In a panic re family planning while at uni (mature student) help?!?!

[ladygaga14]

This is my 1st post so hello everyone!

I'm in a bit of a panic & need some advice /experiences.
I'm going to university this year (I will be 33 when I start) to study Physiotherapy full time. When I graduate I will be nearly 37 & don't want to leave it until then to start trying for a baby.

Has anyone done a full on course such as mine (which has a long commute & a lot of placements) & had a baby during the course? How did you find it? How did the university accommodate this?

Many thanks in advance :)

Bump for replies :(

Hey I don't have a lot of experience or advice but didn't want to read and run.

I started a course while working full time. I then got pregnant, had baby in January and then didn't attend any lectures until may. I took my exams in may which was all fine! I then deferred for a year because I was still on maternity leave and didn't feel like I would be able to manage my return to work as well as uni all in one go.

Sadly I haven't returned to the course and it's been two years now. Partly because I had another surprise baby shortly after. And partly because the course was in the evenings and we couldn't afford to pay a babysitter in the evenings in addition to nursery during the day (for daytime jobs). I also wouldn't have been able to leave my kids for so long and practically only see them on weekends.

But your situation is different. If you have the finances to afford childcare while studying then I don't see how it's a problem? You can study when the baby sleeps and on weekends when your partner (?) could have the baby etc. So would only need childcare for the placements lectures.

Check with the uni if you can interrupt for one year and then return.

Hope this helps!

My situation is slightly different as I was 21 when I had my son. I gave birth just after my 2nd year exams and continued with my course, full time for the 3rd and 4th years. My 3rd year was a placement year which made my commutes even longer and my 4 th year was spent partially studying in France (where my son was born) I should add I'm also a single parent.

The universities usually have pretty good nurseries attached which give priority to staff and full time students and are usually reasonably priced. Plus, for me, only having to pay for the time I was actually studying rather than my commute time too helped. Also there are often bursaries, grants or funding to help both mature students and students with dependents so I would suggest contacting the university's student finance team. It was quite a full on work load doing the whole newborn/young baby thing around the full course load but it was manageable and sticking with my course helped me feel like I wasn't losing myself too much.

If you do go ahead I would suggest getting pregnant asap so that the pregnancy and birth and newborn phase happen in the earlier stages of your course though as the workload increases exponentially in the later years. If possible aim for a June due date (although I know that's asking a bit much) as that gives you the long summer break at home with the newborn before going back to studying.

Good Luck.

Just to add my uni was incredibly supportive and they even offered a crèche for kids over the age of 2 (I think).
But do check their policies and talk to someone in student support.

Thank you so much for your replies. They really are incredibly helpful & it's a relief to know others have done it. I'm not sure I even want children but I'm just worried time will pass me by & I will have missed my opportunity especially as I have had some gynalogical Health issues in the past. I'm unsure if I'd afford childcare as I have no idea how much it costs- if anyone can shed further light it would be really helpful.

Thanks again ;)

Hi
I started university last year at 20 years old and doing a Law LLB and my son was 6 weeks old at the time.
I was breastfeeding between lectures and was trying to be superwoman and it was hard but I was well organised so that was ok.
I fortunately did get a high first which made me proud however, my son was a good baby and didn't wake up during the night.
Now I'm doing my second year and boy is it hard haha. I think its much harder with a demanding toddler. I literally used to put him down and sit and do work but now hes walking everywhere and up to all sorts so much much harder to get time to study.
All I can say is it is definitely not easy but worth it for me imho.

All the best op

Yes definitely hard to do uni with a toddler. DD is 13 months, I'm knackered from running after her and the clingliness. Bit I'm a single mum so having a partner who does half the work would make it easier I can imagine.