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Having a baby mid semester



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amother
Mustard


 

Post Mon, Dec 31 2018, 7:02 pm
Hi,
I'm iyh due soon which will be right smack in the middle of next semester. I'm sure there were others in my position, do you have any tips for me? How long should I plan to take off for? Are professors understanding? The thought of leaving my newborn leaves me a bit uneasy, but I won't think about that yet... I'd be out of the house completing full time classes though mostly at nights with one full day out of the house during the day.
Did I bite off more than I could chew?
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amother
Gold


 

Post Mon, Dec 31 2018, 7:12 pm
It really depends on your program.

Is it an option to take the semester off?

I gave birth in middle of nursing school. It was very hard. I made it through and even graduated with honors but it isnt something I recommend unless you really have no choice.
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serenity8843




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 31 2018, 8:36 pm
This happened to me just five months ago when I gave birth to my son in middle of a semester in my MBA program. I signed up for just one class and a week or two into the semester I emailed my professor that I would be having a baby in the next few weeks. I wasn't sure what to expect, but he actually was quite understanding and gave me many extensions and graded my work more leniently. I passed his course with flying colors baruch Hashem. This college is Catholic, not Jewish, and the program that I am doing is online.
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amother
Mustard


 

Post Mon, Dec 31 2018, 8:45 pm
Thank you for your reply! How long did you take off before you felt up to hitting the books again?
I broke up my schedule as my most important subject to be one out of the rest of my classes, which isn't so bad (I think I could manage the rest of the classes remotely), but I'll probably have to go in for labs which I guess isn't so bad since it's once a week? Just brainstorming..
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serenity8843




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 31 2018, 9:02 pm
It took me about two weeks to get back into the course and start participating again. You have to do what's best for you! I wouldn't know about labs, as my course was completely online.
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amother
Bisque


 

Post Mon, Dec 31 2018, 11:36 pm
I went through this... but I couldn't take a break for a semester, or miss more than 1 week's worth of classes or I'd lose my full scholarship. So I went back to college 1 week after the baby was born. Hardest thing I've ever had to do (physically).

Online classes weren't an option at that college or I would have selected online classes. I strongly recommend you reach out to someone higher up in the college - don't be shy about knocking on doors of deans etc - you can even start with the college guidance counselor/counseling center as they have certainly encountered this before, and will be able to give you guidance and direction regarding policies, work-arounds, options, etc.

B'sha tova!
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amother
White


 

Post Mon, Dec 31 2018, 11:53 pm
I work for a university.

Individual professors may be understanding but in general you should not expect any more allowances than the usual (ie if their policy is that you can miss class once the entire semester than that is what they will allow you. If they allow three classes off, they’ll tell you that it’s fine to take three classes off). They’re not going to give you a six week “maternity leave”.

All that being said, your life will likely only get harder with more and more to juggle so I would encourage you to try to make it through the semester if you are able (as opposed to pushing off the classes etc to the following semester).

Best of luck figuring it out!
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finprof




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 01 2019, 2:57 am
It depends on the class and the professor. We are individuals, there is no automatic group think that comes with the Ph.D.!

If the class is discussion and essay based or primarily group work it is hard to make accommodations for you but it's lecture and exam based its easier. Just make sure to reach out to each professor individually. You will also want to let your Dean know, getting him/ her on your side will help with obstinate faculty members!
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Aylat




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 01 2019, 5:41 am
I went back at about 6 weeks but it was my first child so not too much juggling. I was lucky that the first three weeks were winter holiday. I had mostly half days, 5 days a week (I think, long time ago). One long lab day. In the last month of my pregnancy my course gave me an exemption from labs without taking it off my attendance record. Good luck!
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