Vet school and babies

[catcow26]

Mulling over my future... anyone here have experience (second hand is ok) with having kids in vet school? I don't have any yet but I want to and I think it's going to have to overlap with vet school if both happen. I mgiht not be getting in anywhere this year, but thinking about further on.

Specifically considering pros/cons of the experience at Florida, Minnesota, Tufts, Davis, Wisconsin, Edinburgh and Dublin but any thoughts welcome. I've been working full time with classes at night to get pre reqs done, so having a very busy schedule doesn't phase me, but I'm thinking about things like flexibility if the kid is sick, day care near enough to campuses, general supportive environment from the profs/admin, required time outside of the class schedule/on weekends etc.

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[SocialStigma]

No personal experience but one of my classmates had 2 kids while in vet school. Gave birth to the first one midway through 1st year, and the second was born right after finals in 2nd year. I have no idea how she studied for 14 final exams while 8-9 months pregnant, but she didn't defer a single one and passed all of them! Her husband worked mostly from home to take care of the kids while she was at school. She did miss some classes occasionally due to her kids being sick but profs generally don't care/notice unless it's a lab/tutorial with an attendance or assignment component.

 

[love2hunt]

I'm curious about this as well. My wife and I are talking kids but thinking it's not a good idea if I get accepted.

 

[genny]

I know people (both male and female) who have had kids while in vet school. ISU makes it a little easier because our lectures are all recorded, and available online. Pretty sure other schools do that as well. Obviously, it's a much harder way to go through school, but it is still possible to succeed. Most of the people I know have waited until after first year is over, just to make sure they're adjusted to the work load.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

My friend just had her first kid ~2-3 weeks before finals last semester. She didn't defer them either and did fine. She's even doing rotations with us now, and that can be 12-14 hours away from home. Maybe she has an agreement with the school but idk, I haven't asked.

I wouldn't think it's for everyone given the long days vet school can have, but that's up to you. I would think your child has to be just as cooperative as you need it to be for it to work, and that's not always how babies work. My sister's kid wouldn't take a bottle and still won't. Had she been going to school this whole time, she would have had to miss quite a lot just to feed her.

I think a male student would have an inherently easier time having a child in vet school than a woman, given that the first few months of a baby's life are 100% mom/baby. Some moms might choose to start formula right off the bat though to eliminate the need to be with your kid on an hourly basis.

Long story short, I'd talk to new parents you know and see what their new 'normal' really is like before you make a decision. If you have an excellent support system, I think it can definitely be done.

 

[WildAnimal]

I haven't been pregnant in vet school, but I'm a first year with three kids, 2 I had in undergrad and 1 in between undergrad and vet school.

It's tough but I'm doing well. My husband works full time but I'm lucky that my mom and his dad can help watch the girls. I don't get to see them as much as I'd like, but when I do get more time with them I make it as quality as I can.

I think if I were to have a newborn in vet school, I'd try to coordinate the due date during the early summer if possible. Those early months are really important to me and help establish a bond. It does help that our lectures are recorded so I don't attend many classes anyway, so maybe that's something that'll work for you.

We have a few people in our class with kids. It's definitely doable!

 

[BABKAK]

I can't speak directly to your question but here are some thoughts:

I applied and was accepted into the class of 2020 while expecting my first child the June before classes started. I was very sure about attending school with a newborn and thought I had everything planned out. Until the baby actually came. It is hard to understand how life altering being a mother is. The first three months are extreamly challenging (this is putting it mildly, I dont want to turn anyone off of having kids). When july came around, I decided to deferr admission for a year. So this fall I will be starting with a toddler.

This is not to say it cant be done, because people are able to do it. It was not a good option for my family since we didnt have a support network and my husband couldnt stay home. I just wanted to point out that it is hard to predict what life will be like with an infant. For example, you could have a perfect sleeper from the start or a baby who wakes every two hours at night for the first year. If you feel like this is your only chance to have kids then Im sure you can make it work, just make sure to do your research.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I can't speak directly to your question but here are some thoughts:

I applied and was accepted into the class of 2020 while expecting my first child the June before classes started. I was very sure about attending school with a newborn and thought I had everything planned out. Until the baby actually came. It is hard to understand how life altering being a mother is. The first three months are extreamly challenging (this is putting it mildly, I dont want to turn anyone off of having kids). When july came around, I decided to deferr admission for a year. So this fall I will be starting with a toddler.

