Pregnancy & Parenting as a student nurse
Hi all,
Are there any students that are or were pregnant during their degree? Are there any that didn't take time out? How was it? Were you able to complete placement whilst pregnant?
Thanks in advance
Are there any students that are or were pregnant during their degree? Are there any that didn't take time out? How was it? Were you able to complete placement whilst pregnant?
Thanks in advance
Scroll to see replies
I started my second year in September but my pat told me that I’m unable to repeat classes and with me being due in November said she didn’t think it was appropriate for me to stay in my cohort and to take the year off and start second year September 2020. I feel a bit peed off that they don’t make accommodations to you being pregnant. Another student in my cohort had her baby in August and has joined straight back as placements won’t begin until December so her baby will be a few months only then. Student finance have also told me they don’t pay once you come off the course and not entitled to maternity allowance due to living off student finance the past year which is a bummer. So I’m just waiting for baby to arrive now and have to join the year below to complete my second year
I done two placements while pregnant I’m my first year. They do make accommodations to that, they have to do risk assessments to cover their own backs. So you tend to be put on placements where you don’t do much and no lifting or bending which you could say was a bonus. However i did miss being more involved but health and safety does come first.
I have just found out I’m pregnant and due to start adult nursing in September do I tell the university before I start or start the course and wait to tell them so they don’t kick me off the course before I’ve started? I’m due in March 2021 and plan to have 2 weeks off then go back to finish off year one. Am I being naive ? Thanks
Original post by Steph2464
I have just found out I’m pregnant and due to start adult nursing in September do I tell the university before I start or start the course and wait to tell them so they don’t kick me off the course before I’ve started? I’m due in March 2021 and plan to have 2 weeks off then go back to finish off year one. Am I being naive ? Thanks
Congrats on your good news and hope all goes well for you throughout your pregnancy okay.
Yes I would certainly tell then that your are expecting a baby in March, as they will probably do some risk assessments.
They will have a duty of care towards you due to being pregnant as they won't want you doing certain things that you shouldn't be doing ok, plus ask for bigger student nurses uniform as you get bigger okay as will take weeks to get them.
No you not being naive as long as you are upto going back as normally new mums needs more than two weeks from work after birth providing you go on and have a natural birth as well.
I gather you got plenty of good support in place to help you out as bare in mind still you'll be on shifts and away from the new child .
Original post by Tracey1995
Congrats on your good news and hope all goes well for you throughout your pregnancy okay.
Yes I would certainly tell then that your are expecting a baby in March, as they will probably do some risk assessments.
They will have a duty of care towards you due to being pregnant as they won't want you doing certain things that you shouldn't be doing ok, plus ask for bigger student nurses uniform as you get bigger okay as will take weeks to get them.
No you not being naive as long as you are upto going back as normally new mums needs more than two weeks from work after birth providing you go on and have a natural birth as well.
I gather you got plenty of good support in place to help you out as bare in mind still you'll be on shifts and away from the new child .
Yes I would certainly tell then that your are expecting a baby in March, as they will probably do some risk assessments.
They will have a duty of care towards you due to being pregnant as they won't want you doing certain things that you shouldn't be doing ok, plus ask for bigger student nurses uniform as you get bigger okay as will take weeks to get them.
No you not being naive as long as you are upto going back as normally new mums needs more than two weeks from work after birth providing you go on and have a natural birth as well.
I gather you got plenty of good support in place to help you out as bare in mind still you'll be on shifts and away from the new child .
Hi thank you
This will be my second child I had my first whilst in the RAF and was a single mother from half way through my pregnancy.. my mum was the biggest help in the world and has my daughter regularly for me still. My new partner is over the moon it’s his first and we are 31 & 33 so have mortgages transport savings etc so the after birth won’t be a problem ( although extremely tiring) I’m most worried about being kicked off the course or just asked to start next September instead which will devastate me as I’ve waited so long after leaving the forces to get my qualifications and be able to start uni.. I’ve sent the nursing department an email just explaining and begging them to let me start in September haha. Will let you know how I get on. Thank you so much again
xxI’m in the exact same boat. I’ve emailed my pdt and awaiting a reply. Any luck on your side ?
Original post by Leahlou1893
I’m in the exact same boat. I’ve emailed my pdt and awaiting a reply. Any luck on your side ?
Hiya
I spoke to my tutor and she said with covid it’s u likely I will be allowed to go on placement with being pregnant. I can however complete the theory side. She advised me to start next September but financially it isn’t an option for me. So I’m going to start in September and just see how I get on. I have 3 weeks at the end of consolidation to hopefully catch up on placement hours missed. And come December things might have changed. I’m just going to go for it. What are you thinking? I’m due in March when’s your due date?
