When is the best time to have a baby? during med school? OR before, during, or after residency?

[Smileyfrowned]

Hi, I'm a pre-med student trying to plan my future ahead of time so I can make decisions accordingly. I want to pursue a career in anesthesiology. I don't want to have a baby too late but I also don't want it to affect my education too much. I also want my baby to develop in a healthy environment so I would try to stay healthy and sleep regularly and not get too stressed out during my pregnancy. I will finish college a year early so I can take out a year from my graduate study to make time for pregnancy. So my question is when would be the best time to have a baby that would have the least affect on me academically? I was thinking about taking a year off after my 3rd year of med school. I don't want to have a baby too early as I heard the best time to have a baby is around 25 years of age. I also heard that people frown upon women who gets pregnant during residency. I don't know if it's best to have a baby after med school either, since I might need to postpone residency for a year and it might affect my chances of getting match.

If I take a year off after my 3rd year of med school, will I have to reapply to the medical school to continue my 4th year? Or would I be able to automatically resume my education after a year?

Also, is it possible to have a baby without taking a year off of med school or residency? If so, when would be the best time for that? Would that put too much strain on my body? And how hard would it be for me to catch up if I only take a few weeks off to have a baby?

Thank You!

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[Kelevra]

I also wonder if people find it doable to have a baby during a gap year of your application cycle, get accepted, and then defer a year, so you'd have ~ 1-1.5 years to get situated and work/raise your child, but have an acceptance slotted and ready to go for the next year. But traveling while pregnant is tough, just like being out of school for a couple of years is tough. If you could find a babysitter/afford daycare when the kid is older, that could help as well.

I have no idea about how having a baby after 3rd year would affect matching, but carrying during 3rd year might be tough.

 

[BrooklynBulls]

I think the consensus is obviously before matriculation. But in terms of doing it IN medical school, getting pregnant right around interview season of 4th year, giving birth around match time, and then starting residency in July would be the best option in my opinion. Have a friend doing exactly this.

 

[giantswing]

Hold up. Do you have some one to get pregnant with?

But really, you can have a baby any of those times. Some residencies are super open to pregnancies, but i know nothing about gas. Time off depends on how much you want and how much youll need if you go on bedrest, have complications, ect.

I have friends that interviwed pregnant and were fine.

 

[675015]

Generally, I think you should have a baby about nine months after you get pregnant.

 

[Frazier]

I few people in my class became parents during late MS1/early MS2.
They were all guys, for whatever it's worth.

I know of another person in the class that intends to have a baby in April of their MS3 year, then reap the benefit of an entirely easy/flexible 4th year schedule to allow more time for parenting/helping.
That person is also a guy, for whatever it's worth.

 

[pd1112]

AI or....?

 

[MalibuPreMD]

My wife gave birth January of her MS 1 year and took a 1 year leave of absence. She picked up right where she left off and has done very well in her classes. Our son is now 2 years old and we are both thrilled.

Disclaimer: we have a nanny 40 hrs per week that makes our life much (much much much) easier.

 

[fancymylotus]

The summer between your second year and third year

 

[evilbooyaa]

If you're OK taking a year off, then whenever you want (ideally close to June through August delivery). If you don't want to, getting pregnant at beginning of 4th year (May/June/July), going through interview season pregnant, delivering in March/April, and having April/May/June with the baby before you start residency in July is likely the best option.

However, if you feel ready for it earlier, don't push it back just to find a perfect time. It's hard to do so and just go for it. Ideally would be BEFORE you start medical school but not sure if that's feasible.

The summer between your second year and third year

For most schools, this is approximately 4-8 weeks (depending on which school you end at) and you will have Step 1 to study for. I would guess this is the WORST time to be pregnant/deliver, unless you're willing to push everything back a year.

 

[Say]

For most schools, this is approximately 4-8 weeks (depending on which school you end at) and you will have Step 1 to study for. I would guess this is the WORST time to be pregnant/deliver, unless you're willing to push everything back a year.

Obvious april fools bro

 

[Danbo1957]

Here's the best option that I've seen work well for those who do not want to take time off, give birth in February of the 4th year of medical school.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Here's the best option that I've seen work well for those who do not want to take time off, give birth in February of the 4th year of medical school.

