To think I can do a course while on maternity leave?

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond88]

I've signed up for a distance learning course, a professional qualification that I'd wanted to do for a while and had done a lot of research into, but always found an excuse to put off.
Now I'm thinking it's my last chance, as I wouldn't have the time to do it when I go back to work, as I'd have full time work plus baby.
DD is 4 months old and sleeps 8pm-8am plus a 2 hour nap in the sling and a few cat naps. This is obviously really good and will give me time to study, but I've just had a bit of a panic about it all. What if she has a sleep regression or I find it all too overwhelming, or have forgotten how to study.
Can I have some positive stories of people who have managed to study while on maternity leave? Or even while working and raising kids? Or will it be a total disaster?

I gave birth in December had an exam first week of March. I was studying when she was asleep. I went through that period with the least amount of sleep. You can do it.

I did both - finished my masters on mat leave and did a professional qual when back at work with a toddler - with no less than three night wakings throughout (all on me, as exclusively bf).

I’m sure many others will come along who did higher quals with even more kids. It’s very possible!

The thing is, if you set your mind to it, you just crack on with it and make adjustments as needed (eg being flexible about exactly what time you study, depending on how baby is doing that day).

It sounds like you’re psyching yourself out a bit, but there’s no need to! You’re perfectly capable and it can add nice balance in your life - studying may make you appreciate time with your baby, and long hours with baby may also make you glad for a mental and physical break.

I'd say it is actually much easier before they are independently mobile (i.e. the first year of life). 1 to 3 years old is where the twilight zone is, I even don't remember this time properly.

It’s doable but you have to be quite disciplined about setting up a good nap and sleep routine. It sounds like your nights are sorted. Most of my friends with bad sleepers never had an 8-8 stint- they were always rubbish. You’ll always have the odd bad night, especially with teething but hopefully you’ll be getting enough sleep to function. You ideally want the cot rather than the sling though for daytime. How many hours would you need to do each day?

I'm doing a post graduate diploma while on maternity leave (will convert it to a masters next year). DS is now 13 months and it's more challenging now to find the time to study because he's awake for so much longer and wants to play although he now goes to nursery a couple of days a week so I have time to study. I should have done more studying when he was a bit younger but I'm such a procrastinator that I've left it very late (6 weeks until exams...). I find having a baby fairly mind numbing so love the chance to use my brain a bit.

It's possible. There are setups where it would work and setups where it wouldn't. You do at least sound like the building blocks are in place.

It won'r be fun but it is doable. Can you say what? Some are much ore intensive than others. Prof services?

I did my MA while pregnant, it did take me an extra year as I hadn’t quite finished my dissertation when my DC was born in the July but I finished it while he was a baby and ended up with a Distinction with a special letter of commendation from the course leader. It’s my proudest achievement as my baby was NOT a good sleeper and I was close to giving up several times, but I did it.

Good luck!

Definitely doable - but get started sooner rather than later. once they get mobile, its a lot more difficult (my youngest was crawling at 6 months, walking at 9).
Do you have a standing desk? Works well with baby in a sling ;)

How much flexibility is involved in the course? If you don't have to be available at specific times for sessions, I would imagine it's absolutely manageable. It's not quite the same, but I prepared and submitted a research grant application while on mat leave, which is quite a significant undertaking. I worked on it during nap times, some evenings and on the weekends when dh was home. It was fine, but yes, much easier before about 7 months when they become more demanding during the day.

Thanks for the replies, it's reassuring to hear that others have done it.
To answer your questions: the course is flexible, there are some webinars which are at set times but not many, most is flexible self-study and coursework. DH can take the baby during the webinars if she's awake, as they're in the evening.

I don't have a standing desk but the sling I have allows me to be sitting down with DD, for now. When she gets bigger that might change. Her night time sleep is solid but day time naps are still unpredictable and she only does a longer chunk either in the sling or pram while being pushed.
I'd probably need to do about an hour a day on average, but it's not set in stone - I could either do a lot in one go or do little and often.
DH can also take her for a few hours on the weekends to give me time. She's bottle fed now so that gives us more flexibilty.

I guess I've lost my mojo a bit. I was academic when I was younger and a go-getter in general but a combination of being in a job I don't enjoy with a bullying boss and the upheaval of having a baby has made me doubt my abilities.