I’m about to go into second year and I’ve just taken a pregnancy test, it was a faint 2 lines but it’s early days, I’m really worried that I’m going to be told to come back in a year but like many that isn’t great for me financially, I’m not really sure what to do about it. I’ve also not been with my partner very long and we’re both quite young, sorry if this is the wrong place to write this I’m just a bit lost at the minute 😕
Hi I started the university of Cumbria For adult nursing, I’m pregnant and I’m also due in March 2021!! They give me a years maternity leave from March and I return in March 2022 to Finish completing my first year. I don’t know if there’s a possibility to return earlier but I’d say there probably is. They told me they will need to do risk assessments before placing me in my first placement in November. Xx
Original post by Steph2464
I have just found out I’m pregnant and due to start adult nursing in September do I tell the university before I start or start the course and wait to tell them so they don’t kick me off the course before I’ve started? I’m due in March 2021 and plan to have 2 weeks off then go back to finish off year one. Am I being naive ? Thanks
Hi, I started adult nursing at the university of Cumbria this Sept 2020, I’m also pregnant and due late March!! They told me they would have to do risk assessments before placing me in placement in Nov and I get a years maternity starting In March returning in March 2022 to finish off my first year. Not sure if il be able to come back earlier than that but I’m sure it would be fine. I’m nervous about coping doing a full on degree like this while I’m pregnant but so far I have no sickness and a lot of energy hopefully it lasts throughout my pregnancy and for you too! Xx
Hi, i found out i was pregnant the week i started uni so 2 weeks ago and im due december so 6 months gone, uni are allowing me to work up until 37 weeks on placement post risk assessment and I am only having 4 weeks maternity, it would have been 2 weeks but i need a C section. My partner has took 6 months paternity which is enabling me to continue. If any complications arise they have so many back up plans to try and fight the need to stay on the course and complete first year! Did you come to a solution?
Original post by m3g3s
Hi, i found out i was pregnant the week i started uni so 2 weeks ago and im due december so 6 months gone, uni are allowing me to work up until 37 weeks on placement post risk assessment and I am only having 4 weeks maternity, it would have been 2 weeks but i need a C section. My partner has took 6 months paternity which is enabling me to continue. If any complications arise they have so many back up plans to try and fight the need to stay on the course and complete first year!
Did you have a solution?
Did you have a solution?
Congratulations on your news.
To be honest with you I would suggest that you take more time than 4 weeks to recover because a C-section needs time to heal up properly and you still have the situation with any complications that may arise.
It's usually a minimum of 11 weeks prior to due date you go on maternity leave but providing the university and hospital has done there risk assessment you can work right up to the birth which yours has done. Be very careful as the weeks goes on when you have to lift or bend which I hope that you won't be doing as part of the assessment you should not be doing any heavy lifting etc.
Obviously put your health first and foremost no matter you doing your first year of nursing as you can easily defer until the following September and start the course as they can arrange this for you but you'll need to talk to your course leader at university.
What will you do if you are not ready to go back due to complications if any. There's students who come back far to early after having a baby and struggle with the coursework. You have to also take in the facts if baby is well or perhaps needs to go to ICU after being born and could be there for weeks ( this do happen).
Obviously everyone is different from what they want to do after the birth of a baby.
Gather you are only in your first year.
A NHS registered midwife
@Emily_B @moonkatt any further advice.
Can someone offer me some advice on the same topic. Currently a second year adult nursing student having our second child next year. The way my timetable works I would only have one placement block while heavily pregnant and this would end around 31 weeks pregnant (the other placement block was/is in the first 6 weeks). After that final placement block before due date, I am either in uni learning, or on holidays for approx 8 months before the next placement block. Most of our uni learning is still remote due to covid, so balancing a newborn while doing this doesn’t seem too challenging. I also have excellent childcare options due to my family. I already have a child so I know exactly what pregnancy and a baby entails, and my last birth and pregnancy was the opposite of easy so I'm not naive in this respect.
In reading the threads I’ve got myself more confused - do uni force you to take maternity leave? As I wouldn’t want to take any time away from uni at all.
Surely pregnancy and a baby is harder as a full time nurse than a full time student!
Thanks
In reading the threads I’ve got myself more confused - do uni force you to take maternity leave? As I wouldn’t want to take any time away from uni at all.
Surely pregnancy and a baby is harder as a full time nurse than a full time student!
Thanks
Original post by harleymaee
Can someone offer me some advice on the same topic. Currently a second year adult nursing student having our second child next year. The way my timetable works I would only have one placement block while heavily pregnant and this would end around 31 weeks pregnant (the other placement block was/is in the first 6 weeks). After that final placement block before due date, I am either in uni learning, or on holidays for approx 8 months before the next placement block. Most of our uni learning is still remote due to covid, so balancing a newborn while doing this doesn’t seem too challenging. I also have excellent childcare options due to my family. I already have a child so I know exactly what pregnancy and a baby entails, and my last birth and pregnancy was the opposite of easy so I'm not naive in this respect.
