Ladies - Anybody Had a Baby in PT school?

[Heardyoudpt]

I'm a non-trad (31, former military), got accepted to my number one choice, and am super excited to go to PT school. My husband and I found out several weeks ago that we are expecting our first child in late-November (surprise!). This was totally unexpected, but we are both very excited.

We both have reservations about moving to a new place (we currently live in Alaska) while expecting a baby and I have reservations about giving birth while in my first semester of PT school. I've already contacted my school, which offers deferrals on a case-by-case basis. They indicated to me over the phone that they would be very surprised if I was not offered a one-year deferral. We are slightly concerned about losing momentum on the way to PT school. I've worked hard for four years to make this happen, my husband just left his job in anticipation of a move, and we are kind of excited to get out of Alaska for a bit.

I have a good idea that we will be deferring for a year, but I would love to hear from any ladies who have had a child during PT school. Half the people I talk to say go for it, the other half say I'm crazy to put myself through that. My husband already plans to be a stay at home dad while I am in school, so I'm not really worried so much about child care as about physical/emotional issues before and after childbirth.

I've seen answers to this question a lot from a father's perspective; not so much from women. Any insight from the ladies who have experienced having a baby during school would be greatly appreciated!

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[starrsgirl]

Although I didn't have a baby in school, I did attend school with 2 little ones. If your husband will commit to being a stay at home dad, I think you can absolutely do it. It will be very hard, especially that first semester, but you should be able to make it through...if you are due in November, you will likely only have a few weeks of classes and finals to make it to Christmas break (plan to get ahead of your classes during the semester). See if your school records lectures, you may not even have to miss much with the birth. The most difficult part (from observation) was the long standing hours required of us for anatomy in first semester, the pregnant girl I knew looked uncomfortable especially those last months. Also, my classmate had to wear a breathing apparatus because of the fumes in the lab.

I was going through my pre reqs when I had my youngest and studying quite a bit. I was able to take the "late shift" meaning my hubby went to bed early at 9pm, I stayed up with baby and studied until about 1am and then hubby helped me out at night. Babies sleep a lot when they are little, so I was able to hold mine/breastfeed and study without too much trouble. If you plan on breastfeeding, be proactive and ensure your school has nursing rooms and adequate breaks for you. (Our school did not and often I noticed students were afraid to ask...but you can! And in general, I've found people to be supportive).

As for my story, I went back to school with 2 littles ones, but my husband was working a very full time job and it was a nightmare the first semester. I was fully in charge of childcare drop off/pick up and everything else with the kids as he worked more hours than me. If your husband was working, there is no way I would recommend this to you. But if you have the support, you can make it through. It is difficult to be away from the kids for so many hours each day, but you will fall into a routine.

 

[Heardyoudpt]

Awesome, thank you for the response! I will check with the school about recording lectures and such! Either way, we will make it work!

 

[callmecrazy]

I didn't have a child while in PT school, but I do have a child now. If it were me, I would absolutely defer. Pregnancy was a crushing level of exhaustion, the first 3 months with a newborn were a blur, and I was not getting quality sleep for awhile. None of that bodes well for being mentally sharp in the classroom. The experience will be different for every woman, but you won't know what it's like for you until you're in the thick of it. My son is over a year now, and he's in bed at 7. That's a few solid hours every night to study, etc. I feel like I could manage grad school at this stage, but not when my guy was much younger.

 

[Heardyoudpt]

Thank you! I ended up getting a one-year deferral. It felt a little bittersweet because I've put so much time and effort into a career change, but overall we're happy to be staying in an area with family and we will definitely appreciate the quality time we get to spend with our newborn. I'd much rather start school with a 9-month old!

 

[Azimuthal]

A student one class under mine had a baby the same time you’re expecting. This time frame is advantageous in that it’s near all the major breaks. She was able to work out take-home assignments ahead of time, come in for finals, and contribute to group projects by asking her team to visit her home for projects. It’s doable but requires your husband to be at home.