very odd question about o-chem

[PTtoMD]

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There has been a question on my mind and i don't know who else i can look to for an answer. I just started o-chem, i am also hoping to get pregnant again.
Would it be potentially risky to be in the lab early in a pregnancy? Just the other day, there was some odd powdery substance on my beakers from a prior student. I handled it, cleaned and washed the beakers as per my instructor. If i were pregnant i would have gotten very nervous.

I will not be appying to schools for 4 years or so as i really would love to have another child first then i have a few classes and the MCAT's to manage. Should i postpone this class and just focus on my family for a few years then go full speed ahead in 2-3 years? or take this class now and get it out of the way?

I had 2 miscarriages before my daughter so am nervous about pregnancy in general. Adding in the chemicals of chem lab would add a whole new level of worry.

This may seem like a crazy question but i had to post it. Hoping for your help as i have to drop by Thursday to avoid a W.

 

[mindquick]

don't worry, there's no health concerns if you know your safety stuff. try not to get too much DCM spilled on you, though. modern chem labs have ventilated hoods which insure you don't breathe too many harmful fumes.

 

[cheezer]

There has been a question on my mind and i don't know who else i can look to for an answer. I just started o-chem, i am also hoping to get pregnant again.
Would it be potentially risky to be in the lab early in a pregnancy? Just the other day, there was some odd powdery substance on my beakers from a prior student. I handled it, cleaned and washed the beakers as per my instructor. If i were pregnant i would have gotten very nervous.

I will not be appying to schools for 4 years or so as i really would love to have another child first then i have a few classes and the MCAT's to manage. Should i postpone this class and just focus on my family for a few years then go full speed ahead in 2-3 years? or take this class now and get it out of the way?

I had 2 miscarriages before my daughter so am nervous about pregnancy in general. Adding in the chemicals of chem lab would add a whole new level of worry.

This may seem like a crazy question but i had to post it. Hoping for your help as i have to drop by Thursday to avoid a W.

if it were me, i'd get it out of the way. its not like you'll have more time once you have another kid.

as for the pregancy thing, id talk to your family doctor and your instructor.

 

[ShyRem]

You need to discuss this with your chem prof and your physician.

 

[GreyBlueEyes]

Aside from safety: if this is Ochem 2 and you've already done Ochem 1, take it now. if this is Ochem 1, I'd wait to take it. I wouldn't want a 3 year gap between 1 & 2. also, you'll probably do better on the MCAT if you've taken Ochem recently.

 

[uberuber]

I usually lurk on here but thought I would chime in. I took O-Chem lab over the summer and this was discussed in our lab text book.

"If you are pregnant, you may want to consider taking this course at a later time. Some exposure to organic fumes is inevitable, and any possible risk to an unborn baby should be avoided."

Pavia, Donald. "Microscale and Macroscale Techniques in the Organic Laboratory." 2006. Thomson Brooks/Cole. Page 6.

I personally wouldn't risk it. You may save yourself three/four months time by taking the lab now. Your child will have the rest of his/her life to deal with the consequences.

 

[PTtoMD]

OK-there's my answer! Thanks for the concrete information. I am debating dropping this class still so will either drop and hope to get pregnant or stay and hold off on trying to get pregnant. The class is over in 3 months anyways.
Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[QofQuimica]

OK-there's my answer! Thanks for the concrete information. I am debating dropping this class still so will either drop and hope to get pregnant or stay and hold off on trying to get pregnant. The class is over in 3 months anyways.
Thanks everyone for your input.

I'm a former organic and gen chem instructor. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, you should *not* take organic lab (or gen chem lab either). Of course, we always tried to minimize the exposure of our students to the chemicals. But accidents can happen, and the teratogenicity of some chemicals and solvents is either not known or could depend on exposure type and duration. Being pregnant and doing everything you can to ensure that you give birth to a healthy baby is challenging enough as it is; why would you want to take any unnecessary risks and spend the rest of your life worrying about whether something you did in lab affected your child? The fetus's safety should come first.

This is not an uncommon issue, and you certainly aren't the first to have this dilemma. I had one already pregnant student once who was reluctant to drop the lab, and I told her the only way I'd let her stay in was if she handed me a note from her doctor explicitly giving her permission to take organic chem lab while in her first trimester of pregnancy. Needless to say, I never saw this girl again. No physician in his right mind would *ever* agree to sign anything like that.

