Single parent at uni (scotland): is this possible?

[Celinedayjardnz]

Hi all,

Im bricking it. I just found out I’m pregnant. This is unplanned, as I divorced a couple of years ago. At the time I was very sad to have lost my chance to be a mum (I’m 39). But I have been working on getting my life back together (as I lost my job and have been unemployed for a couple of years) and decided to go back to uni in Scotland and requalify as a physiotherapist as my old career is effectively dead after so long out of work, and I hated it anyway.

I have now fallen pregnant by mistake. I don’t want to be with the man. We are not well suited. That’s not an option.

I also don’t want to get stuck in Leeds, unemployed for the rest of my life. I want to go back to uni, so I can make a future for myself. But how can I do that, with a new born baby in tow? I have no family or anyone else to help me. I have no money. I had a little equity in my house, which I was hoping to sell to finance me moving back to Scotland and help me get settled. But it isn’t much.

I don’t know what to do. But what I decide to do depends a lot on whether being a single mother and going to university for four years is viable. I knew a girl at uni who had a baby, and she managed somehow, but she had a supportive family, and that was 20 years ago. Is anyone doing it, or does anyone know anyone who is doing it, or how you do it?

Yours, bricking it,

Celine

With no family and no money?

Don't see how it is possible

I think you can do it. I did it, working too. With no savings or anything. Student finance is pretty generous, it'll fund most of your childcare costs. Not sure how this will work depending on existing savings. Plus, if your course is 9-5, it'll be more tricky. But I did it, just finished. Best thing I ever did (apart from having my beautiful DD).

Good luck.

Perhaps you can speak to the uni or the department you would be applying to to find out what assistance there is for women with babies. I know at my uni they had a creche/nursery but I have a feeling it had quite a waiting list.

Women go back to full time work with babies. My old manager went back when her baby was 3 months old. He was put in nursery. It is hard but I wouldn't say completely undoable. I think doing coursework and assignments would be hard because you will not have a partner to take the baby off you. To be honest even though I have a partner, as I am breastfeeding I don't get much time to myself (my baby will only be 3 weeks on Tuesday).

I think you'd have to bank on taking a certain amount of time off to have baby and some maternity leave before recomnencing or starting your studies.