This is not to say it cant be done, because people are able to do it. It was not a good option for my family since we didnt have a support network and my husband couldnt stay home. I just wanted to point out that it is hard to predict what life will be like with an infant. For example, you could have a perfect sleeper from the start or a baby who wakes every two hours at night for the first year. If you feel like this is your only chance to have kids then Im sure you can make it work, just make sure to do your research.

I think my sister said she averaged anywhere from 1-3 hours of sleep a day for those first few months, and often not consecutively. It's not like getting a puppy that you can crate while you're gone (I know everyone is aware of that, but sometimes the reality of having a baby doesn't sink in). I didn't really get how hard a newborn can be until I watched my sister go through it. It seems like things easy up at ~6 months, but maybe plan the birth for early summer if you must have it during school.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Mulling over my future... anyone here have experience (second hand is ok) with having kids in vet school? I don't have any yet but I want to and I think it's going to have to overlap with vet school if both happen. I mgiht not be getting in anywhere this year, but thinking about further on.

Specifically considering pros/cons of the experience at Florida, Minnesota, Tufts, Davis, Wisconsin, Edinburgh and Dublin but any thoughts welcome. I've been working full time with classes at night to get pre reqs done, so having a very busy schedule doesn't phase me, but I'm thinking about things like flexibility if the kid is sick, day care near enough to campuses, general supportive environment from the profs/admin, required time outside of the class schedule/on weekends etc.

Several of my classmates had children during vet school, and none deferred their schooling. It's tough, but doable -- if you've got good support. Spouse, family, even a close committed friend who can help with care and getting sleep.

 

[LetItSnow]

I think my sister said she averaged anywhere from 1-3 hours of sleep a day for those first few months, and often not consecutively. It's not like getting a puppy that you can crate while you're gone (I know everyone is aware of that, but sometimes the reality of having a baby doesn't sink in). I didn't really get how hard a newborn can be until I watched my sister go through it. It seems like things easy up at ~6 months, but maybe plan the birth for early summer if you must have it during school.

1-3 is probably unusually low - maybe your sister had an especially rough time with her kid(s). The basic advice is: sleep when the baby sleeps. You can't string together 8 hours/night, but you can get all the hours if you're able to sleep when the baby sleeps. In vet school it would be an especially big challenge, for sure. Neither my wife nor I ever felt like we didn't get enough *sleep* with our 3 kids ... it just wasn't all at night like would be ideal.

You do get more "regular" sleep by the time they are 6 months and sleeping "through" the night (which really just means for something like 6 hours at a time) .... but they start crawling and a whole new level of "oh crap I really gotta watch closely" opens up.

Women have babies in vet school pretty regularly. There isn't a TON to say about it other than yeah, it's a challenge. You have to be flexible - you might be a "learn best in lecture" type, but you may find you don't have an option other than watch the lecture capture while nursing and rocking the kid at home, for example.

Don't forget to alert the school when appropriate (for instance, fourth year doing things like oncology or radiology rotations) for potential pregnancy-related health issues.

I think BABKAK's comment about support structures is pretty important. It can be completely doable in the right setting, and untenable in another.

 

[Abnerrs]

Mulling over my future... anyone here have experience (second hand is ok) with having kids in vet school? I don't have any yet but I want to and I think it's going to have to overlap with vet school if both happen. I mgiht not be getting in anywhere this year, but thinking about further on.

Specifically considering pros/cons of the experience at Florida, Minnesota, Tufts, Davis, Wisconsin, Edinburgh and Dublin but any thoughts welcome. I've been working full time with classes at night to get pre reqs done, so having a very busy schedule doesn't phase me, but I'm thinking about things like flexibility if the kid is sick, day care near enough to campuses, general supportive environment from the profs/admin, required time outside of the class schedule/on weekends etc.

My (female) classmate had two kids throughout our four years. We graduate in NINETY-TWO DAAAAYYYYYSSS

 

[katryn]

Agree with what most everyone has said here. I had my first in the summer between second and third year (was pregnant all of 2nd year), and was pregnant with my second for the last 4 months of clinics.