I think it'd be miserable to be crazy pregnant (like 6-7 months in) flying around for interviews (assuming Nov-Jan). I like an April birth with 2 months of maternity leave before residency starts.

 

[Psai]

Here's the best option that I've seen work well for those who do not want to take time off, give birth in February of the 4th year of medical school.

but you'll be pregnant for interviews

 

[Danbo1957]

I think it'd be miserable to be crazy pregnant (like 6-7 months in) flying around for interviews (assuming Nov-Jan). I like an April birth with 2 months of maternity leave before residency starts.

Interviews should be finished by the end of November in today's residency match environment if pregnant..., I said should be. But, no woman should be flying late into the third trimester. Also, just two months of post birth time with the baby doesn't seem to be enough for many new mothers, four to five months with the infant can really matter... (Also as an aside, here in Texas many women plan (in medicine or out) the second and third trimesters to be in the cooler months. 🙂 )

 

[TraumaLlamaMD]

Interviews aren't done by the end of November, why would you say that? Most places don't even start interviews until November, so you're limiting yourself quite a bit if you only allow one month.

 

[Danbo1957]

Interviews aren't done by the end of November, why would you say that? Most places don't even start interviews until November, so you're limiting yourself quite a bit if you only allow one month.

Fine, end of December. And "planning" is a better word than "limiting"; if you're pregnant, not spreading out interviews over three months is part of planning.

 

[ERK123]

It sort of shocks me that people do not think this post is an April Fools Day joke.

 

[kavorca]

It sort of shocks me that people do not think this post is an April Fools Day joke.

This could easily be a real question, so I will answer truthfully.
Depending on your residency, you could easily have the kid/kids in residency. Almost every pediatrics resident I have met (at least it seems that way) has had one+ babies during residency. They all graduated on time.
Surgical and subspecialties, you would probably need to wait until 5th year.

 

[PL198]

My wife gave birth January of her MS 1 year and took a 1 year leave of absence. She picked up right where she left off and has done very well in her classes. Our son is now 2 years old and we are both thrilled.

Disclaimer: we have a nanny 40 hrs per week that makes our life much (much much much) easier.

And how do you afford that

 

[Ismet]

I also wonder if people find it doable to have a baby during a gap year of your application cycle, get accepted, and then defer a year, so you'd have ~ 1-1.5 years to get situated and work/raise your child, but have an acceptance slotted and ready to go for the next year. But traveling while pregnant is tough, just like being out of school for a couple of years is tough. If you could find a babysitter/afford daycare when the kid is older, that could help as well.

That's similar to what someone in my class did. It can work, but my school is known for being very accommodating to families and non-trads, so that plan might not work everywhere.

 

[Ismet]

Moving to pre-allo forum

 

[Ismet]

I few people in my class became parents during late MS1/early MS2.
They were all guys, for whatever it's worth.

I know of another person in the class that intends to have a baby in April of their MS3 year, then reap the benefit of an entirely easy/flexible 4th year schedule to allow more time for parenting/helping.
That person is also a guy, for whatever it's worth.

Uhhh...the summer of MS4 is far from easy/flexible.

The summer between your second year and third year

There's no such thing

 

[TraumaLlamaMD]

That's true, early MS4 is full of sub-Is and away rotations in some specialties. I think my longest hours were as an early MS4, and I didn't do any aways.

 

[Frazier]

Uhhh...the summer of MS4 is far from easy/flexible.

I heard this guy has his 3rd year schedule stacked "hardest to easiest"-- in other words, essentially every required rotation outside the AI is accounted for by April MS3 (so there is that 28 day period of the MS4 year, true)... also I heard this guy is interested in one of the least competitive specialties -- so no requisite away rotations or mandatory specialty-specific AI's.

Other than something like "worrying about putting an application together, getting LOR's in line, etc"... I am genuinely interested in hearing the stuff he's apparently (?) forgotten.

 

[Ismet]

I heard this guy has his 3rd year schedule stacked "hardest to easiest"-- in other words, essentially every required rotation outside the AI is accounted for by April MS3 (so there is that 28 day period of the MS4 year, true)... also I heard this guy is interested in one of the least competitive specialties -- so no requisite away rotations or mandatory specialty-specific AI's.

Other than something like "worrying about putting an application together, getting LOR's in line, etc"... I am genuinely interested in hearing the stuff he's apparently (?) forgotten.

