No offense taken! For reals! It would be right on to wait til after anatomy--for me, I couldn't be due during summer break if I had waited, but every school is different--some folks have anatomy lab all year...extra stinky.

Ugh--with DD2, the high chair was my only reprieve--and even then she freaked out if I was out of sight in the bathroom.

No offense here either tr_, just wanted to add my point of view! I will also add that during my first pregnancy I was WAY more concerned with those kinds of things, but now I just read what studies there are and do the best I can.

Anyways. I totally agree with you guys to not count on getting work done while providing childcare! I hope my next baby is super easy and independent and lets me read my textbook while he plays, but my first always wants us to play with him. I can sometimes glance through a journal if he's being exceptionally engrossed in playing but then he'll see me and say, "No mama! No reading!" which I have to admit is very cute

Just to make it clear, I was able to study with my son until he was around 3 months , not when he could talk or crawl or walk. My son was needy and had to be pretty much breast feeding all the time to be happy. I was able to study while doing this, but I've always been a very efficient person. You should have a daycare picked out and should have them ready to watch your baby just in case you aren't able to do it, but it is not impossible in my opinion.

I will definitely have a daycare ready for when the baby comes. My husband will be working during the day and I will be in class/studying. I'm getting really excited and anxious to start TTC and school! Thanks for everyone's advice!!

I am a third year. I got pregnant during September of first year. I was pregnant for five weeks in anatomy and wore a regular face mask. Kiddo is fine. He was born in June. During second year, I spent half a day on M,W,F on campus, and the rest studying from lectures online. My husband worked from home, and our kiddo went to an in home daycare 3 days a week. My husband now works for himself and our kiddo is home 24/7. Second year was the perfect time for us because I wanted to breastfeed for a year (which I was successful at), but didn't want to have a kiddo first year. I had adequate time to study, despite my needy infant. I am now pregnant again and am expecting in June. This will allow me another year to breastfeed before starting residency. I took no time off, and although I don't have much time to myself, it has been very possible (with a little bit of planning and a supportive husband).

Re: finding a daycare, I would get on that now. With DD, we got on waiting lists before we were pregnant, and didn't get a spot for her until she was 11 months old! I don't mean to stress you out - you will definitely be able to find SOMETHING, but your options will be greater if you get on multiple waiting lists early. Most places will let you do it even though you haven't conceived yet. Then you just update them when you have a due date, and again when the baby is born.

That's a good idea. I will definitely start looking for daycare

For what it's worth, I was pregnant for a few weeks during gross anatomy, and I decided to wear one of those N95 respirator masks. Although it was harder to breathe/talk with it, it did mask the formaldehyde smell. And I had a lot of nausea in my first tri, so thank God for that.