It was very hard, but we made it work. For me, it hinged on having an amazing support system. I went to UTCVM, which had a very understanding staff (not a single professor knocked me for falling asleep front row when #1 was a baby), and both my and my husbands parents live in town. His mom was our stay at home Nana from the start so we didn't have to worry about daycare and hours or illnesses. That being said, I went in to it fully prepared to defer or drop out if things became overwhelming, or health issues arose.

A few of my classmates had kids as well and made it work. One of them dropped out (for more reasons than just that, but having a baby contributed).

Long story short, it was hard and parts of it sucked, but if you want to make it work, you probably can. But I would also recommend only doing it it you are fully prepared to walk away from vet school if **** hits the fan.


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[catcow26]

Thank you all so much for your replies! Lots to think about but so good to hear it's possible

 

[pinkpuppy9]

1-3 is probably unusually low - maybe your sister had an especially rough time with her kid(s). The basic advice is: sleep when the baby sleeps. You can't string together 8 hours/night, but you can get all the hours if you're able to sleep when the baby sleeps. In vet school it would be an especially big challenge, for sure. Neither my wife nor I ever felt like we didn't get enough *sleep* with our 3 kids ... it just wasn't all at night like would be ideal.

You do get more "regular" sleep by the time they are 6 months and sleeping "through" the night (which really just means for something like 6 hours at a time) .... but they start crawling and a whole new level of "oh crap I really gotta watch closely" opens up.

Women have babies in vet school pretty regularly. There isn't a TON to say about it other than yeah, it's a challenge. You have to be flexible - you might be a "learn best in lecture" type, but you may find you don't have an option other than watch the lecture capture while nursing and rocking the kid at home, for example.

Don't forget to alert the school when appropriate (for instance, fourth year doing things like oncology or radiology rotations) for potential pregnancy-related health issues.

I think BABKAK's comment about support structures is pretty important. It can be completely doable in the right setting, and untenable in another.

Also her first, so I think a lot of it was the urge to keep checking on the baby/general stress. I imagine it's something every new parent goes through, and being a student adds an extra thick layer of stress on top of it. I personally can't imagine being away from a newborn for 12 hours (if that's what vet school looks like for you).

I'd hope all schools are very willing to accommodate the new parent, though.

 

[mht2k3]

I have one daughter (and another on the way) and will be starting vet school in the fall. I can't really offer that much advice since I'm not there yet, but everyone I talked to said that its difficult, yet doable.

Since you mentioned Edinburgh, if you end up going there with kids, you will get free childcare (half days 5 days a week, if i remember correctly) which is definitely a plus.

 

[BABKAK]

1-3 is probably unusually low - maybe your sister had an especially rough time with her kid(s). The basic advice is: sleep when the baby sleeps. You can't string together 8 hours/night, but you can get all the hours if you're able to sleep when the baby sleeps. In vet school it would be an especially big challenge, for sure. Neither my wife nor I ever felt like we didn't get enough *sleep* with our 3 kids ... it just wasn't all at night like would be ideal.

You do get more "regular" sleep by the time they are 6 months and sleeping "through" the night (which really just means for something like 6 hours at a time) .... but they start crawling and a whole new level of "oh crap I really gotta watch closely" opens up.

Women have babies in vet school pretty regularly. There isn't a TON to say about it other than yeah, it's a challenge. You have to be flexible - you might be a "learn best in lecture" type, but you may find you don't have an option other than watch the lecture capture while nursing and rocking the kid at home, for example.

Don't forget to alert the school when appropriate (for instance, fourth year doing things like oncology or radiology rotations) for potential pregnancy-related health issues.

I think BABKAK's comment about support structures is pretty important. It can be completely doable in the right setting, and untenable in another.

For the first 8 weeks I think the max consecutive sleep I got was 2hrs. It is true you get bits of sleep here and there and can possibly string together 8 hrs in 24 but that still leaves your brain a foggy mess. So, yeah planning to have the baby's first three months over the summer is best because by 3 months your baby may be sleeping in 4 hour blocks, and that is survivable. These are things I wish I knew about baby sleep before I had a kid, that is why I am sharing.

