Completing Msc on mat leave?

[frenchie4002]

Looking at full time or part time Msc Psychology conversion. I go on maternity in September and can take either 9 months or a year, so well timed for the course. Am I being unreasonable - or more perhaps delusional - to think I can juggle studying and a newborn?

I have an 8 week old baby, some days I genuinely don’t even manage to eat lunch because she sleeps very badly during the day and basically screams every time you put her down…

I think if you had a baby that slept/napped well you could do it but it wouldn’t be easy and you would have to have a very supportive partner and be mega organised.

Highly, highly depends on the baby. I had great plans to finish my professional exams during maternity leave. Then I had a reflux baby who cried every waking minute, breastfed every hour day and night and would only nap in the sling for the first 6 months. 6-12 months was easier but I was too much of a wreck.

I don’t say this to scare you. I don’t think it’s impossible at all. But wanting to do it isn’t enough. The temperament of your DC plays a massive part in your experience of maternity leave.

This

Sorry - not read all the comments. I started my masters on maternity leave because I was pretty bored and wanted to use my brain. It was much easier balancing studying with a baby than it was when I was finishing my Masters by which time I was back at work. The main advantage that my course had though is that there were no tutorials or lectures, it was entirely self directed study so it was 100% flexible and, other than exams, there were no deadlines. Mine was in law so I lot of the work was reading journal articles and case law which I could easily do with a snoozing/feeding baby. Other subjects will be more tricky for sure. But yeah, it's totally doable. But I also love my job and the area I work in so it wasn't much of a hardship.

I've got a toddler and planning to do my MSc next year when she's 3 (got to do a conversion this year). I had wanted to have a second child when she was 3 but after these past 18 months I can categorically say that I will be waiting until I'm approaching the end of my masters to think about a second child

I've been lucky sleep wise but the first year of a baby knocked me for six - hormonally, emotionally, sleep wise in general, tiredness, stress everything.

So many things to consider:

• breastfeeding/ff/pumping?!
• first or second/third child?
• support systems
• will you work around it all when you've finished Mat leave so essentially work/masters/small baby or toddler
• what is your partner like
• how well do you function when you are running on absolutel fumes

Cross posted!

*absolute fumes

• when will you do work, as it won't be when baby naps as you'll most likely be knackered and want to sit and enjoy a moments peace
• can a child wait or can the course wait? What happens if you fail?
• finances

Etc etc

I will also second many posters, not wanting to douse your fire but the first year was honestly so intense. I didn't even read ANY of the books I'd excitedly lined up to read and 'enjoy' during nap times ...also, my brain suddenly stopped working and I became very scatterbrained/unintelligible at times! Strange times indeed - a different picture at 18 months though. Very much felt like me and a capable human again

I did a part time masters over two years and tried to complete the final year on mat leave. It was awful and really nearly broke me. My friend did the same at the same time and although she got through less broken than me she didn’t really enjoy the masters and it did negatively impact her enjoyment of the baby stage and mat leave.

Well as someone who completed the clinical psychology doctorate with a baby and toddler in tow, and as someone who has lectured on the MSc conversion course, I'd say ..

1. I would have struggled to complete the MSc with a newborn. It's one thing studying with an older baby who can use nursery sometimes, that is starting to sleep, and once you r getting used to being a mum. Its quite another thing to study while you have a newborn that isn't sleeping, your body is knackered from the birth and lack of sleep in the early days, and you r still adjusting to the demands of being a first time mum (which will be harder than you might think it's going to be!)

1. Have you had much contact and experience with newborns? If you know what you r getting into (and I mean, really know), then it will be easier and maybe manageable. If you r a first time mum with not much experience looking after a newborn, I think this alone will be a shock and I think you might struggle with balancing everything.

1. The MSc conversion is fuller than a lot of other MSc courses (I've taught on quite a few) - you r basically covering the undergrad syllabus in a shorter space of time. It's a lot to cover and with a newborn, this will be v difficult.

1. Why the rush (for the MSc)? What's another year? Why are you putting yourself in this position? The MSc will still be there next year I presume.

1. You don't get back mat leave! Once it's gone, it's gone (til/if the next baby!). It's the one and only time you get to just be with your baby, focus on your love for each other, and rest up after birth and through months of no sleep.Do you want this special time to be stress filled and exhausting? Are you ok with knowing this time will not be fully for you and your baby, and your attention will not be solely focused on baby?