In reading the threads I’ve got myself more confused - do uni force you to take maternity leave? As I wouldn’t want to take any time away from uni at all.
Surely pregnancy and a baby is harder as a full time nurse than a full time student!
Thanks
In reading the threads I’ve got myself more confused - do uni force you to take maternity leave? As I wouldn’t want to take any time away from uni at all.
Surely pregnancy and a baby is harder as a full time nurse than a full time student!
Thanks
Hi Harley xx
Congratulations on your baby news 🥰🥰
I would say the same thing as I mentioned in my previous post #14 about the maternity leave etc.
The law says that you can actually work right up to the birth of the baby but usually this will depend on the circumstances and also the provisions of lightish work for you while on placement, occupation health and the hospital trust will have to make assessment of the situation to make sure that everything is in place for the safety of yourself and your baby.
The rules states that you must go on maternity leave a minimum of 11 week's prior to the baby due date 📅 but there's nothing stopping you continuing with things providing that the university and the hospital trust have approved your continuation but remember that if you have one day of due to pregnancy issues then automatically you'll be put on maternity leave no matter what you want to do.
The university can't force you but usually they have guidelines in place which you are to obey and carry out.
I would strongly rethink your short time you want to have away from the university etc because everyone is different with there pregnancy and you need to put your baby first and yourself with your health.
You have to give university a date for when you are wanting to return after the birth of the baby 🐥 and yes it's doable for you to go back early providing that everything goes to plan because you don't know what can happen in regards of the birth ( you may land up having to get a emergency c-section ) which will throw out your early return to the course. Think about all the risks factors. Every birth is different as well remember although you may have a good birth last time you don't know what is going to happen this time but hopefully you'll have a natural birth without any problems.
There's no difference between being a fully qualified nurse and a student nurse/ student as the rules are the same regardless. Most new mothers take the whole maternity leave off work/ university degree and return back to restart there job or the university course.
Talk with your university course leader about things and see what they say to you.
Original post by Tracey_W
Hi Harley xx
Congratulations on your baby news 🥰🥰
I would say the same thing as I mentioned in my previous post #14 about the maternity leave etc.
The law says that you can actually work right up to the birth of the baby but usually this will depend on the circumstances and also the provisions of lightish work for you while on placement, occupation health and the hospital trust will have to make assessment of the situation to make sure that everything is in place for the safety of yourself and your baby.
The rules states that you must go on maternity leave a minimum of 11 week's prior to the baby due date 📅 but there's nothing stopping you continuing with things providing that the university and the hospital trust have approved your continuation but remember that if you have one day of due to pregnancy issues then automatically you'll be put on maternity leave no matter what you want to do.
The university can't force you but usually they have guidelines in place which you are to obey and carry out.
I would strongly rethink your short time you want to have away from the university etc because everyone is different with there pregnancy and you need to put your baby first and yourself with your health.
You have to give university a date for when you are wanting to return after the birth of the baby 🐥 and yes it's doable for you to go back early providing that everything goes to plan because you don't know what can happen in regards of the birth ( you may land up having to get a emergency c-section ) which will throw out your early return to the course. Think about all the risks factors. Every birth is different as well remember although you may have a good birth last time you don't know what is going to happen this time but hopefully you'll have a natural birth without any problems.
There's no difference between being a fully qualified nurse and a student nurse/ student as the rules are the same regardless. Most new mothers take the whole maternity leave off work/ university degree and return back to restart there job or the university course.
Talk with your university course leader about things and see what they say to you.
Congratulations on your baby news 🥰🥰
I would say the same thing as I mentioned in my previous post #14 about the maternity leave etc.
The law says that you can actually work right up to the birth of the baby but usually this will depend on the circumstances and also the provisions of lightish work for you while on placement, occupation health and the hospital trust will have to make assessment of the situation to make sure that everything is in place for the safety of yourself and your baby.
The rules states that you must go on maternity leave a minimum of 11 week's prior to the baby due date 📅 but there's nothing stopping you continuing with things providing that the university and the hospital trust have approved your continuation but remember that if you have one day of due to pregnancy issues then automatically you'll be put on maternity leave no matter what you want to do.
The university can't force you but usually they have guidelines in place which you are to obey and carry out.
I would strongly rethink your short time you want to have away from the university etc because everyone is different with there pregnancy and you need to put your baby first and yourself with your health.
You have to give university a date for when you are wanting to return after the birth of the baby 🐥 and yes it's doable for you to go back early providing that everything goes to plan because you don't know what can happen in regards of the birth ( you may land up having to get a emergency c-section ) which will throw out your early return to the course. Think about all the risks factors. Every birth is different as well remember although you may have a good birth last time you don't know what is going to happen this time but hopefully you'll have a natural birth without any problems.
