studying while pregnant or breastfeeding

[clarebear1983]

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I am 21 weeks pregnant.

I was studying nursing at ECU (in WA) but I had to withdraw when i was 6 weeks due to very very very bad morning sickness. I have returned to study semester 2 just to do one unit.................the bub is due december 13th (planned c/s)and I have several questions I am not sure people can answer but i would just like some general advice if anyone has any.......

1. How have people gone sitting exams while heavily pregnant (i.e.30-36 weeks)? Have you had to ask for special consideration for anything? If you asked was it granted (I dont want to defer exams as it means sitting them when the info isnt fresh in my mind)

2. Bub will be 2 months old when semester 1 2007 resumes. I was thinking about going back to uni and continuing doing one unit at a time (as i only have 6 years to complete my degree and need all the time i can get plus i lose motivation easily)......Bub wil be 2 months old at this time.Has anyone returned to uni while breastfeeding? How did you cope? Was bub put in childcare? Was the uni understanding? Has anyone been able to take a bub to classes with them?

(I would consider trying external studies but im in nursing and at ECU there are not any/many first semester units that are external unles you are an enrolled nurse so i have to do oncampus study)

Any advice from anyone would be great! I am so confused!

[jessgray]

i am currently 31 weeks preg with #2 and i am studying 3 days a week childcare. and my course doesnt have exams but we do have assingments and tests we do in class but they are all open book. my teacher knows i am due in october and stuff. so i think when i do give birth i will get a special consideration for missed days etc.but apart from that i just get treated the same as everyone else we go to the loo when we want and we get 2 breaks and lunch break. so its not a very strict enviroment :D

[mama2cierra]

i went to uni up til i was about 14 weeks pregnant with C and then it was the xmas break and I actually deffered the 1st semester back after the hols to get prepared for her birth . She was about 3.5 months old when i went back to uni and yes i was bFeeding her . it was quite uncomfy when my boobs became engorged with lots of milk. every couple of hrs i felt like i needed to rush out to express some milk! but my uni doesnt really have a mothers room!! well, its got change tables in sme of them but no real privacy to express milk excpet 4 in a cubicle. BUT sometimes i would have to be in the toilet for 20 mins to get all my milk out! as you can imagine some ladies started to question....:o

one time i just couldnt be stuffed going to express my milk and i didnt wana miss out on the screening i had to study and despite wearing 3 or 4 breastpads i had leaked all over my top i was wearing. :O it was very embarrassing, but lucky the lights were all down for the screening and i just quickly made an exit from the theatre! so....sometimes it can be hard going back to uni. but if its only for a couple of days/week and you can kinda manage it around bubs feeds , you should be sweet!

:cool:

[clarebear1983]

i am currently 31 weeks preg with #2 and i am studying 3 days a week childcare. and my course doesnt have exams but we do have assingments and tests we do in class but they are all open book. my teacher knows i am due in october and stuff. so i think when i do give birth i will get a special consideration for missed days etc.but apart from that i just get treated the same as everyone else we go to the loo when we want and we get 2 breaks and lunch break. so its not a very strict enviroment :D

Your lucky to be in such a relaxed environment! I had to sit through a lecture and "hold it"!!!!

Maybe i should talk to student support at the nursing office in regards to next year when bub is born (eg breast feeding etc) and student central about the exams................

[annsam]

I was pregnant when doing first year nursing. My exams were fine - no problem only motivation was an issue but I didn't ask for any special treatment while I was pg or after DS was born. Semester 2 I cut down to 2 subjects and my son was born in the middle of the semester. I continued studying half heartedly.

I decided the next year though that I couldn't face putting DS into daycare (we have no family to look after him) so I took a semester off. I then realised that I didn't want to have the stress of studying and putting dS into daycare as he wasn't ready so I dropped the course in favour of being a mum for the time being.

I plan to go back to it when my family is finished.

A friend of mine took her newborn who was being breastfeed to her tutorials and lectures and found her to be suprisingly good. She checked with the tutors for the tutorials and then put her into daycare the following year as she was a September baby. The daycare was on campus and she went and fed her a couple of times a day between lectures.

Good luck!

[jessgray]

Your lucky to be in such a relaxed environment! I had to sit through a lecture and "hold it"!!!!

Maybe i should talk to student support at the nursing office in regards to next year when bub is born (eg breast feeding etc) and student central about the exams................

my course provider are very relaxed and flexible for everyone. there is onyl one rule and thats try not to disturb other's learning :D i am sure if you ask you will be accomadated for :)

[bec79]

I was still breastfeeding me DD when I returned to uni. Mind you DD was about 6 months, so wasn't feeding as often as a newborn. By that time my boobs had 'settled' and I had no probs with let-down, etc.
I only did 2 units, as I didn't want to over commit myself. I was able to work my lectures and tutes around my b'feeding schedule. MIL only lives 10 min. from uni, so she would babysit for me and I would just come back to feed her when necessary. This prob dosen't help you at all...sorry.

I would definately let your lecturers/tutors know about your situation.

[clarebear1983]

I was still breastfeeding me DD when I returned to uni. Mind you DD was about 6 months, so wasn't feeding as often as a newborn. By that time my boobs had 'settled' and I had no probs with let-down, etc.
I only did 2 units, as I didn't want to over commit myself. I was able to work my lectures and tutes around my b'feeding schedule. MIL only lives 10 min. from uni, so she would babysit for me and I would just come back to feed her when necessary. This prob dosen't help you at all...sorry.

I would definately let your lecturers/tutors know about your situation.

Lecturer already knows im pregnant, but the prob is i wont know who i have for next year when bubs comes until i get to uni next year (cant choose units till later this semester and dont get timetable till feb) so I cant talk to them about breastfeeding..........

Does anyone knows if unis are required to provide lactating mothers with places to express or if you just have to find somewhere?

Also how can you store expressed milk at uni if you dont have a fridge? (would an esky be ok?)

Am trying to get hold of the on campus childcare centre to see what facilities they have and about the waiting list (would be good if bubs was at the uni and i could go there to feed) but it would mean having Bubs and DS in different centres........and i like the centre DS is at its cheap (but half an hour from uni!)..........even if they ahve a room i could express in it would be good!

Am going to talk to nurisng student support officer about next year.....eg. where can i express? can i do any classes externally atleast for semester one???

I wish the website for ECU had more infomration but they dont even have a breastfeeding policy for student mothers.....

[jessgray]

i hope you get some answers :) :fingerscrossed:
good luck.

[bec79]

In regards to expressing: I'm not sure if all unis are the same. I know that where I go they have a policy that accomidates nursing mothers. This means allowing babies to come along to lectures, etc....
I'm sure if you ask the right people you will find a suitable arrangement. Maybe an unused office, etc?? You could also store your EMB in a staff fridge? Just me sure to clearly label it! LOL

[Bree79]

can i do any classes externally atleast for semester one???

Studying externally is great as you can fit everything in around your bubba. If your uni doesn't offer the subjects you want to study externally, you could always enrol in those subjects at a different uni and then get credit for them at your uni. I would imagine there are quite a few unis that offer nursing subjects externally. Good luck!

[Bella'smummy]

Hey girls,

I am new on this but these are my views on it:

I have just given birth to a gorgues lil girl on the 28th of june 2006 she was due on the 21st of september.

I studied up to 2weeks before i went in to premature labour and i am now studying from home when i can, i have to say it is not easy when you have a newborn and breastfeeding btu when she sleeps i seem to work and tidyt he house. If yo get a routine it can work.

If you want any advice if i can give any email em on:Brazilianna@hotmail.com