No-one can tell you what to do OP and if you've had loads of contact with newborns and know what you are getting in to, then maybe it's manageable. If not, I'm not sure I'd advise it, but only you know what you feel you can manage and what you want. It will be a challenge, but ultimately it's your decision and I wish you all the best in whatever you choose to do

Hi OP .My daughter is just finishing her 1st year MSc and has a two year old .
she is very committed and her child is at full time nursery.
my daughter is thriving and really enjoying the course.
Her placements have been excellent and the course educator has really put a lot of thought into her placements .
just go for it…very different from being an undergraduate because everyone on her course have the same aim .
Also brilliant role model for your child…good luck 💐

Just finished first semester of year two so half way (results dependent). It’s part time and online (from a brick uni) due to pandemic. It’s been hard and I’ve needed family for childcare around submissions . Having to work around baby means 30 minute snatches instead of time to sit and write like normal

I did a one year PGDL on mat leave with a newborn and a toddler- it can be done. You need to be super-organised, obviously, and of course it will also depend on your baby and their precise needs and schedule. I did have a cleaner once a week so that made it a bit easier.

I did a distance education MEd over three years, first year pregnant, second on mat leave and third (dissertation year) when I returned to work part-time. As it was over three years the workload was really spread out and gave me plenty of time to do it whilst DD was asleep. The only time I was required in was 2 optional weekends per year at the uni for lectures and seminars. There were lots of small tasks online and and are for ‘group work’.

lots of unis offer these options well and it works well with children/working part time.

I love studying and learning new things. I started working after my undergraduate and then saved up so I had enough money to take a year out and self fund an MSc. After I returned to work I studied another postgraduate qualification through part-time through Open University. Before I went on maternity leave with my first I had ideas about doing further modules through the Open University or even writing a book (I'd been told at school that I had potential as a non-fiction writer, but didn't pursue creative writing after school).

HOWEVER... having a newborn baby was so much more challenging than I expected. My eldest didn't nap unless he was lying on me so I couldn't get anything done. He was also up 3-4 times a night until he was at least 18 months old so I was permanently exhausted. I struggled to get out the house for ages, and once I was out and about I had to learn not to over-commit myself because I was so used to being busy. One activity per day was enough because looking after a baby takes up so much time. And once you've got into the swing of the milk stage, you start weaning them onto solids and that takes so much time too. I had a really supportive partner too who took over every night when he got home and worked from home one day per week to help out. But by the time he took over I was too exhausted to do anything useful.

If you have to commit to it before baby arrives I woudn't do it. You might have a dream baby who sleeps through the night and naps in his/her cot, but otherwise I would say a full-time MSc is impossible whilst on maternity leave. I took up studying after I returned to work where ironically I had more free time - my 40 minute train journey to work twice a day four times a day became my study time!

Thanks all. You’re right, lots of factors to consider and I really appreciate you sharing your experiences. I will have a proper think and research over the next few months. As one poster said quite rightly, I won’t get this time with my baby back but the course will always be there. No rush! Thanks everyone x

Depends how you usually cope with stress, and how much time you can have away from the baby to study? If you are someone who is determined to get a distinction in the MSc you will find it frustrating that you can’t study more than you want - you have to slot it round the baby which is unpredictable and stressful. I did a MSc with an 8 and 10 year old and I found it ridiculously stressful, I would NEVER have managed with a newborn. Enjoy being a first time mum - it will never happen again.

Hi, I currently work full time and am completing an OU degree. Im on a time constraint so am essentially studying full time too (not my choice). I already have an Hons degree so I'm no stranger to studying. I also have a toddler at home.

As a PP has already said. I am becoming very aware of my breaking points and this is incredibly hard.

There's no way I could have managed to study when my DS was a newborn and he was (still is) a great sleeper. I had the choice to start my degree at that time and I'm so glad I didn't. The emotional toll of becoming a new mother, being overwhelmed, the significant change to my life, hormones etc.... and like PP have said, concentration and ability to retain information, constructing a sentence and analysing info would have been beyond me. And that's before you even start on the nature of your baby!

I'd advise against it OP.

I started a PHD in the May, my daughter was due early October but came at the start of September. Although she's always been a terrible sleeper, the first year of her life was so much easier to juggle with studying compared to now. She's 2.5 and I've had to put the course on hold as I've found looking after a toddler and studying impossible, so will pick it up again when the 30 free hours start.

My husband compressed his working week, which meant he could focus on our LO on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I can only focus for a couple of hours a day, which meant we still had a lot of family time. Plus, as I was more focused than the average student, I met all of the milestones in my course earlier than expected.

I think with a newborn who sleeps on you most of the day it would be doable. It would get far harder a few months in when the baby wriggles around a bit, wants to sit up, hold toys, crawl around, the time spent cleaning up after starting solids. It would be a lot.

I wouldn't. I've got a 4 week old who is a moderately "easy" baby, and I have a supportive husband. I spend about 8 hours in each 24 breastfeeding, add onto that changes, burping, cuddling, then me trying to get some exercise and do basic housework (baby creates a washload most days)....there is a reason why mothers take time off work to rear a baby. It is more than a job in itself.