Tips on studying with a baby?

[Hopefulrecovery]

Apologies if this is in the wrong place.

I’m looking for some advice from parents who have/had a young baby and managed to finish their degree?

I had my baby last year and went back to uni after 2 weeks (was severely ill, baby was born quite early and was in NICU for 3 weeks, I had EMCS). I managed to do one assignment and then couldn’t seem to focus. I had to take time out and I’m heading back in August, straight onto a 6 month placement.

I also have 3 assignments due in before I go back. I‘ m struggling to find the time and focus to get anything done. Baby is 9 months and is at the stage where they need watching constantly when awake. They are also a night owl (like myself) so don’t go down till 9/9.30 for bed. We still have one or 2 wakes in the night. I struggle with insomnia at the best of times but on a night of shit sleep I just can’t find the motivation to get any work done.

Does anyone have any tips on when or how to fit in studying? I feel like I’m not going to be able to finish my degree at this rate, there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Baby will be going into almost full time childcare but that’ll be during the day when I’m on placement so that doesn’t really free up time.

TIA

Not a degree but I’m doing a professional qualification I started back in February atm and have to get in 15-20 hours a week. My youngest is almost 8 months.

I study during her long nap over lunch so around 2 hours if she will stay asleep. Then when my older two are doing homework she goes in her bouncer or activity chair for half hour while I sit and do some more.

I try not to do evenings as I’m too tired to concentrate and she won’t always settle early enough.

Do you have a partner to help you? Perhaps take the baby for a bit while you get some done? DH will take over at the weekend so I can get caught up from the week.

Its hard but I will finish in November and just hoping I’ll pass first go around. I’ll be honest and admit I wonder why I thought it was a good idea to take it on this year and some days really lack motivation. I just make a list of what I have to get done each week and ticking it off helps keep me going. I also break things into smaller steps that I can do if I get a spare 10 mins unexpectedly.

She’s terrible for napping, won’t nap for longer than an hour and a half, she cat naps a lot. I wouldn’t even be able to get one journal article read in that time.

I do have a partner. The idea was that he would take over as soon as he comes in from work at 6 and I would get right to it but it just never seems to happen. My mum took her last night for sleep over but by the time everyone was fed (I made dinner for 5) and baby was bathed and everyone was gone and dishes all done, it was already 9pm. I tried to read a journal article and couldn’t get past page 4 of 15. This seems to happen every single day I try to get any study done.

Short of just booking a space in the library every day and literally running out the door as my partner comes home, I don’t know how to fit it in. I used to do all my best work at night time but that was before I had a baby 😂 now as soon as darkness hits, I just want to sleep.

How did you get on OP? I did a masters with a baby and found it helpful to have the Internet browser read out the journal article to me as my eyes would just be too tired. I had one day a week off Paid childcare then hubby on weekend to give me time to study. Though I had no placements and part time course so vastly different.I also took some time on evenings to study. House was a mess sometimes and had to wait till morning to clean when I had the kids, so I could study at night time.

@Mumlifeandme oh it’s been a long hard slog! Baby started nursery and childminder in August and I started my placement in September and I’ve got 5 weeks left to go. I’ve never really mastered the studying at night time. I have managed some small bits of an evening but my dissertation has been extended multiple times now as my personal circumstances are just too much. My sister who has been living with a grade 2 brain tumour for 9 years was also diagnosed with a terminal grade 4 GBM at the end of last year so that was something else on top of my plate. The childminder quit at Christmas so I had to scrabble to find other childcare so that was another worry. It’s been one thing on top of another to be honest.

In hindsight, I wish I’d have done placement and then dissertation instead of doing them alongside each other. But if I’d have done that, I’d run the risk of my sister not seeing me graduate. It’s very full on, the placement is basically an unpaid full time job and then I have one day a week at uni too.

I do use the read aloud function on Word. It’s very helpful. Ive done really well on placement, get my reports and work done on time and done well but uni work has really taken a back seat. The people in my class with no babies or responsibilities have found it absolutely hellish as well so I feel proud that I’ve got this far. I wouldn’t have got this far without my family right enough, they’ve been amazing.

I’ve booked into a hotel for this weekend and I’m going to bash out the writing of my diss as it’s due at the end of the month. It’s the only way I can think to do it with no distractions.

Congrats on your qualification. Us mums don’t make it easy for ourselves, do we?

You are amazing @Hopefulrecovery . I’m sorry about your sister. You’ve done amazing with what you’ve achieved so far. You’ve got a lot of determination and have shown that you can do it by how much you’ve achieved. Good luck with the rest of it. Peace to you and your family.