Part way through a PhD and Pregnant - anyone else out there in the same boat?

[traymca]

Hi,

I'm new to mums net and came on to find people to chat with as I'm almost a year into my full time PhD and am 4 months pregnant and starting to think about what I'm going to do when dc arrives... (November!)

I'm finding the PhD thing a bit isolating at present, most of my colleagues who share an office with me have just finished or only come in part time and it is just so quiet around uni at present. I'm also a mature (36 year old) student with an existing family and so don't really participate in the usual student socialising... it feels odd this time round as when I had DS, nearly 10 years ago, I worked in an office and so could chat to people etc but now all I have is the computer for company during the day!

Anyone out there been in a similar situation with advice?

Hello everyone. I am 1 1/2 years through a PhD and am pregnant with twins. Nice to hear that PhDs and children are not incompatible!

Hi everyone, how refreshing to hear other women in the same situation. I am 4 years into a six year PhD (part-time) where I have completed the practical phase rather promptly prior to DD arriving 8 months ago. The write-up phase is slow as DD gave me four months off with baby-brain! I am now trying to get going again and am snatching monday afternoons with her in nursery and naptimes during the rest of the week. Some weekends I manage to get dear hubby to amuse her while I work! However, I am now expecting (rather shockingly) twins in December and am really worried that I will never finish this thesis. Writing a thesis seems like feeling your way around a maze in the dark! Is this how you all felt? I so want to complete this as I have spent so long doing it so far but with three babies, is it possible? Or am I mad?!

I'm very glad to have found this thread. I have just ended my fourth year pt of thesis writing. I was supposed to be submitting end of September BUT a) my husband started a new job 3 hrs away from home so was away all week, which meant I could not swan off to Paris (I live in France) to the library when I had my two DC to take care of, and b) I fell pregnant beginning May. I'm relatively philosophical about it all but one thing I have noticed is how all my creativity and writing ability go out of the window during the first months of pregnancy. I have been absolutely passionate about my thesis (baroque aesthetics in France) up until my pregnancy. I am sure my drive will return but I don't know how I will manage once the baby is born. I am doing my Phd with London uni, French Dept and researching in France. My next problem is that my supervisor will be on leave during the second part of the following academic year. I feel a little high and dry as I find it hard to imagine how I will complete this year without her!

Now who's being childish?

Hi Jardins
It is a very difficult time trying to write-up whilst in early pregnancy, I too found my brain was a little pre-occupied for serious studying! However, there are always more mundane things that can be completed during this inactive brain period which means you are still plodding along with it rather than putting it on the shelf for a while. It is a pain to lose a supervisor at a critical time are there no other supervisors that can have some input for you? I would think that the September deadline may be harder to acheive in your current position with some very challenging changes in circumstance, have you thought about a small extension? This may take the pressure off you at the moment and your brain may start to function again once the pressure has been removed. You are so near to your goal but as usual there are always other hurdles that came up just as you are reaching the finishing line. Don't despair as I am sure it will all work out and you will have acheived your PhD. Goodluck!

I can see that this post is a few years old but I thought I would add my perspective as I have just passed my viva with 6 weeks to go until my baby is due!!! My advice if avoid getting in this situation if you can as it's not easy BUT if you do decide to study whilst pregnant it is totally doable (I'm the evidence!) I've written about how I did it in my blog which you can find here- lifeasabutterfly.com/phd-pregnant-race-biology/