Am I crazy to want to sit in CFA III exam with a 6 months old?

[Bubu222]

Hi guys, I'm new to Mumsnet (First thread whoop, though it's a good place for plumbing / kitchen refurb advices before I got pregnant.)

I just want to get some realistic view re the first six months after giving birth, would it be so dreadful that I'll barely have any time for myself? I just found out I passed CFA II yesterday (yay!) and sitting in the exam while pregnant was actually quite alright, would I be crazy to want to sit in level III next year with a little human on the side?

Would the lack of sleep completely paralyse me after giving birth? I'm starting to think my life would be over in six months!

Congratulations on passing your exam.

Tbh the early months when the baby sleeps during the day would be easier for studying then when they’re a bit older and need more constant attention. Bf is a really good opportunity for reading!

Once the baby is a few months old I think you’d be looking at using childcare or studying in the evenings/ weekends when your partner can do the looking after, because you won’t get uninterrupted study time once the baby is more awake and inquisitive.

As for whether life stops up to and beyond 6 months... hell no! Myself and many other MNers were back at work when our babies were 3 or 4 months old - long maternity leave is a recent thing. You’ll certainly be able to sit an exam.

You’ll be fine.

It could be a really good thing to aim for and focus on during maternity leave- I’m still off with DD 10 months and I’ve found I really crave the structure of a working day and feel a bit listless without some thing to aim towards.

I’ve learnt my lesson and since I’m pregnant again I’ve signed up to do a college course during my next maternity leave (once a week evening class) just to keep my brain busy!

Wow thanks momo27 and dinasaurkisses, that was quick, mumsnetter rock! I was so scared by the idea of having a kid before and didn’t know if I can handle it. My parents weren’t exactly the model parents (think absent dad and tiger mom), and it took me very long time to get warm to the idea of having a kid of my own.

I so want my kid to be happy (and not fucked up like me), and I read a lot of psychology stuff, which got me the idea that I should be with my kid in the first three years. But that will mean a complete halt of my career and that scares me, especially after reading stories about the struggle of moms returning to work after career breaks.

My advice as a mum of 3 grown up children? Throw away the psychology books and trust your instincts. You clearly want to do the best for your child. It doesn’t mean you have to put your own life on hold or throw away your career- it won’t do your child any favours because allowing your whole identity to be subsumed is probably a fast track to giving your child the sort of issues you want to avoid!!

Life I said, I was back at work 3 months after my first; had slightly longer off with dc 2 and 3 but have basically always worked, using a mix of childminder and nursery. All 3 kids fine, very well adjusted and have done well at school and university.

Thanks momo27, I definitely don’t want to lose my identity, and working to provide better life for my offspring is also a very logical choice.

Since I became pregnant my memory kept flying back to when I was a kid, when I spent a lot of time with grandparents and cousin, and recall very little about my mom or dad, which is rather sad.

Husband also works long hours in finance industry, I’d hate myself if my child reach 30 something and go through the same pain. Worse thing is he/she won’t even get this warmth from grandparents or cousins since they either don’t exist or they are 13 hours flight away