How to study 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

[MuddlerInLaw]

Nope. (Though I may be again, soon.) But I took a postgrad degree when I was about 100 years old - so I feel immense empathy for any student facing extra challenges.

Why don’t you have online access to the university library? And are you going to sort that out today?

[SeraphinaAngelina]

@MuddlerInLaw thanks for asking, still no further forward. Started one assignment last night, felt the old brain firing a bit but then when I went to log onto my uni library, found that I don’t have access so couldn’t actually do any work as I couldn’t access books or journals.

I don’t start placement until nearer the end of August, all assignments are due in before then. I’m hoping by some miracle my brain decides that it likes to do work every day instead of the day before a deadline as I will most certainly fail if not 🙈😂

are you studying at the moment?

[MuddlerInLaw]

How are you getting on?

Have you started your placement?

[Hopefulrecovery]

Still struggling and still haven’t done any assignments 🙈😂

I’ve tried going to the uni library but I struggled there as well. Not sure what the answer is tbf.

Baby starts the childminder next week so might be able to get something done then.

Thanks for your message, @MuddlerInLaw

[MuddlerInLaw]

Surprised there were no responses to this thread!

Hope you’re battling through, OP.