Hey Ladies, anyone have experience or advice to share on the issue ...

So here's my situation. I am just about half way done with my Masters in History degree (Online). I am full time and plan to remain full time throughout the pregnancy and when the baby comes. I'm kind of freaking out, because I am trying to be realistic about how tough it will be. There will be the time issue and the exhaustion issue. This is my first baby. When the baby comes in November I will be smack dab in the middle of my second to last semester (based on the due date).

The program I am in is very intense. My weekly work includes 6 or more analytical responses (300+words) to forum questions and posts, 5+ page weekly papers (1-3), 200+ pages of reading. Additionally there are 30+ page research papers per class per semester. It probably requires an average of 35 hours of work a week. I understand that plenty of moms work 40+ hours a week, but my concern is the stay at home factor and juggling the new mommy duties and the school duties at the same time while hoping for SOME sleep!

Luckily, during the semester the baby is born 1 out of my 2 courses is only 8 weeks long (only the first half of the semester). I chose this option so that once the baby comes I will only have the 1 course left to worry about. This has its cons too though because with a course condensed into 8 weeks, it will that much more intense work-wise while Im in my last weeks of pregnany! So, baby is due early Novemeber and that semester will be done end of December. Then, thank goodness, I will have January off before my final semester starts in February. And in the final semester the baby will be a few months old ... so that will be atleast a little easier than a newborn right?! Lol

I have a 4.0 gpa now and I fully accept that maintaining my straight A's will be difficult when the baby comes. I am ok with this. But in grad school the grade of "B" is average unlike a "C" in undergrad, so I can't let my quality of work slack totally. I guess I am just looking for some encouragment. Am I crazy to think I can do this with a newborn? Will I be forced to take time off of school? I really hope not, for my baby and for myself I feel strongly that I NEED to finish this degree on time.

Wow this ended up being way longer a post than planned. Sorry! Please let me know if you've juggled baby and online school. Or work from home and baby.

Thanks all xoxo

P.S. My hunny is in the picture but he works 60+ hours a week to support us so he really wont be helping to much with the baby!

I'm in a similar situation, but my classes aren't online. I have to drag myself to the university. it's tough when all I want is to sleep and when my nausea hits daily it's even harder. I also work part time aside from full time student. I only need one semester while pregnant and one after our baby is born. Family is encouraging and remind me I can finish while being a mommy. It's going to be tough. But I'd still say ask for help. Your course work is awfully intense. Best of luck

I'd cram as much in while your still pregnant as possible. I'd also take time off when baby is first born. Not because you can't or won't be able to do baby and school but because baby is baby once and for a short time. It goes so quickly. My question to you is why do you feel the need to finish on time? Waiting one or two semesters will quite easily help you with learning to be a mom, to enjoy baby, to not feel totall under pressure and you will still get school done, just not totally on time.

I did online courses so I could convert my degree, I started when my first baby was 3 months old and finished when he was a year old. I will not lie and say it was easy, but with a lot of planning and some acceptence that sometimes little people just need to come first, it is possible.

I would say you might want to consider taking a week or two off. You will need some recovery time and time for the labour. It takes a while to get into a rythmn with a new baby. I will say though, that working is easier with a newborn than it would be with an older baby/toddler.

All newborns require is lots of cuddles, regular feeds and changing. If you can juggle feeding and typing, or typing and burping/cuddling a baby you will manage.

Be prepared for the purple crying time as well, when you may get no work done. My last would cry every day at 9pm without fail. While he did this, all I could do was hold him. My first never did this, so you may be one of the lucky ones.

Other than that, you should be able to get quite a lot of work done while feeding, or while the baby sleeps.

It takes a while to adjust to lack of sleep, but the average waking times of a newborn is every two hours (in 24) so you will get little spurts of sleep. You body will naturally adapt to this and it is always amazing how much mothers get done on little or no sleep.

You could also budget for a cleaning lady a couple of days a week.

Good luck with it all.