To ask MN doctors - when did you have kids?

[AmyGDalae]

No kids yet. I'm about to start med school (as a career-changer, so four years). I will be in my in my mid-thirties when I do my foundation years.

Obviously most of you would have been quite a bit further on with your career by the time you had kids, but hypothetically is there as such a thing as a relatively 'convenient' time to fit in having kids for me?

I had Ds1 right at the end of GP VTS training so I would get paid mat leave. Then the other 2 whilst working as a GP partner - this was expensive! Think I would have struggled when doing hospital jobs when I was doing shifts and nights

I had my ds in my gpst3 year. It certainly seems much easier to take mat leave/go part time in GP training than in hospital but as others have said I don't think there is ever a perfect time. I do know others who had their children in foundation training and earlier in hospital training. I think it depends on what you want to do job wise (some are definitely easier than others) but essentially do it when it's right for your family.

I should add that I know people who have had kids in medical school and through all grades and most have been fine. I am aware of someone who missed being entitled to maternity pay and benifits as they hadn't worked long enough but with a tiny bit of planning that shouldn't be an issue.

What speciality are you considering? Might be worth getting specific advice.

Lucked Neurology.

Just a point about mat pay as a GP- if you are salaried this is usually ok- GMS practices cannot offer terms less favourable than the BMA model contract which is pretty good. If you're in a partnership it's up to you and your partners to negotiate. Of course with the current political/NHS situation this may all become irrelevant!

So uncoupled training? I don't really have any experience of that, our trainees come to us as ST1s and can get pregnant right away

i suppose it depends on how competitive the ST3 jobs you are chasing are. It is a long way away and you will have opportunity to ask neurology trainees their opinion during hospital placements etc. you also may get sidelined into something else or a related field.

I had my first just before medical finals so had maternity leave (without pay) after finishing ed school and starting FY1 which I did full time. That was tough.
Had my second inFY2 and went back part time. 6 years later I'm just completing speciality training with all exams finished. It's a relief!!! Never a good time but FY1 and FY2 were particularly hard with babies.