University student and pregnant!

[SSJS1]

Hi everyone! I’ve only just joined mumsnet and I’m desperate for some advice.

I’m 24 and have just found out that I’m pregnant (unplanned). I’m currently a full time university student and I’m really worried.
My course if 37 hours a week with the option to continue up to giving birth and then come back a year later.

I’m very concerned about my parents reaction, which seems silly seen as I am 24 but they know how hard I’ve worked to get on this course and I fear their reaction to this pregnancy will not be positive.

Can anyone offer advice on how to approach it with them?

Thankyou! X

It would be such a shame if your parents did not support you. baby does not have to be an obstacle to have a degree or a great career, and having a baby does not cross out your effort getting onto the course.

I would say that you will definitely be back onto the course- although their help and support will of course make things so much easier!
Will you be able to take some of the exams in winter and then come back next year and have less work to do, or would you need to redo the whole year?

And congrats on the baby btw! :)

Thankyou so much for replying to me!

Well I’m actually a student midwife so hopefully my course tutors will be very supportive! I would just continue with the course, leave at the point I want to and then come back at the exact same point a year later.
Me and my partner have worked out how we can do it but I know what my mum is like and she’ll instantly think I’ve ruined my career.

Thankyou so much, we’re very happy after getting over the initial shock! X

No advice on how to broach the subject with parents (mine were not best pleased) but I did Uni with a baby and now I have a degree and a lovely 5yo DD. It's doable! You just need to focus on your goals. Good luck!

You've definitely not ruined your career. I've had many friends have babies in medical school and they are getting on fine! I've had my baby early in my post graduate training when the culture seems to be waiting until one is a consultant and therefore in mid-thirties - I've survived!

You can do this and if anything it'll make you a better midwife :)

Congratulations and good luck!

My friend has had four whilst training to be a Doctor so it is definitely achievable. Good luck and congratulations x

I am a Mum of adult children and would hate to think they were concerned about telling me such a thing and expecting I would make a judgement.

Please don't worry about what the parents will think - you have some challenges ahead of you, but also so many joys. Grasp them with both hands! Good luck with your course when you pick it up again - and good luck with being a Mum!!

I had a baby while doing a postgrad. Quite a few other PhD students also had babies during their studies, and many completed their courses and are now being successful in their careers. Studying with a baby is not necessarily much different to working with a baby, and lots of women do that.

Good luck, and congratulations!

Congratulations! It's not silly, sometimes it's hard to remember we're adults around parents and hard to come across in the right way. I would go in ready to answer all their concerns... Prepare your answers. Contact the uni, check you can take a gap year due to pregnancy, talk to your tutors, check financial help you could get for maternity/ etc, perhaps be ready to explain to your parents that you could buy things second hand, that you and your partner have discussed the future, how it will work and basically have everything prepared in case they bombard you with questions... But of course stress with support from them and the family that it's very achievable. Positivity 😁 you'll be fine and I'm sure after perhaps an initial shock maybe, they'll be happy grandparents to be. 😁 xx

I had a baby during my degree (unplanned - the baby, not the degree)

The university were immensely supportive, as were fellow students. Tell the university as soon as possible, they will be able to put some support in place for you. And they may well be able to offer help with childcare too.

I had a baby when at university and it was fine! I was 21 and in my 2nd year, I ended up deferring and repeating a year. The university were very supportive unfortunately the on-site nursery shut just before my son was born but we managed childcare in other ways. I did take my son to tutorials a couple of times and my tutors were always accommodating.

I’m expecting my 2nd now and working part time and I’m expecting childcare etc. to be way more complicated this time!

I had my second child half way through my first year. Still finished off the year and did fine on my exams. It's not really an issue.

I do agree with the message above. It's not a huge problem, there's always a way out. I was pregnant with my first child at uni and it was fine. Of course not without essayreviewexpert.com help. This site helped me to choose between a big number of writing services. To be honest I used them to do my assignments because I wasn’t able to cope with everything by myself.