Are you considering going to nursing school to fulfill your dream of becoming a nurse?
Does having a baby or kids or being pregnant make you feel like it’s be impossible to accomplish that dream?
I’m here to tell you that it’s not only possible, but doable.
Below are my top tips on how to survive nursing school with a baby.
First, A Little Back Story
Believe it or not, I actually PLANNED to get pregnant in nursing school. And to not only be pregnant for over a full semester, but to actually have a baby halfway through. So then that meant finishing the last two semesters with a baby! I know, I know… I’m completely nuts. But my husband and I really wanted to start our family. Being a mom was and still is even more important to me than being a nurse. My husband actually wanted me to wait to even start nursing school until once we were maybe done having kids and they were a little older. He supported my dream of becoming an RN, but he knew it would be really hard on me. Plus I think he of course worried about us spending all this money for me to go to school, just for me to potentially quit halfway through.
Now I do not suggest or condone making a huge life decision without your husband or partner being on the same page. But I sometimes (or a lot of times) have a stubborn, rebellious spirit. I pretty much said “Screw what my husband or anyone else thinks, I’M GOING TO NURSING SCHOOL!” In my mind, it would be better to at least get half of nursing school out of the way while pregnant before having a baby, instead of trying to do the entire two year program later with one or more kids. In that so called “20/20 hindsight”, I still think I made the right decision for myself and my family.
Before you think my husband was being controlling or unsupportive, let me clarify that he actually was and still is my biggest supporter. I never could have made it through that time without him. It was just during the time of making the decision of whether or not to start nursing school, that he felt it would be better for me to wait. But ultimately the decision was still mine to make. And make it I did.
When I would tell people during my first semester of nursing school that my husband and I were trying for a baby, they really would look at me like I was crazy. When I was pregnant in nursing school, people would look at me sympathetically or even ask me how I was going to do it. I could almost hear what they were thinking. “Oh there’s one of those poor, dumb girls who got knocked up in nursing school. She’s going to end up dropping out and throwing away all this hard work. Happens every year.” I even had some professors say similar things to this!
I vividly remember right after finding out I was pregnant with my first daughter, so excited but also trying not to get my hopes up. I’d already had two miscarriages earlier that year, the second one being during my very first clinical rotation. And during a lecture one of the professors was essentially warning everyone to not get pregnant! She said something along the lines of, “God forbid, but it seems like it happens every semester without fail. Some poor, unfortunate person gets pregnant or has a baby. Don’t be that person!” Talk about discouraging.
I will say though, not everyone was such a naysayer. Several nurses I worked with were super supportive, many of which had gone through nursing school with kids themselves. I had some extremely helpful professors as well as clinical instructors who really worked with me. From finding somewhere for me to pump as a breastfeeding mom, to holding my one year old and reading her a book while I and the rest of the class took a quiz.
Sure, having a baby in nursing school was hard. But it was doable! And I promise you that if I can do it, you can too. But enough about me. Let’s get on to the top 7 tips for how YOU can survive nursing school with a baby.
Tip #1 for Surviving Nursing School With A Baby: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Are you someone who feels like you have to hand write out all of your lecture notes? Do you think you have to read word for word all the “required” and suggested readings in nursing school?
When I was in high school and my nursing assistant program, I was the same way. I’m a very visual learner and also learn by doing. But what I quickly realized was that those things are extremely time consuming. And as a parent to a new baby, or even older kids, you’re strapped for time.
So during my first semester of nursing school while trying to get pregnant, I really tried to dial down on time management. And what worked for me may not work for you. But I do encourage you to give it a try.
I did as much as possible from my phone.
My 3 main methods of studying for nursing school were:
- Reading lecture PowerPoints
- Watching YouTube videos
- Doing practice questions
I was able to do all of these things right from my phone. If I needed further clarification on a topic, THEN I would do some more in depth reading. But even that I could usually do on my phone. I had my main med/surg text book in ebook form as well as all of the ATI books.
I can’t tell you how many hours I spent in my baby’s nursery either nursing, rocking her to sleep, or sitting in our nursing recliner while she played with her toys. And during all of those times I could get on my phone and do some studying or even work on a care plan. That’s right, I would even do large portions, if not sometimes the ENTIRETY of those dreaded care plans straight from my phone.
This made it to where no matter where I was or what I was doing, as long as I had my phone, I could be working towards moving the needle just a little more towards getting my nursing degree.
Tip #2: Ask for and Accept Help to Survive Nursing School With A Baby
Asking for help with my first daughter was something I really struggled with. But nursing school gave me no choice but to accept help from my village every now and then.
We usually can’t take our kids with us to lecture classes, clinicals or labs. So some childcare is going to be required to survive nursing school with a baby or kids. I personally felt strongly that I didn’t want my daughter to go to daycare, so I had to ask for help from friends and family. My lecture classes were in the evenings which helped. To be honest, I did NOT go to all lectures. But when I did go, my younger sister who was a high school senior at the time would come watch her until my husband got home. To this day my daughter has a special bond with her “Aunt B” and my sister loved getting that time with her.
We tried to make it to where as much as possible, my husband was off work during my long clinical or lab days. That wasn’t always possible though, so during those times I would ask either a grandma or sister or best friend to watch our daughter. Although it was hard for me to leave my baby, it ultimately was good for her to build those bonds with those people in our lives. I’m so thankful for the village we had during that time.
