https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:46:34 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2133916 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 11:28:04 +0000 LauraBear 2133916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: Thanks for this!!! It's so good to hear that y'all have been dealing with a similar situation! I'm definitely going to talk to the program director about it and the professor of the class I'd need to skip. Hopefully they are understanding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130660 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 12:27:51 +0000 blackbird 2130660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LauraBear: Ah, DH is in the same boat (Classes offered in restrictive times, paid for by work). Can you talk to the program director about suitable substitutes if you lighten your load? Our experience with evening business classes is that the professors are very flexible, family friendly, often from industry....a lot of them actually work for the same company as DH and have been super chill! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130566 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 11:51:23 +0000 catlady 2130566@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Tough decision for you! Personally, I wouldn't have been able to handle it. Group projects in particular would be really tough. My baby was really hard in the early months, she liked to nurse sometimes every hour, she was a terrible sleeper, and my brain felt like mush. What might help you is to consider the worst case scenario (your baby is so high needs that you fail your class or have to drop it) and if you are ok with that risk. And from a parenting standpoint, consider how comfortable will you be leaving a very young newborn. I know that I was surprised by how mama-bear-ish I got with LO (it was very hard for me to leave her, even with DH, in the first couple months). Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130548 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 11:38:59 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2130548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LauraBear: I took an online class and wished I hadn't. I wished I had more time to focus on dd. On her good moments I was trying to get homework and housework done, and I felt overwhelmed spending the rest of my time trying to calm her and take care of her and the house. DH took three weeks off but it did take awhile before we hit a good balance and I guess before I stopped being controlling (since I was the SAH parent this was an issue honestly at least the first year, not saying it will be an issue for everyone.. I also had PPD and was very sensitive to dd's cries.) On the good side it might be nice to get out of the house and for DH to have his time with your baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130531 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 11:34:32 +0000 LauraBear 2130531@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all the advice, everyone!! This is extremely helpful for me to hear your viewpoints and experience. </p> <p>It's a business degree and so the group projects are plentiful, but since it is an evening program, everyone else has full-time jobs and most people have kids and families as well. I know most everyone in the program well by now, and so I know who is easy to work with and who is not.</p> <p>The program has changed their fall schedule a bit - the September 15th start date will only be for one class that will meet for just two weeks in a condensed format and then be done. The professor for this class is one of my current classes' professors, and so I'm going to meet with her this quarter and get her viewpoint. She is also a mom so I'm hoping she'll have some wisdom on this. The other two classes start September 30th. I am thinking of just delaying the one condensed class until next year and just taking the two normal classes as scheduled. But it's hard because that one class is just two weeks and then it would be done!!</p> <p>The hard part is that these classes are only offered once a year, and so if I take the quarter off or don't take some of these classes, I have to wait a whole year to take them again. This is not the worst outcome, but my degree is tied to my work arrangement - I get a tuition waiver because of where I work, and I'd really like to start a new job by September 2016. </p> <p>I'm trying to stay flexible! I'm a pretty committed student and I don't procrastinate, but I also really want to breastfeed and be present for the baby. Thanks to all of you for your words of support and encouragement - I do think the most important thing here is to remember not to beat myself up if I can't make it work or if I need to decrease the class load. You only have your first baby once, right?! :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130482 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 11:11:38 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2130482@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know that it differs by person, but personally, with our first, this would have been impossible for me. I had an emergency C-section and LO ended up in the NICU for a few days post birth. I was trying to breastfeed, and it didn't work, so I exclusively pumped for 3 months. He was extremely colicky and I couldn't really catch a break. Even if my husband was off for 8 full weeks, I'm not sure his sanity would have been there either for me to take 3 classes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130387 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 10:22:38 +0000 Mama Bird 2130387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It could work, but you can't really know in advance... if it becomes too hard, would you have the option to cut back to one class and stay in the program?