Is many of you will know im a 21 yo student and im in my 2nd year of uni. When i fiest went to the uni and said i was pregnant they advised me that it would be best to power on with my 2nd year and compleat it as it would be over just before the baby is due (june 10th ish)and the only problem with doing that would be compleating the end of year exams and hoping baby holds on and doesnt come early! Now at first i thought that would be a great idea (i was only 12 weeks when it was decided). However since then ive not got a bump, am tired, get out of breath walking to lectures (im in wales and there are loads of steep little roads to go up and down) and am generally doupting that it was a good idea not taking the year out compleatly.
So ive been doing a lot of thinking, and have decided that i want to take a year out from easter! Im almost 26 weeks now and i dont see why "just because im a student" i should be expected to work right up untill my Due date. I know im not doing anything strenuous but even people who work in an office get to take time off to prepare for the arrival of their babies....AND they get more than 3 months off after the birth!!! which i wouldnt get!
Also if i go with the original plan of work till i drop...i would be having my baby with no family able to come and visit me in hospital and if anything were to happen to me then my partner would be left 300 miles from home compleatly alone with a brand new baby. Am i being silly thinking like that? should i suck it up and get on with it or am i right saying i want to give birth in Northumberland where i know my mum and steves family are able to halp us out and be involved? Should baby be second best to a degree or am i Right in wanting to enjoy the rest of the experience without worrying about wether im going to fit into some tiny weany chair with table attached without getting stuck when i go to lectures.???

The most anoying thing is that ive emailed my bloody tutor and told her i want out for a year and she just isnt getting back to me!!!!!!!!!!!!! even my mum is ok with me saying i want to come back home untill baby arrives (and belive me that is a massive thing as my mum can be a cow!)

any opinions please post them...i just want to burst out crying one min then scream the next.

kirst 25+6 boy bump

I agree completely your baby does come before your degree, like others have said you can do your degree anytime, but you will never be able to experiance this pregnancy again, at the end of the day it is your choice and your tutor has to respect your decision.
i know it's hard but try not to let it stress you out, the way i see it is, if it is causing you this much stress then it isn't worth it, you are under enough stress with being pregnant without allowing other people (who arn't even directly involved)to cause you more.

good luck with whatever you decide hun
much love and best wishes
Leitia & Harry(20 days old)
XxxxxX

firstly your baby comes before your degree, your right to think like that - you can do a degree anytime.

But reading your post would like to offer a little bit of advice. I do think your making the wrong decision by leaving Uni at easter and taking a break before you finish the year, I appreciate your getting tired - we all are!! But pregnancy is not a disease, nor an illness (although of course it does make some of us very ill) and there is no reason to put your life on hold until little on arrives. As a full time student I assume your hours in class come in at less than 20 hours per week, and the whole course will be designed so you are roughly doing full time hours (by the time you include studying etc.), you have the easter break coming up and lectures will be winding down/finishing May time. Studying is not taxing, you can sit at do it at home or wonder to the library if needs be and yes getting to your exams might be a little difficult but there's women out there who already have 3 kids to look after during their heavily pregnant state - so us first time mums have it easy in comparison.

I don't think that by staying in education until the end of term will have any bad effects on you or your baby. I'm also not saying it will be easy but then I think the toughness of pregnancy is just preparing us for how tough it will be to be a mum! Plus 3 months of work is plenty time, I know a lot of people who only get to take this amount of time off work. BUT if you feel you want more time then take the 2008/2009 academic year off - it makes much more sense (if its possible) to take off an academic year, than a March to March year.

You can then finish your exams and head straight home, with your full uni year behind you and know you have either 3 months or a year or whatever you decide to spend with your baby. Plus if you wanted to finish your degree at another uni it would be easier if you finished the academic year at wales first (I used to work in newcastle uni admissions office so know the proceedures).

It's only my opinion, I am a great believer in powering on - and you can always take a couple of days out if its getting too much - I did that a few weeks ago and it made the world of difference, give me my 2nd wind to get through the very very long 2nd trimester.

take care

Jules 25+1

Well personally I agree with you you can always re sit when babs is a bit older its no good for you being this stressed and even if you dont need the help its nice to know you have people down the road to ask if needs be so I think its a very good idea I studied basically until I popped plus had 2 jobs and a 2 yr old and I was exhausted this time round ive thought sod it im going to relax and enjoy it * well as much as you can enjoy pregnancy* take care xx