I have been doing lots of research on this topic but I would still love some advice! I will start medical school in the fall (2012). My husband and I have been talking about starting our family soon. The goal is to become pregnant in August to hopefully have the baby during the summer between years one and two. I will not have the luxury of having family close by to help out so we will have to rely on daycare when my husband and I cannot be home. I will most likely be going to LECOM-B (DO school). Anatomy is only for the first 10 weeks and the rest of the two pre-clinical years is taught PBL style. Does anyone have experience with being pregnant during medical school (especially during the first two years)? Would this be our best option or would we be better off waiting until after medical school? Thanks for the help!!

I did exactly what you are talking about. This worked out perfectly. My school has podcasts so I actually was home with my son all throughout his first year except the few hours a week that were required to go in. Ffor anatomy I wore a mask that I got from occupational health, but I know other pregnant people who didn't use one and their pregnancies and babies turned out fine. I am currently a third year and due any day now with my second. It was much harder to be pregnant during 3rd year and I decided to take a leave of absence because I didn't want to be pumping and away from my kids that much during rotations. So I say go for it, between 1st and 2nd year is the only summer you get!

Thanks so much!! Your info was very helpful and reassuring. Did you feel that your class work suffered because you wanted to spend a lot of time with the little one? Congrats, good luck, and thank you for your help!!

Congrats on med school! I'm in a somewhat similar situation, as I'm a first year, pregnant with our first baby and due at the beginning of 2nd year. I think having that summer off with a new baby would be awesome! The only timing thing I might suggest is to try and avoid the chance that you'll go into labor during your finals. My due date is hovering around our first exam of 2nd year and I'm already nervous!

Other than that, I would say GO FOR IT! Med school is a great time because since you're the one paying for your education, the school is much more likely to be accommodating to your needs. As a resident or hospital employee, no one really has a big incentive to give you a year off, set you up with a nice masters program, help you find research opportunities, extend your maternity leave, etc.

If you're wanting to work part-time as an attending, then I guess it might make sense to wait until then. Personally though, I plan on working full time, so I wasn't going to wait 7-10 years to start a family when I'm ready now

Good luck!

No, my class work did not suffer. I did have to start using daycare more when he was 6 months due to the fact that he stopped sleeping during the day so much. But that was actually a good thing because he was gradually put into daycare full time and thus got all the daycare sickness more gradually. But when they are only a few months all they do is sleep and eat so you can just study with them in your arms. My grades in second year were exactly around the same as first year and i did very well on step 1, lthough i did put my son in daycare full time during that time (and got pregnant again while studying for step 1 lol).
Biggest thing is to get a good pump, like Medela, for when u start spending more time away from your baby.

Thanks for your advice! I feel the same way...why wait now and possibly risk not being able to have children when I feel like now is the right time!

If you can work out that plan, that's great! Just keep in mind that sometimes our bodies don't get the memo on those plans and it may not happen the way you like.

In that case, be sure to have a plan B if you don't get pregnant right away.

Also, if it does work, be prepared to feel queasy during your 10-week hands-on portion of anatomy and make provisions.

Good luck to you!

Yes, you're right. I am going to start charting my basal temperature every morning in an attempt to pinpoint the best days to conceive. Right now, we aren't sure what plan B is. Thanks so much for your advice!

Geez, I'd wait till anatomy is over to try to conceive. Smelling formalin and phenol all day in the first tri sounds like an awful idea. You may be vomiting multiple times a day even without the anatomy lab, never mind the preservatives are known carcinogens - why would you want to expose a developing fetus to that stuff?

I was pregnant during anatomy lab, and I did not make the decision lightly. I took every precaution I could possibly think of (mask, dbl glove, only superficial dissection, skipped optional sessions), and the course director (who mixed the stuff himself) assured me he used the most dilute mixture possible. That being said, it's still a theoretical risk (although I could not find any studies linking anatomy lab with birth defects per se). I'm not saying you *should* do it, but you are right to weigh the decision carefully.

People are going to criticize your decisions no matter what you do. If you are pregnant on hospital rotations, there will be known and sometimes significant exposure to carcinogens and teratogens, not to mention the infectious diseases. So darned if you do, darned if you don't. (Sorry, tr, I know you didn't mean it that way, but being one who was pregnant during anatomy lab, I'm extra sensitive to this stuff!)

DD is totally normal, btw.

WOW, Kal, that's pretty impressive that you did full-time daycare AND studying with a newborn! I have to say that was absolutely not the case for me. DD1 had to go to daycare 35h/week when I returned to class. That was increased during Step 1 study time. Also, DD2 did not hardly sleep, ever, and had horrible reflux. I could hardly put her down long enough to use the bathroom, let alone study in peace. Babies....they're like a box of chocolates...