</p> <p>My mom went back to grad school after I was born, but she had full time child care - my grandma. I was like 3 months when classes started. Oh, and I wouldn't take a bottle - if my mom wasn't there, I'd only eat from a spoon :silly: I'm sure that took forever, but other than that everything was fine. My brother, however... he was a high needs kid and she took off a year to stay home with him (this wasn't in the US). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130315 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 09:45:25 +0000 kiddosc 2130315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My best friend had her baby the beginning of August and then went continued her law school classes a few weeks later while she was on maternity leave from her day job. She had a lot of family support and I don't think she found it extremely difficult. She let her professors know the situation, not that she was looking for special treatment, but she wanted them to be aware. I think that most of them offered to be more lenient about the attendance policy as long as she was keeping up. I think she's really happy she didn't delay her graduation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130184 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 08:54:27 +0000 shellio 2130184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As PPs have said, everyone is different but I could have stayed in school. If you have a supportive DH who is home for those first few weeks it makes a BIG difference. We honestly found having a newborn pretty easy, and I was super dedicated to BF'ing and ended up having lots of issues so we spent plenty of time in our ped's office, lactation consultant office, pumping, and nursing after pumping. And we both still felt like, isn't this supposed to be hard? I went back to work at 5 weeks post C section, working 60-70 hour weeks, and while it wasn't ideal, it was really not that stressful. </p> <p>These are the things that helped most:<br /> 1. Helpful husband. Can't stress this enough. He was at least as committed to baby's well being as I was, and he was staying home with the baby. No way could I have done all of this alone.</p> <p>2. Chill baby. My baby didn't have colic, was a great sleeper from the start, and rarely cried. As everyone says, every baby is so different and of course you have no control over this. My second baby was very different and I don't think the newborn period would have been nearly as smooth if he had been our first. </p> <p>3. I am not a high sleep needs person. Its not that I wake naturally after 6 hours or anything like that but if I go a few days on just a few hours a night I'm not miserable or grumpy. I'm also not a daytime sleeper so napping when the baby naps never worked for me, so there was plenty of time to be productive. Newborn sleep deprivation is no joke but some people handle this better than others.</p> <p>4. We put our baby on a schedule early and he was sleeping alone in his crib for almost every nap from the time he was just a few days old. This worked well for us and for our baby but again, not consistent with everyone's parenting style. In retrospect, I do think that not feeling comfortable with attachment parenting-type activities really helped free up our time, so it just worked out that way, and again, this isn't for everyone. </p> <p>Sorry, didn't intend to write a novel! Good luck, just take into account what you and DH are like at baseline. Someone mentioned starting ahead of time and I think that would be a great idea, maybe knocking out some of the early semester reading between your summer and fall sessions would be a possibility. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130129 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 08:26:13 +0000 Smurfette 2130129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No way I would have been able to handle this. LO wouldn't take bottles and any night I would leave for a couple hours, she cried almost the whole time for DH cause she was hungry and wanted the boobs for comfort. She was a high maintenance baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130107 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 08:09:41 +0000 looch 2130107@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What kind of program is it? Are there a lot of goup projects? If yes, I'd take the semester off, because that was the huge time suck for me when I was doing a similar program (working/school, but not with a child). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130036 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 06:39:42 +0000 MrsBananaGrabber 2130036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know women who have done it. I know women who went back to work full time after just 2-3 weeks of maternity leave, and women who went back to full-time graduate school around the same time. For some people it's no problem at all, but it's not for everyone.</p> <p>When I tell women who have had babies that I'm planning to take 4-6 weeks of leave, some think I'm crazy because they think it's too little and some think I'm crazy because they think it's too much. It doesn't seem to have so much to do with how difficult their births or babies were, but more what the women are like. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2130017 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 06:02:06 +0000 ElbieKay 2130017@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Having done both -- part time grad school with a full time job, and having a newborn -- but not concurrently, I would try to take the semester off. The only exception might be if you're not trying to breastfeed, and you plan to have a lot of help. Breastfeeding is a tremendous time commitment, and no one else can do it for you because you need to establish and maintain your supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129998 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 05:24:27 +0000 ValentineMommy 2129998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The only way this would have been remotely possible for me would be to take online classes....I think that would be manageable. Going into the classroom would definitely have been impossible for me. That being said, people make things work if they need to, so I'm sure you can do it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129981 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 04:06:57 +0000 lamariniere 2129981@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Everyone is different, but I would say take the semester off. My first LO was a VERY high needs newborn. I had actually thought about taking an online class that was supposed to start when he was 2 weeks old and I'm SO glad I didn't! Some days I didn't even manage to brush my teeth, so there is no way I would have had the time or energy for a class. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129910 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 21:32:25 +0000 yoursilverlining 2129910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband also took a significant amount of time off, like yours is planing to do, and even with that support structure I could not have held down 3 classes and assignments during my maternity leave. Sleep was too little and sporadic, I had PPD, and LO had colic. You don't know how your recovery will be, and how easy or hard your baby will be until you get there. I don't think you need to necessarily take a semester off, but I think cutting back a class or two will probably yield you a better gpa. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129907 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 21:26:26 +0000 Kbee 2129907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm also in graduate school, but done with classes and working on my dissertation. I was hoping to keep working on my dissertation in the weeks after his birth, but he's 8 weeks today, and only in the last week have I been able to dedicate a few hours to doing some work (and that's with my mom or MIL staying at the house to help). I didn't have a single second of free time during his first 6 weeks of life, even with help. I had many breakdowns - not just because of the difficulties that go along with having a newborn, but I also started freaking out that this baby was going to take up all of my time for a long time and I would never be able to finish my dissertation! </p> <p>Breastfeeding (or pumping) adds a lot of time to your day, especially when they're very young and eating ALL the time. In those first few weeks it's really important to nurse instead of pump, if possible, so that your baby's feeding increases your supply to where it needs to be. Naps weren't a reliable time for me to work either, since there was never a guarantee we could get him down for a nap, and if we did he may nap for 2 hours or 20 minutes. Having your husband help will definitely make it easier, but it will still be very challenging. I'm sure you can make it happen, but these are just some things to think about. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129826 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 19:46:24 +0000 Pancakes 2129826@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO #2 was due three weeks after the semester started this past fall. I was enrolled in one (online) graduate class. It was manageable because I got a little bit of a jumpstart on the semester before she came, but it was not easy. She had no routine at the beginning and went to bed so late for the first few months (I had been used to doing schoolwork in the evenings), so it was stressful to find time to cram in my work. Personally, I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to schoolwork and I have trouble turning in something half-assed. Maybe if I were more laid back it would be different. So I would say, yes to one class and no to three. I'll be taking more credits this summer/fall and I will probably have to hire someone to watch my LOs so I can get everything done. Oh, and due to my course timeline I couldn't afford to take a maternity leave but I wish I had. I just wanted to enjoy her without the stress of school (I was literally typing my final exam with one hand while she was nursing). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129814 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 19:36:56 +0000 msplatypus 2129814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work and am in grad school I had my baby in November. I was planning on staying in classes and just taking the normal winter break but I ended up taking an educational leave of absence for the semester because I am struggling with PPD and PPA. I wasn't able to hold off work longer than 12 weeks. Unfortunately you won't know how you feel after you have the baby until you have the baby. It might be better to anticipate needed a brief break from school. I was lucky in that I didn't need to take classes that are only offered once a year/2 years (as often happens at my small university) the semester I took off. I wish you the best of luck!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129786 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 19:02:52 +0000 catomd00 2129786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had an easy baby and I wouldn't have wanted to do it. It would have been more manageable around 3-4 months postpartum. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129783 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 19:01:56 +0000 Ashleigh3388 2129783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a c-section on Thursday night and went back to school the following Wednesday. I'm not going to say it was easy ( he was born during mid-terms) but I did it. I had a huge support system. My hubs or my mom would bring him up on my break most nights so I could feed him. I didn't work during that time so I was with him all day and night minus the 4 hours I was at school. You can do it and it will get easier. The hardest part for me was leaving him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129773 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:50:50 +0000 Orchid 2129773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There's no way I could have managed that! I would advise you to take a break from school. That time can be so challenging that I remember crying from the sheer stress of it. It is also a fleeting time, so I would try to focus on soaking up that time with baby and your DH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129747 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:00:37 +0000 babynumber1 2129747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If your husband can tend to the baby while you are tied up, go for it. Just don't give yourself a hard time of it doesn't work, but it's worth a shot. I feel like I could have managed it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129745 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 17:57:50 +0000 jape14 2129745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One other thing you might want to consider is a late baby! I was due August 26th last year and ended up getting induced and giving birth on September 3rd. Personally, I'd take the semester off anyway, but with a late baby you could potentially be in the position of going back less than 2 weeks out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129691 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 16:30:35 +0000 birdofafeather 2129691@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on the kind of student you are. Some are all in studying taking over and others more lackadaisical. I was pretty low study needs in college and had a pretty easy baby, but with a due date so close to the start of school, I would personally have signed up for 1 class and then talked with my prof beforehand. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129688 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 16:27:25 +0000 Mrs.ThinMint 2129688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Obviously this is different for each person, but for me this would have been absolutely impossible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129611 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 15:06:40 +0000 blackbird 2129611@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If your husband is on board, then go for it. Mine has been finishing his masters (and will) during our first and second child. This time around, I am due in May and he is taking the summer off, but last time he couldn't do that. I finished a masters in engineering while on maternity leave, and it was fine. i was tired, and maybe i half assed a written assignment or two because I wanted to nap instead, but I did it. I planned for it and took an easier class that semester. I would not take 3 classes, though...I would take one or two. Plus if you go late...you could be pretty freshly PP, ya know? Talk to your professors about it BEFORE you have the baby and before you enroll in class. Mine were always fantastic about it (and DH's have been, too) but you want to have that communication established first. </p> <p>I also have a girlfriend who went back to OT school 2 weeks PP and her mom came and helped her out. It's definitely doable. Is it awesome? No. But totally doable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129600 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:55:07 +0000 ScarletBegonia 2129600@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It will definitely help to have a supportive husband!! I think you might be able to make it work - I have a friend who started teaching night classes 4 weeks PP - but it will be very trying for everyone involved. If you can stand to take a semester off I definitely would. Also, I would be sure to speak to your teachers/profs in the lead up, as well as to potential group partners, so they are well aware of your situation.<br /> Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129598 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:54:44 +0000 ILoveLettie 2129598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went back to my graduate program when my daughter was 2.5 weeks old. I had class 1 day a week all day on Tuesdays and she was watched by a sitter in the mornings and her dad in the afternoons. Then I did homework during her naps, etc. throughout the week. My husband was in graduate school as well and was very supportive--we worked around each other's schedules. This was our first child as well. It actually worked really well for me. I had more energy with a baby than I did pregnant, especially as DH would do more of the nighttime newborn duties the days I had class. We picked up slack for each other. I actually really liked having the classes as well--it was good mental stimulation and interaction with peers during a time where I was mostly thinking about baby 24/7. Kept me from being a zombie! So I am really glad I went back into grad school and didn't take a leave--in my own experience, it helped me actually recover faster and not go completely insane during the newborn period from being socially isolated at home with a baby.</p> <p>Good luck! It's definitely not easy and definitely varies from person to person but it can be doable! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/graduate-school-in-the-fourth-trimesteron-maternity-leave#post-2129592 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:49:21 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2129592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would probably plan to take the semester off. The first couple months of parenthood are rough even if you have an easy baby. There's no way I would have been able to concentrate on school work while waking up every 2-3 hours to BF. </p>