Depending on how Step 1 goes, a lot of people take Step 2 CK over the summer. I only have 1 core rotation this summer in addition to my AI, Step 2 study month, and another elective in my field where I can potentially get letters, and I certainly would not want to be helping out with a newborn if I were in his shoes (if I could help it).

 

[LizzyM]

I will tell you what a Havard MBA with 3 kids told my husband and me over dinner, "There is no good time to have a baby; you have to just do it." Nine months later, our baby was born. You can attempt to plan but things don't always happen overnight and sometimes, when you think they'll take months, they do happen "overnight".

 

[Frazier]

Depending on how Step 1 goes, a lot of people take Step 2 CK over the summer. I only have 1 core rotation this summer in addition to my AI, Step 2 study month, and another elective in my field where I can potentially get letters, and I certainly would not want to be helping out with a newborn if I were in his shoes (if I could help it).

Step 2.

Damn steps.

Always something. 👎😉

 

[Ismet]

Step 2.

Damn steps.

Always something. 👎😉

I know, right? A couple months after I took Step 1 I was back on UWorld's website buying a year of Step 2 QBank. Fun times.

 

[samac]

I plan on just waiting until I'm 30. 30 sounds good.

 

[touchpause13]

I plan on just waiting until I'm 30. 30 sounds good.

yup that's about the boat I'm in.
Residency seems like a much better option than medical school. Of course there are women who do it, but I imagine it's very very difficult.

 

[Goro]

There's no good time until you become Professor Emeritus.

So have one when you good and ready. I've had plenty of student who had babies in med school. in the worst-case scenario, you'll graduate in five years instead of four.

Hi, I'm a pre-med student trying to plan my future ahead of time so I can make decisions accordingly. I want to pursue a career in anesthesiology. I don't want to have a baby too late but I also don't want it to affect my education too much. I also want my baby to develop in a healthy environment so I would try to stay healthy and sleep regularly and not get too stressed out during my pregnancy. I will finish college a year early so I can take out a year from my graduate study to make time for pregnancy. So my question is when would be the best time to have a baby that would have the least affect on me academically? I was thinking about taking a year off after my 3rd year of med school. I don't want to have a baby too early as I heard the best time to have a baby is around 25 years of age. I also heard that people frown upon women who gets pregnant during residency. I don't know if it's best to have a baby after med school either, since I might need to postpone residency for a year and it might affect my chances of getting match.

If I take a year off after my 3rd year of med school, will I have to reapply to the medical school to continue my 4th year? Or would I be able to automatically resume my education after a year?

Also, is it possible to have a baby without taking a year off of med school or residency? If so, when would be the best time for that? Would that put too much strain on my body? And how hard would it be for me to catch up if I only take a few weeks off to have a baby?

Thank You!

 

[gapyearguppy]

25 years old 🙄

 

[Graywolf]

You are ready to have kids the day you have a good family insurance policy that you can afford. So typically not 25. Why ruin your 20's anyways?

 

[NickNaylor]

We had 4-5 women in our class have babies this year. During 4th year is a pretty popular time. We also had a woman who had a baby during 1st year.

With the exception of 3rd year, I don't think there's any "best time." There will always be a "better" time to have a kid no matter where you are in life. Have one when you and your SO are ready and make it work.

 

[touchpause13]

We had 4-5 women in our class have babies this year. During 4th year is a pretty popular time. We also had a woman who had a baby during 1st year.

With the exception of 3rd year, I don't think there's any "best time." There will always be a "better" time to have a kid no matter where you are in life. Have one when you and your SO are ready and make it work.

Agreed.
What makes me cautious about 4th year is the thought of being pregnant during interviews, as well has having a newborn during your first year of residency

 

[Annabell Lee]

Ok, not is medical school, but I have a kid. Personally I plan on waiting until I finish residency to have another kid.

I don't know what you consider to be "too late" to have a kid.

Just a few things to think about....
I hate to be a downer, but you have absolutely no idea how you would handle a pregnancy and no guarantee the pregnancy would be healthy, even if you did everything right. (I had multiple complications and had to have an emergency C-section.) This can easily throw any plans off, and is something you might want to keep in mind.

Your partner's preferences are also important when making this decision. You will both also need to think about finances and schedules and who would be responsible for what.