I would really appreciate any opinions and experiences on this topic. The only thing(s) that stood in our way of having a baby was the fact that I was studying for an MSc and my hubby's MRPC exams. Now I've been offered a PhD which my husband wants me to take. However, I don't want to delay having a baby for 3 years at all - neither does my other half - but as a PhD student (starting in Oct) how would I manage it? Is it generally frowned upon? Or could I take leave for some to have my baby and get back to the PhD afterwards?

I'm asking here at the forum in case anyone has had a similar experience or has stopped in between a PhD to have a baby and so forth...so please help me out. Thank youuuu...

their are a few ladies around here who have had kids during their phds. they basically took 12-18 months out.

First of all thanx A LOT (especially onwards&upwards for ur lengthy response) to everyone who replied so far.. My PhD is a physiology based project and yes, it involves equal amounts of time in the lab and analysing results. I know very well what the project is all about have already learnt the techniques since the project is actually an huge extension of the work i am doing in my MSc project - i guess my sup was impressed with the work i have done so far and wanted me to compete with others for the PhD he was advertising.. i did..and i got it!

I will definately check out those websites mentioned.. Sorry to say but i'm not such a cynic and cannot possible compare having a baby to collecting data... but i know what you are trying to say.. i'd love to hear more opinions or advice... please?

I'm a 3rd year PhD student with a I year old. I had the baby half way through my PhD, and everyone has been great. My work is mainly computer simulation, so I work on my laptop in the evenings and when he sleeps fairly well. I took 6 months out. My funding body gave me 4 months paid leave. I'm now part time -- the baby goes to nursery four mornings a week -- and it works well. But I know I've been very lucky: my supervisor is a great family man and very supportive. I stopped going into the deparment from 28 weeks pregnant becuase it was just too tiring. And doing experiments with morning sickness was a nightmare, but it was worth it. It is really hard, but if you are very committed, you'll be fine. My problem... I've just found out I'm pregnant again and dont hand in for another 18 months. Heaven knows what they'll say this time. eek!

I don't intend to comment on anyone's personal situation...but I must say if I took someone on for a 3 year PhD and then they announced they were taking time out to have a baby, I would not be too happy (unless it was a genuine accident).

Three years is not a long time to wait, surely?

Ah, juno! - come talk to us over there in the dead zone --

Where's the dead zone? (been up to my neck in admin lately)...

Over in the off topics section. Those two dashes were supposed to be an arrow: →
(Sorry for hijacking this beta)

Hi, I started my PhD in December and by complete accident I got pregnant. The morning sickness was really bad as I just could not make it to work and my brain was complete mash. It is getting slightly better now but I am still not sure how I am going to survive not having a nap every two hours on my keyboard
I think in general it is possible but I would not tell your supervisor that it was planned. Start your PhD, get your experiments up and running and after the lab work (which you might not be allowed to do when you are pregnant). As your supervisor obviously likes your work he should not have to many problems with you taking some time off but find out how you finance it as I won't get anything and we are not sure how to survive my maternity leave.

it cut some text off...
But in general I think it is possible if you think that you are 1)highly organised
2) have tripple the self-dicipline (I don't)
3) and you are happy about it
but it surely gives a good balance to science to change nappies

well, that's an old topic revived... interesting!

for me it is an issue... just finishing my first year, i'm 31, i study reproductive medicine (social science perspective) so i am very aware of things like that the chance to conceive (with or without medical help) halfs every year after age 35... somehow i think it is not a good idea to plan on having a baby immediately after finishing the PhD (go through all that education and then just have a baby?!)... so when? how? do i need to decide between either the PhD or a family???
if the PhD were a job (as it is in some places - see other threads) it would be normal to take (paid!) pregnancy leave... but if you are slaving away unpaid or on a stipend, you can't without earning frowns...

You are right, beta undigged it somehow. But just to reply to you shani, I think it is possible to work with a baby. I know loads of women in my department who have kids and I think there is on the on ehand never a "right" time if you try to plan it but on the other you cannot wait forever nor see the kid as stopping you from everything - something I learned in the last weeks.

Yeah, sorry for undigging an old one. Hadn't read the date properly!

I wanted to reassure others that if you are v. committed, a PhD + baby can work. And I really hope to find someone else who has been there twice! I don't know if I'll get maternity leave this time, but having got so far there is no way I'm giving this PhD up!! Academia is a strange world: there is no right time to have a baby! I just hope that, having done it young, I can then have a career afterwards without my body clock ticking away like so many people I know. And it does seem much easier to cope with a baby while young. (And easier to get pregnant!)