There's no difference between being a fully qualified nurse and a student nurse/ student as the rules are the same regardless. Most new mothers take the whole maternity leave off work/ university degree and return back to restart there job or the university course.
Talk with your university course leader about things and see what they say to you.
Thanks for the reply!
My last birth actually ended in an EMCS and it went horrifically wrong so I had a lovely extended hospital stay and a lengthy recovery. I feel like I have the worst case scenario experience and still confident in my abilities to manage the academic side of uni. (Also feel like after my last birth the universe can’t punish me again and may be a bit kinder on me this time around but you never know 😂). I have 9 months after the due date before I’m back on placement - which is all I’d financially be able to take off once qualified anyway so I feel like physically this is doable.
I more so wanted the clarification on whether I’d be forced into leave at 29 weeks as my last placement before due date ends at 31 weeks. I had some undiagnosed issues throughout my previous pregnancy which did force me onto mat leave at 30 weeks, hopefully this issue shouldn’t arrive again with the history being there. Unfortunately due to financial reasons I can’t have time off that delays my graduation.
Your reply was helpful thank you 😊 wish me luck 😂 x
Original post by harleymaee
Thanks for the reply!
My last birth actually ended in an EMCS and it went horrifically wrong so I had a lovely extended hospital stay and a lengthy recovery. I feel like I have the worst case scenario experience and still confident in my abilities to manage the academic side of uni. (Also feel like after my last birth the universe can’t punish me again and may be a bit kinder on me this time around but you never know 😂). I have 9 months after the due date before I’m back on placement - which is all I’d financially be able to take off once qualified anyway so I feel like physically this is doable.
I more so wanted the clarification on whether I’d be forced into leave at 29 weeks as my last placement before due date ends at 31 weeks. I had some undiagnosed issues throughout my previous pregnancy which did force me onto mat leave at 30 weeks, hopefully this issue shouldn’t arrive again with the history being there. Unfortunately due to financial reasons I can’t have time off that delays my graduation.
Your reply was helpful thank you 😊 wish me luck 😂 x
My last birth actually ended in an EMCS and it went horrifically wrong so I had a lovely extended hospital stay and a lengthy recovery. I feel like I have the worst case scenario experience and still confident in my abilities to manage the academic side of uni. (Also feel like after my last birth the universe can’t punish me again and may be a bit kinder on me this time around but you never know 😂). I have 9 months after the due date before I’m back on placement - which is all I’d financially be able to take off once qualified anyway so I feel like physically this is doable.
I more so wanted the clarification on whether I’d be forced into leave at 29 weeks as my last placement before due date ends at 31 weeks. I had some undiagnosed issues throughout my previous pregnancy which did force me onto mat leave at 30 weeks, hopefully this issue shouldn’t arrive again with the history being there. Unfortunately due to financial reasons I can’t have time off that delays my graduation.
Your reply was helpful thank you 😊 wish me luck 😂 x
Hi Harley xx
Thanks for your reply back X
Sorry to hear about your previous experience with the birth of your last child, it's just one of those horrible things that could go wrong for you during pregnancy...😲
Unfortunately it's really up to the hospital staff on how long you'll be staying in hospital which you found out with the extended stay in it.
I do hope that everything goes extremely well this time around for you but you know yourself it's unfortunately impossible to say how it going to play out with the birth. I take it you are following the guidelines that your midwife have given you to make sure you have a more pleasant birth this time around.
I would personally talk things through with your community midwife about able to continue with your placement that coming up and also your mentor/ supervisor plus course leader to make sure you can continue with things upto your due date as like I said previously there's nothing stopping you but with your previous history of birth etc I would suggest perhaps stopping early to allow you the time to prepare better rather than risking it. Obviously the decision should be yours but I can't speak for your hospital trust regulations on this.
Regarding your academic side you'll hopefully be staying in touch with your university course leader throughout the time you won't be there and if you are getting to do your academic side at home online then you just have to unfortunately find the time to make up all the missing hours required for placement and satisfying NMC when time comes along for your final year of studying as a student nurse.
Hope everything goes well with you and let's know how things go with you 😊😊😊☺️
Original post by Tilster83
Hi, can I ask how you all got on with this particular scenario? I’ve just found out I’m pregnant I’ll be due end of January 2023. I start adult nursing in September. I’m so unsure how to approach this. 🫣
Thank you!
Original post by Khalli23
Can I ask what happened and what you chose to do? I've been offered a place and I think at the same uni you went too and will be in a very similar situation to yourself although a little further on should I accept... What was outcome, did they allow you to start? I'm so worried about this whole situation
Thank you!
Thank you!
Ask if you can defer entry for a year.
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