family oriented. I'd say it would likely be easier to have a child in 4th year than during an internship or residency though. They work you to death in the internships and residencies I've heard about, and I just think that the powers that be would give you a harder time about it.

 

[Lissarae06]

I had a kid at the end of third year. I don't know how it would be possible during internship or residency. The interns/residents get worked so freaking hard. Little sleep and high stress is not good on the body even if you aren't pregnant.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I am a slightly older vet student about the finish second year and my husband and I are interested in starting a family. That being said, I also really want to do a internship and internal med residency.

Is it possible to have a kid during a residency program? From what I've read, it seems like it would be nearly impossible to do so during an internship year, so I'm debating whether I should have a kid at the end of 4th year or wait and try to have one during a residency. I know I wouldn't get any maternity leave, but with FMLA I could take a little time off unpaid (though I'm not sure if this would set me back in my residency at all).

Does anyone have any experience with this? I know it would be extremely taxing, but is it feasible?

It completely depends on residency type, caseload, etc so it's hard to say. Some places are very accommodating, some not.

One of my resident-mates had hers during her third year and holy ****, I don't know how she made it and passed boards. But that was awkward timing, if it had been during her second year I feel it would have been easier.

 

[that redhead]

It would be worth it to discuss a fourth year pregnancy with your student affairs office. No one in our class has had a baby while in school (the one parent in our class is a dad, so a different sort of deal) but a girl ahead of us had one during her fourth year and the administration was very accommodating. I would also talk to your boarded professors or to the interns/residents at your program to get an idea of what they think about it. All programs and all fields are different but getting their perspective certainly couldn't hurt.

 

[pirateyoho]

I didn't realize having children while in vet school was such a common occurrence. It seems like it would be too stressful! Are there certain years in vet school that are more "reasonable" for considering it?

 

[katryn]

Aiming for the summer between second and third year worked well for me. Summer break between first and second year would work too, but waiting until the second summer gave me a chance to decide if I felt like school was too much or not. A few of us also handled pregnancies during clinics with due dates after graduation.

That being said, I'm sure it will also depend on the school. Tennessee is super supportive of students with families, so it was never a problem even when two of my classmates had kids mid-semester and in the middle of clinical rotations.

 

[deleted498041]

I didn't realize having children while in vet school was such a common occurrence. It seems like it would be too stressful! Are there certain years in vet school that are more "reasonable" for considering it?

Most people at my college seem to have them between second and third year and then less commonly between third and fourth year. Personally, I wouldn't entertain the thought at all but if I just had to have a baby, I'd do it in vet school and not during an internship or residency.

 

[that redhead]

I didn't realize having children while in vet school was such a common occurrence. It seems like it would be too stressful! Are there certain years in vet school that are more "reasonable" for considering it?

I think this depends on the school. For me, first year was about adjusting to the work load, making new friends, etc. Second year would have been the best time - settled into a routine but reasonable workload. Third year was exams all the time, so that would have been tough to manage with a newborn. Fourth year has been hit or miss with how exhausted I am at the end of the day. But definitely a tough time to be pregnant, I'd imagine, being on your feet all day, long hours, gross smells, crap nutrition, etc.

 

[primatevetjess]

At Davis there was a girl in my class who had a baby during first year and then a second one during fourth year. She was crazy though, and always back at it looking fabulous in no time.

I'm currently pregnant during my second year of residency and it's going well. That being said, a lab animal med residency is definitely different than a small animal internal med residency...

 

[BABKAK]

I realize this is an old thread but...

I was wondering, when people say they targeted the summer between 2nd and 3rd year, did you take any additional time of in the fall? or did you start back up on time? I have a 1year old and am starting vet school in the fall. I would like to have another kid before I graduate if it is feasible.