 

[Doktor Timo]

I have two classmates who intentionally had babies during fourth year because it's easier to just take some rotations off and make them up later than it would be to get maternity leave once they're out in the work force (and easier than making up a whole year of classroom work if they had them earlier in the curriculum). I'm not sure what that says about American society, but it's worth a thought. I would imagine first year is probably the least ideal time to have a kid because you're forced to learn how to be a parent at the same time you're learning how to be a vet student.

 

[vetmedhead]

Re: support systems, some schools also have support groups/clubs set up for parents who are in veterinary school. I know CSU just got one started this year and they have a super cool faculty member as an advisor and they do meetings where they talk about the challenges etc. of parenting while in school. I think they sometimes set up playdates too.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I have two classmates who intentionally had babies during fourth year because it's easier to just take some rotations off and make them up later than it would be to get maternity leave once they're out in the work force (and easier than making up a whole year of classroom work if they had them earlier in the curriculum). I'm not sure what that says about American society, but it's worth a thought. I would imagine first year is probably the least ideal time to have a kid because you're forced to learn how to be a parent at the same time you're learning how to be a vet student.

This is worth a real discussion, maybe on this thread or on another. Either way, it's something many women will face in the field, especially considering that a good percentage of vets work for companies that employ less than 50 people.

 

[jmo1012]

I would strongly encourage you to not look at island schools if you want to have babies simply because I think you would be crazy to put yourself into 3rd world health care. Not sure what kind of support youd get from the school, none of my classmates got pregnant (one's wife had a baby in the states in November and people were happy to accomodate leaving for a week or two but he had to be back for finals and such). Youd also be very far away from your family and friends, and although the friendship and bonds are strong at the island students, lots of binding is done over partying and not family friendly activities

 

[CalliopeDVM]

This is worth a real discussion, maybe on this thread or on another. Either way, it's something many women will face in the field, especially considering that a good percentage of vets work for companies that employ less than 50 people.

That's a real political discussion, not an SDN discussion, IMO. Well, unless SDN members in the US want to get together to cry, or plan to move.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

That's a real political discussion, not an SDN discussion, IMO. Well, unless SDN members in the US want to get together to cry, or plan to move.

I was thinking more along the lines of discussing experiences of starting a family once employed, not so much debating the policies involved.

Edit: Also because there's a slim chance of said policies changing, so unless we all plan to move, it's good to be informed of what you may face when trying to start a family and how to work with what we've got.

 

[BABKAK]

This is worth a real discussion, maybe on this thread or on another. Either way, it's something many women will face in the field, especially considering that a good percentage of vets work for companies that employ less than 50 people.

I would be interested in that discussion, along the lines of a support/ information thread. I would like to have a second child but have no idea when the best time is.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I would be interested in that discussion, along the lines of a support/ information thread. I would like to have a second child but have no idea when the best time is.

Do you know any vets who have had children while practicing that you could talk to? The ones I know all did so while owning their own clinics, which I imagine makes things a bit easier on you.

I've heard stories about techs and vets no longer having jobs after maternity leave, and that's frightening. My own sister just got fired within a few weeks after she came back from maternity leave (curiously, she got the notice right after she submitted a project...). Nothing you can do unless you want to spend more money (on a lawyer) than you'd win back if you won the suit. Plus, you'd have to present hard proof that they fired you solely because you have a child/are pregnant, which can be hard to do. I'm sure there's more to it, but that's what the lawyer told my sister, and he even thought he would be able to win it. It's just not always going to be a smart financial decision to pursue your ex-employer legally, and I'm sure that holds true for smaller vet clinics too.

 

[allygator13]

I would strongly encourage you to not look at island schools if you want to have babies simply because I think you would be crazy to put yourself into 3rd world health care. Not sure what kind of support youd get from the school, none of my classmates got pregnant (one's wife had a baby in the states in November and people were happy to accomodate leaving for a week or two but he had to be back for finals and such). Youd also be very far away from your family and friends, and although the friendship and bonds are strong at the island students, lots of binding is done over partying and not family friendly activities

Actually one of my classmates had a baby here at the beginning of second year. Sketch for sure, but she did it at the private hospital here and all went well.