This is inspiring. I'm in my second year of my PhD program and I'm thinking of starting to try to conceive my third year but still deciding whether it's the right time.
Grad school is a wonderful time to have a child. If I had the option to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing. My daughter has made me a better and more efficient researcher and the flexibility in my schedule allows me to spend time with her that I am not sure I would have had if I was a junior faculty. But it all depends on your preferences everyone is different. If you want to, I would say go for it!
I am about to start my PhD soon. I was not sure if I would be able to start a family during my studies. Watching your video is really inspiring. Loved every moment,especially baby ❤ and you playing the rattle..it was soooo cute...stay blessed
Thank you lots for these insights! I'm impressed with your day routine, it's so organized and seems that you have time for everything, HATS OFF for that! I was also wondering if you have the possibility to take maternity leave, what are its conditions and how long does it last. Maybe you could do a video on that :) PS. Your daughter is adorable!!!
Thank you! Some days go a little better than others for sure. I think maternity leave is different depending on your department and graduate student governing body. Though I didn't have to formally file maternity leave because my advisor and I discussed it privately and had no issues coming to an agreement. His wife actually watched my daughter so I could attend class in person and get a break. Each university should have their maternity leave policy posted on their graduate student website, or faculty/staff site. Some also have it on student websites. So while the maternity leave document protects your rights to have maternity leave, my advisor gave me more time to spend with my daughter than the official leave would have.
My daughter wouldn’t sleep through the night for the first three months and I felt like I was loosing my mind. Those periods do go away with time! I just kept telling myself that it will pass and try to be patient with it. I also started drinking a LOT of caffeine. There are periods I will work on little to no sleep and it is still hard. But I just keep short term goals in mind and celebrate small victories. It also helps that when my daughter is sick or she wakes up in the middle of the night my husband and I take shifts. But don’t be ashamed to take a nap in the middle of the day if you need it and have time! I would be lying if I took a lunch hour and spent it sleeping instead. I just took my lunch to class or the office. Don’t be hard on yourself if you miss a deadline or a personal goal because you are sleep deprived even people without children face it, you are doing great! So for me, I focus on positive thoughts, and allowing time and forgiveness for myself when needed.
Can I have my first kid in my second or third year of PhD? I do 9 hours for 6 days a week, and my husband is also doing PhD, I'm not sure and I wish someone tell me a good advise
