Tips for surviving with a new baby - can it be done

[greenbeanie]

Really beginning to panic now, am in the 2nd year of a 3 year full time degree course, in addition to having a part time job. I have just had dc3 (now 7 weeks old) and will be returning to college in mid-feb. The course is a distance away and held at weekends so DH will be looking after the children whilst I leave at 7am saturday morning, returning at 7pm on sunday. The college have been great putting on 2 extra 1-2-1 tuition days to help me catch up but at present I just feel overwhelmed at the prospect of doing the course or going back.

There is no option to defer the course and I couldn't afford to drop out, nor would I want to as it is something I have always dreamt of doing. BUT, I am dreading leaving my little baby, not seeing her for 2 days and dealing with all the practicalities of expressing milk etc.

Any tips or advice gratefully received either with coping with the practicalities or emotional aspect, I can just see me spending most of my time crying when at college!!

can you not take the baby with you?

i have to say, there is no way on earth i could have left a baby that small all weekend every weekend. sorry. i know that isn't what you want to hear

I know thisisyesterday, that is exactly what I am worried about, I don't think I can do this. There is no way that I can take her with me really unless I can get someone to look after my older 2dc and get dh to come with me and the baby, even if only for the 1st weekend.

i shall have to see what I can come up with, but longer term I shall have to go without her.

yeah i was thinking about just having her in a sling and BF discreetly if she whimpers. i guess that partly depends on what kind of baby she is though.
would they be very against that?

or could you take a friend to help look after her?

just for the first couple of months or something? that would enable you to build up a supply of expressed milk too

I have been building up a supply since birth, all carefully stored in the freezer. I have thought about having her with me but it is not really practical on the course. I am training as an acupuncturist so the course involves consultations with patients and practical work, so not just sitting in lectures unfortunately. I'm not sure what a patient would think if I sat there feeding a baby during a consultation!!

ahhh yes, that would be interesting!

i hope someone else can come along soon and tell you that they've done this and it was fine!

Thanks....so do I!

I am also doing a course where I am away one weekend a month but only have 1 DS who is now 7 months. We are very fortunate to have a trends house we can use near the course and it made it quite easy, even with expressing and everything. The first weekend was when he was 3 weeks old and I actually enjoyed getting away for 10 hours each day!

Is there any way you could get a Travelodge room as a family or something for the first couple of months. DH and the older DC's could treat is as a weekend treat? While what you are proposing is possible it would be very very tough. Good luck with however you decide to do it.