I have done lots of research on this topic. Trust me, I am not taking this decision lightly. But thank you for bringing this up and showing me a different aspect to look at.

Would you recommend just waiting or do you think things worked out just fine for you?

Thanks for your advice! Its such a mixed bag of emotions. I feel that this is the right time for my husband and I to start our family but I want to look at all aspects and make sure I do the right thing. I know it will be stressful but I personally feel that having a family is very important. Did you plan your pregnancy to have the baby during summer break? Do you felt that your professors and fellow students looked at you like you were crazy having a baby during such a stressful time of your life? Also, did being pregnant/having a baby distract you from your studying?

No, we did not have him during the summer. We decided to get pregnant too late for that one. I had mine during Pulmonology - wow, was that hard. Worth it, but super hard. YES, being pregnant and having a baby is a distraction from studying. I made it through, though, and so can you if you choose this, but yes - it was much easier to study longer/hard/more disciplined without a tiny little human sucking on my boob and/or weighing 60 pounds more than I did with pains shooting through my vagina and an decreased respiratory capacity eliciting mental images that a giant watermelon had taken residence in my lungs and abdomen.

Many people thought I was crazy. They will tell you all the time - "I don't know how you are going to do this." Or my favorite - "Now that you are pregnant, will you quit medical school?" But expect that from mainly uninformed laypeople - hopefully your classmates will be a little less irrational with their comments.

So the outcome? I passed Pulm just fine, had a difficulty recovery from the birth bc I tore in a couple of places and had severe post-epidural back pain, but I got through it. Breastfeeding was hard, and I cried a lot, but I got through it, and pumping sucks big time, but I sucked it up in return and got through it. Finished second year with excellent grades, took boards with one pumping break in the middle as part of my "break time" and got a great score. Stored enough milk to keep him on breastmilk for his entire first year. My supply ran out at 10 months, though, because pumping on clerkship sucks. I had a much easier time during the pre-clinical year with it.

End point - wouldn't change a thing. Glad I had him as a second-year. Would do it again despite how hard it was. Also loving that I'll be moving with a weaned, toddler rather than a baby.

This was what works for me, though. Many other moms have other preferences, and they are very happy with their choice too.

Gather opinions, but listen to your gut. I did the same. Search my screename for posts around Jan 2010 - ish if you want to see my decision-making journey. I got pregnant early March.

Good luck with your decision!

In my mind - having kids is a "distraction" no matter when you do it.

To some extent, if you already have a lot of distractions, you can trade those in - but of course this one you can't put on hold when exam week is coming quite so well, it is probably going to take more of your time than all your previous distractions combined, and you'll still want to have at least a *little* in your life besides work and family.

So the real issue is going to be yes, you'll be distracted - but I'm not sure it's any better to be distracted later in med school, in residency, or in early practice years.... even if you did want to wait that long. I remember seeing an attending who had just spent their first year building up a patient base, only to end up on bedrest for 3 months then have 3 months maternity leave and have to start over when she came back.

You are absolutely right. I have chosen to be a doctor knowing that it is not going to be easy (it has definitely not been easy getting to this point) and I'm ok with that. Medicine is my passion but having a family is equally-- if not more-- important. Things are never "easy" or never distracting for doctors, that's just the name of the game. Thanks for your input, I really appreciate your advice!

I second what asunshine replied to this... You will be exposed to carcinogens/teratogens throughout your career (most likely). In anesthesia I am exposed to fluoro sometimes (although I've requested not to be regularly since becoming pregnant again) and I do mask inductions on kiddos and try not to inhale the sevo so my unborn baby isn't exposed- but what other option do I have? Take no call when pregnant? Refuse to take the 2 year old to the OR? I just do the best I can to avoid risks as much as I can.

The whole nausea thing would make me more likely to skip being pregnant during anatomy, but that's just me...

Thanks for your input! I'm hoping for one of those perfect pregnancies where I don't even know I'm pregnant until I start showing and the baby comes out perfect, healthy and laid back. In reality, that's probably not going to be the case but I'm going to assume until proven otherwise that I will be one of those rare women that has no nausea!

Sorry for offending! I didn't mean to imply anything untoward about women who have to be around unfriendly chemicals while pregnant... just that if it's an option in this case to wait a few weeks before ditching the BC, I would. More because of the nausea really (I don't know anyone personally who wasn't at least a little sick in the first tri).

And I second asunshine's point about the box of chocolates. I am getting some work done at home with DD2, but couldn't have possibly done a thing extra with DD1 (some days I didn't get to eat *or* pee until my husband came home).

Anyways, I wouldn't *plan* on being able to study with the baby. I would plan for a caretaker during your study time, and if you end up with an easy baby you can back down on the care. But if you plan to study while doing full time baby care and then end up with a colicky screamer, you'll be in for a rough ride.

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.