PA school with a baby?!

amother

Hotpink

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:59 pm

I did an accelerated nursing program (11month BSN) with three young children and working a little. It was hard but manageable. I would always say I can do anything if it's just for a year.

amother

Turquoise

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 11:27 pm

Quote:

Can I expect to get by with studying just two hours a day?

I think a lot depends on the structure of your program and your study habits. My DHs program was more chilled than a lot of other programs I've heard of, and he probably spent 2-3 hrs a day studying. But he was done classes almost everyday by 3. My SIL was in school everyday until 5 or 6 and then studied for 3 more hours each night.
You also have to allow 6-7 hours of studying on Sundays and my DH even spent an hour or two on shabbos studying each week.
I can't tell you what to do but if PA school is something you really want I'd say do it now when you only have one and she's so young. Iyh in 2 yrs you'll be done. It will only be harder and harder if you wait until you have more/older kids

ETA: not to knock any of the other degrees people here have written about but I don't think you can compare PA school to any other type of schooling. Unless you have been through it you can't really understand. It is so much material condensed into a very short amount of time. Most schools will not allow you to have a job (no matter how part time) because it is impossible to work and be passing.

amother

Sapphire

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 2:24 am

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

Bumping up this thread because I had the baby, and getting really close to starting school.
Now that I have the baby, I'm second guessing my decision even more. Besides for the practicalities of it being very hard to juggle taking care of a baby, I'm SO sad thinking about leaving my baby all day, and barely having any time to spend with her. I will barely be able to enjoy her cute baby years, the best stage for me. I don't know when I'll be home from lecture, but I'll have maybe an hour to spend with her. On the weekends I'll have the constant pressure of studying. I know it's quality over quantity and that she won't remember...but I will.
Amother purple, wheat, and those that said their dhs went to PA school: How much can I expect to actually need to study? Can I expect to get by with studying just two hours a day? I want to be able to spend some time with dh and baby! Dh is expecting to take care of supper every night, pick up and drop off by babysitter and other household tasks at least for the first year.
Getting super duper nervous....

Mazel tov, OP! I hope your recovery is going well.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. This is going to be really, really hard. Yes, it's murder to leave the baby, especially if you are one of those lucky moms who enjoys the newborn stage (I loved my babies and cried when I left, but the crying was from the mixed emotions - part of me was absolutely relieved to have a little break).

You will need to find a balance that works for you. Remember, most of the time in graduate school, you just need to maintain a decent average. Once you graduate and get certified as a PA, no one is really going to care too much what your grades were -- maybe your first employer will, but that's about it. Yes, you need to learn these things because you'll need to know them -- but many, many things you learn are forgotten, and only come back with experience on the job. If you're a Type-A personality and straight-A student, you might need to let that go a bit if you want to spend time with DH and the baby. I'm not saying to start getting Cs, but an A- or B+ won't kill you.

I read a book called "The Pursuit of Perfect" by Tal Ben Shahar. He talks about how to let go of negative perfectionism and embrace optimalism, which is basically getting the best that can be gotten out of your particular circumstances. You're going to be sandwiched in on all sides, but the best you can do is take it one day at a time and not to sweat what you did very imperfectly.

(By the way, remember that your marriage comes before your child. People are shocked to hear that, but it's true. Your love for your child is natural and will be there no matter what; your love for your spouse and his love for you need to be constantly nurtured.)

Last edited by amother on Tue, Jul 09 2019, 8:35 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Orchid

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:43 am

I might be the voice of dissent here but if your gut is telling you to delay a year , maybe consider it for real. I would have a very difficult time leaving a baby for so many hours. If you’re ok with using BC, you can always delay a year and then wait for more kids until after . It’s a lot easier emotionally to leave a 1 1/2 year old than a 3 month old. Just my two cents . I finished grad school before getting married , so was able to stay home with my babies and it’s time you never get back.

nchr

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 11:04 am

AFAIK PA school is 3 years. Anyways, I did not go to PA school with an infant but another demanding masters program and it worked BH. Infants were the easiest of all of the ages and I'm very grateful to my family and cleaning help!

HonesttoGod

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 11:05 am

YOU GOT THIS!

A few things to note: Your life won't be perfect, accept the things you can't do, its ok if dishes and laundry pile up for a few days, its ok to get your husband to take on more in the house - he is your partner!

Good luck!!