Mumsnet Talk

I have been doing a Primary PGCE since September and am now pregnant (unplanned of course!). I am due 1 week after the course is supposed to finish. Is it unrealistic for me to expect to finish the course? I know I will be tired and very heavy but I don't want to interrupt my course does anyone have any advice or suggestions?
Thankyou

I suppose it depends on how well the pregnancy goes. You might feel fab, you might not. Also, how will the uni view the time off you'll need for antenatal appts, scans etc?

I'd speak to your uni and ask what they suggest, you won't be the first I'm sure!

Congratulations!

Hello Emmaplym, I am in final year of uni degree, had my ds in summer hols between yr1 and 2. He was due 3 weeks after my final exam.
I kept fit during pregnancy and was lucky enough not to have problems. It was totally totally do-able and I am very glad I was a student when he was a tiny baby as I was with him more than I would have been if I was working.
I think attitude is a lot to do with it (assuming you have no serious medical issues). In fact the flexibility of studying while pg was very useful as I could rest if I needed to or attend appointments between lectures.
Congratulations! Wish you all the best, and if I was you I would continue course without interruption. The chances are you won't deliver early so can complete course before lo arrives, much nicer than trying to go back to it after a long break and small child in tow. IYSWIM
Enjoy the rest of your course. :-)

p.s you might be heavy but you won't necessarily be tired. Keep yourself in good shape and you give yourself every chance to achieve your goal. :-)

Thankyou, I have every intention of completing the course but some people have been saying it may not be do-able. Assuming there are no complications I see no reason why I can't July will just be a doubly exciting month for me: qualification and a baby!

I worked until a week before my due date. It was bloody hard at the end but manageable as long as I kept of my feet. You won't be the first person this has happened to so go and talk to them, as long as you are ready to tell people that is.

Attagirl Emmaplym!!! That's the spirit. ignore the nay-sayers you get 'em in all walks of life but they aren't right! If all the what-ifs ruled our lives we'd never do anything. Roll on July and your exciting double whammy. Woopwoop.

how are your school placements timed? i think if you're in school at over 35weeks that might be hard.. but if you're doing academic work towards the end that's totally do-able.

Also forgot to add, that having bump was a wonderful distraction from the stress of exams as it gave me some perspective and stopped them beine the be all and end all....while... the exams stopped me getting too hung up on the impending parent-hood etc so pregnancy flew by.
Both were very complimentary of the other - I think you'll be A-OK.

I think if you have a healthy pregnancy it's actually better to keep yourself busy for as long as possible. If it all goes well you may just miss a few weeks at the end.
But you do need to make sure that you do nothing but rest and eat well when you're not at school/class.
I know teachers who have worked up to a few weeks before their due date.

Rest is great - definately a must - but wouldn't say exclusively, no activity is not good, pregnancy and new baby is a time when you need to be fit - I don't mean a huge workout regime but walking, swimming etc to keep some stamina comes in very handy for the feat of labour and running round after your lo when it arrives. IYSWIM.

I am due two weeks before my final exams, so have stopped before semester 2. Whilst they could have moved my exams for me, I didn't want to finish my degree and then have several months off before looking for work and definitely didn't want to go straight into work with a newborn.

So I am having a year off, which means being off from quite early, but I will then have my nice new qualification at the time I want to start working, not 9 months earlier!