Another thing you may need to seek help with is housework. If you’re able to hire out some cleaning done, that’s a fantastic option! That wasn’t an option for us at that time financially, but I am extremely blessed with a husband who picked up so much of the slack during that time. I can’t tell you how many nights I would come home late after a clinical or from taking a test and he would have cleaned our apartment, gotten our baby ready for bed, and sometimes have dinner ready. I know not everyone has that luxury, but I do think it’s important to communicate to your spouse or partner what you need help with during that time.
Tip #3: Meal Plan
Eating enough, regularly, and somewhat healthily can all be a struggle during nursing school. It’s just a busy time that requires long hours, not only physically but mentally as well. And if you’re like me and have a baby that you’re breastfeeding during that time, your nutrition is even more of a priority.
Now I’ll admit, I was NOT the best in this area. I wasn’t great at thinking ahead and meal planning and prepping. But many people I went to nursing school with were and it really seemed to be the way to go. If you’re on the go and have to eat out some, that’s totally fine too! Just try to make healthy choices when you can.
Feeding your children during this time can be an added task though too. Like I said, I was breastfeeding my daughter the last half of nursing school, but she was also taking solids. So not only would meal planning and prepping be beneficial for yourself, but also for your kids.
If you can set aside a couple hours a week to plan out the meals for that week, order your groceries online (one of my all time favorite life hacks), and prep some meals, that’s one less huge thing you have to stress about. Plus it’ll likely save you some money as well. And if you’re a broke nursing student like the majority of us were, that’s a major bonus!
Tip #4: Time Block
I noticed the times when I would get the most overwhelmed and frustrated while trying to balance nursing school and having a baby, were the times I was trying to do too much at once. What really worked for me was time blocking, and I still use this strategy now for time management.
If you try to multitask too many things, you’re much more likely to burn out. You may find yourself feeling stretched too thin and not able to devote the proper time and attention to your family OR to school. This can make you feel like you aren’t getting ANYTHING accomplished well.
So if possible, try to block out your time to where you are devoting certain times of the day to certain activities. If you HAVE to be somewhere during specific times, that’s obviously what that time block will have to be allotted to. If you’re at home though and trying to balance studying and parenting, try to separate the two when possible.
Make the most of nap times!
This is still my strategy even now with blogging. That’s the good thing about babies and even toddlers, they do nap some during the day. And then you can also spend some time after they go to bed to work on things without distraction. In my case when my daughter was a baby, I was still able to do quite a bit on my phone while nursing her or holding her while she slept. Once she got a little older, I had to get a little more creative. Which leads me to my next tip.
Tip #5: Encourage Independent Play Time
From a very early age, I really made it a priority to encourage independent play with my daughter. When she was a newborn I would lay her on her play mat so I could make myself some food or do the dishes. As she got older, we really utilized the pack and play as a safe place for her to play and entertain herself. Same with her bedroom.
And honestly… screen time TOTALLY helped me survive nursing school with a baby! There’s no shame in turning on some Little Baby Bums or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so you can crank out a care plan! Screen time has actually helped me survive many difficult phases since having my first daughter. And I personally think it’s actually been really beneficial in teaching her so many things. More on that in a future post.
Tip #6: Take A Semester Off
Now this tip likely won’t apply to everyone. You may really just not WANT to take a whole semester off and just push through and get it done. Your particular nursing program also may not offer this as an option. Fortunately, mine did and I made sure of that going into it.
I had my daughter at the beginning of August 2018 and my third semester of nursing school would have started back up just a couple weeks later. I went back and forth with the decision of whether or not to just go ahead and go or take that semester off and start back the following January. It was also a struggle feeling like that would put me “behind”. My manager at work and my mother in law both told me I would never regret spending that time with my newborn. And that I could never get that time back. And those wise women were so right! So I decided to take off a semester and started back in January 2019 when my daughter was 5 months old.
Looking back now, I’m SO thankful I took that semester off. Not only did I have my first newborn, but I also had postpartum anxiety and some depression. I’m not saying it would have been impossible, and I know some people who have gone back with newborns. But for me personally, I know I made the right decision.
And for you it may be other reasons you want or need to take a semester off. But just know that if it’s an option and it’s what you think is best for you, it can be really beneficial. Again, I got so much negativity from people thinking I would never go back. But I proved them all wrong. And I believe that I did it in the best timeframe for me and my family. And I actually never really even felt that I was “behind” like I originally feared.
Tip #7 for How to Survive Nursing School With A Baby: Make Time for Yourself!
My last tip for how to survive nursing school with a baby is probably the most important. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Learning to prioritize your own self care is so vital. This applies not only while in nursing school and with a baby, but as a nurse and parent in general. Heck I think self care is vital for anyone at any stage in life!
Make sure you designate time to unwind and do something that recharges you. Schedule in time to rest and relax and destress. Spend time with loved ones and doing things you enjoy. At the end of the day, you’re not JUST a nursing student or JUST a parent. You’re still all the other aspects of you as well. And it’s so important that you acknowledge that and not neglect yourself during this season of life.
I hope these tips are helpful for you to survive nursing school with a a baby. And ultimately, I hope you not only survive, but thrive! Try to enjoy this time as much as you can and just take it one day at a time.
Leave me a comment below and let me know if you’re in nursing school with a baby! Also give me any ideas or feedback on future posts you’d like to see. Thank you so much for stopping by the Blog!