 

[zed350]

I'm a former organic and gen chem instructor. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, you should *not* take organic lab (or gen chem lab either). Of course, we always tried to minimize the exposure of our students to the chemicals. But accidents can happen, and the teratogenicity of some chemicals and solvents is either not known or could depend on exposure type and duration. Being pregnant and doing everything you can to ensure that you give birth to a healthy baby is challenging enough as it is; why would you want to take any unnecessary risks and spend the rest of your life worrying about whether something you did in lab affected your child? The fetus's safety should come first.

This is not an uncommon issue, and you certainly aren't the first to have this dilemma. I had one already pregnant student once who was reluctant to drop the lab, and I told her the only way I'd let her stay in was if she handed me a note from her doctor explicitly giving her permission to take organic chem lab while in her first trimester of pregnancy. Needless to say, I never saw this girl again. No physician in his right mind would *ever* agree to sign anything like that.

I second that. Also, Life is not a race where you are in a hurry to get somewhere.Pregnancy is stressful by itself dont stress yourself even more by dealing with chemicals.

 

[Kateb4]

Agree with the others. I just had a baby, and took Ochem I and II while pregnant, but was told that I cannot take the lab by the prof when I checked into it, so I'll be taking the lab next spring. Better to be safe than sorry!

Good luck with TTC!

 

[queenbee]

i triple/quadruple agree.

if you're already questioning it, then i think you know the answer. you can take a class whenever - having a baby is a once in a lifetime chance.

it's not worth the risk. i think for the ones that say it's ok, i'm assuming this is coming from not having the experience of being pregnant. i've never been, but as a woman i understand the concerns that one has when thinking of these things.

i'm sorry to hear about your miscarriages, good luck with your baby and your classes. 🙂

 

[PTtoMD]

I dropped the class. This may sound odd, but i actually became teary eyed as i walked away from the registrar's office. It really hurt to drop this class. I felt like I was finally on my way towards this major life change. It felt great to go to class and i was enjoying studying again. BUT, what i want most out of life right now is to be here for my daughter and to, God Willing, be blessed with another child.
I know God has a plan for me and i have to believe this will all work itself out. One day i hope I will be posting about interviews etc. I will pick up a class in the spring to get my feet wet. O-chem will have to wait a few years until i am neither pregnant or hoping to be pregnant.

Life is a the journey...not the destination. I am enjoying the journey!

Thanks again everyone.

 

[GreyBlueEyes]

i put school on hold to have kids. of course, back then i had no idea i wanted to be a doctor. i didn't figure that out until after i'd had my children. but have them i did, all 3 of them, and i stayed home with them until the youngest wasn't a baby anymore. i started back to school full time when he was 2.5.

sometimes i struggle with feeling like i lost time, but i think this will actually work out really well. by the time i start med school, my youngest will be starting 1st grade, so they'll all be in school. i think things will be a lot easier that way. i know people do it, but i really can't imagine starting a family as a med student, resident, or while practicing even. i'm glad i had the opportunity to devote so much time to my children while they were babies and needed the most time from me. i feel very lucky that i was able to do that 🙂

i don't think you'll regret it.

 

[PTtoMD]

Thanks. I am happy to hear you are happy with your path. I think i would have tremendous guilt starting school when my daughter or any future children are so young. I didn't think i would feel that way but i am realizing that it would be harder then i thought.

What has changed for me over this past year is that this whole med school dream went from 'i wonder if i will ever do this' to 'when am i going to do this'. I have found peace in that transition of thought. I will do this. It may take a LONG time but in the end i am going to give this my best shot. For now, i will focus on my family. I guess this whole signing up for o-chem, starting, and dropping has forced me to really reflect (on more then the 50% tuition lost)!

I think starting med school when all the kids are in school is great.

i put school on hold to have kids. of course, back then i had no idea i wanted to be a doctor. i didn't figure that out until after i'd had my children. but have them i did, all 3 of them, and i stayed home with them until the youngest wasn't a baby anymore. i started back to school full time when he was 2.5.

sometimes i struggle with feeling like i lost time, but i think this will actually work out really well. by the time i start med school, my youngest will be starting 1st grade, so they'll all be in school. i think things will be a lot easier that way. i know people do it, but i really can't imagine starting a family as a med student, resident, or while practicing even. i'm glad i had the opportunity to devote so much time to my children while they were babies and needed the most time from me. i feel very lucky that i was able to do that 🙂

i don't think you'll regret it.