Should I defer my master's place for a year to have a baby?

[hereforthefood]

I'm currently 0.5 years into a 2 year, part time master's course (all coursework, no exams). I also work full time to cover my bills.

Essentially I'm hoping to get pregnant in the next few months but that would mean giving birth during year 2 of my masters course. What I'm thinking is either requesting to do seminars and lectures online like we've been doing for the pandemic (I'd be on maternity leave so would have loads of time to study, especially if my baby sleeps all the time which I feel like newborns do), or deferring for a year and coming back and finishing my degree when my baby is a few months old. Here, I'll have to go back to working full time and would also have to find childcare (there's a nursery down the road and DP's parents and grandma are a 15 minute drive away so not too difficult).

Which of these options sound the best? This is entirely hypothetical as I may not even get pregnant until such a time where I would have finished my course by the time I give birth.

I used to work with students, mainly masters level. I think either complete your course first, or, if you find yourself pregnant, defer the second year of your course. Do you have a dissertation to do next year? Don't underestimate how much time this will take up.
Putting aside the fact that it is impossible to know how long it will take you to get pregnant, which makes it difficult to make firm plans... Your university should have student support workers you can speak to, even hypothetically, about what the process would be if you became pregnant. You might find you have no realistic option other than to defer purely because of internal deadlines and processes.
Plenty of people with children manage to study at the same time but a newborn is a different kettle of fish.

I've done a masters and had a baby and no way would I have enjoyed both at the same time. I could probably have struggled through if I absolutely had to, but that would have been doing minimum to scrape a pass. It's far better to focus solely on one then the other in my opinion.

If age is a factor get pregnanat asap - it's the one thing which won't wait. You can defer a masters if you need to.

If you desperately want to get pregnant for any other good reason now, then do so - as you can defer the masters if you need to, keep on if you don't.

If you're looking for a best fit for everything and would ideally really NOT want to defer your masters, then don't get pregnant. You might have a horribly rough pregnancy, sickness, rough birth, a non-sleeper... Yes you might have an easy pregnancy and a good sleeper but it's definitely a risk. People often discount the pregnancy part when thinking of potential disruption - I was signed off sick for 2 months of mine. Couldn't have done a thing. Mat leave was fine!

Masters first if possible.

Pregnancy can also be.very difficult. Fatigue can be all consuming. I don't think I managed to stay awake beyond seven o'clock all through my pregnancy.

You may not have the choice to study online - depends how the course is validated and what delivery will be like at that point. For example, I’m fully teaching students face to face, and we can’t also stream online in a hybrid way.
Our students are entitled to a period of maternity leave, you could suspend study for a period of time year or interrupt study for a year. Depends on the programme and whether there are any professional requirements etc.
Check your university’s policies on pregnancy and maternity for students.
For what it’s worth, loads of my final year (undergrad) students have been popping out babies this year. They’ve made it really difficult for themselves at a crucial point in their studies and their grades have definitely been impacted. Sounds like I’m lacking in compassion there, but it’s true.

Well it could take a while and you've done 1/4 of it already. I thought I might be pregnant about 1/4 into my masters too and If I found out I was I was thinking of deferring too. I wasn't and cracked on but found out I was pregnant at the start of of year 2. It was a shock tbh and I still had several assignments and my dissertation project to do so it was daunting however I managed it and just received my masters (literally got the certificate this week) and I am due tomorrow. I am so glad I got it all done before having my baby! I can't imagine any convenient time with a baby/young child... although it's not impossible of course but having done 1/4 seriously just try and get it done now!!

PS the sheer stress of my second year of masters I wouldn't wish upon my newborn at all!! I am so glad I have all this time to actually bond and dedicate to my baby (going back at 6 months so not an awful lot but it'll be dedicated) also survival mode!

@chocopuffs

I definitely wouldn't count on having "loads of time to study"! I've just been on mat leave and it was exhausting and relentless, I thought I'd have time to watch tv and do fun things for me but I had a high needs, demanding baby. Sorry but I think you're being very unrealistic, but that is based on my personal experience.

This

Master's first.
I did a part time master's many years ago (pre-internet so regular library trips necessary) during which I worked full time (at the start) moved house twice, got married and had DC1. I did my dissertation typing with one hand whilst feeding DC. It was not easy and I wished I'd completed it before the baby arrived.

Also you need to clarify how your course will run in other years. You cannot assume that it will stay online if it is usually in person, as it will not have been validated for that delivery. Hybrid (some people in room, some online) is not easy to deliver (IME nobody gets a particularly good experience) and the university may not have the staffing or resources to run 2 separate cohorts.

You haven’t said why you want to have a baby in the next few months?

The ‘normal’ route of completing education, getting career established before have a baby is normal because it makes a lot of sense practically and financially.

I would either wait to have a baby or if you do want to go ahead straight away then I'd defer. The idea of doing lots of studying while your baby sleeps most of the time is honestly completely bonkers.