I am about to start my PhD this October and I have just found out that I am pregnant. I dont know what to do... whether I will be able to combine both or whether I should resign from one. I would appreciate some advice, especially from someone who went through the same situation...

Not exactly the same situation, but I've recently found out that I'm pregnant and I'm in my final year of my PhD.
What I did was switch to part-time immediately (at my uni you can't switch from full to part-time during the writing up year). I'm going to get as much work done as I can before the baby arrives, take a year out officially but ease myself back into the PhD after about 9 months.
Is switching to part-time an option for you? Most funding bodies are fine about this if you have funding.

Also you've got to consider things like childcare for when you return. Could you afford a childminder or do you have family close by?
You could postpone for a year, but then there's always the fear that you might find it harder to get back into research and study if you haven't done any for a while. I also found the first year of the PhD by far the hardest as you have the bulk of the research to do and you're trying to scope and define your project which takes a lot of brain power and reflection! In all honesty, probably wouldn't have returned to it if I'd had a baby at any point during that period, obviously everyone is different, but if you can get a good foundation in before you have your baby then it would be making things easier to come back to.

Obviously everyone's experience is different and I hope some of the other parent posters give you their advice too.

Good luck with what you decide!

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Congratulations for the PhD and the pregnancy. I won't give advise just explain what happened to me. BTW, I got my PhD few months  back yet to have the grad ceremony.
Five years ago I was planning to get  married and given up hope of getting a PhD scholarship but I got one, wedding  was 3 months away and I accepted the PhD (full time) offer. Supervisors were understanding and I was happy to have a hubby whom I could moan about my PhD  woes almost every week for about a year. Then time started running I began doing experiments and life got so hectic. 3 yrs passed I was going for write-up and  thought I could manage to have a baby, so by the time I started the write up, I was 6 months preggo and all went well. Had baby, with lot of support from  parents and friends, but I was not very healthy until about 3 months after, then we had few family problems, & write-up got extended until I had no  choice but to finish or give up, had to move cut down cost and wrote like hell, final months only managing few hours sleep, baby teething, hubby ignored. Anyway  I got through, submitted, minor changes in viva and it was done. Now, I'm facing a possible separation or a divorce. Life works in strange ways, you can never  expect whats around the corner, BUT I never regret what happened in my life so far, If you have courage and a support system, plan everything to detail, all  eventualities you can think of then take the plunge. But sit and think about all scenarios, there are possibilities and ways to get through things. 
Good Luck. Hope 4 the best (up)

Year after my post I just wanted to say that I chose PhD.

I regret it now. Every day is a regret. I hate my PhD. I can't even talk to other people, I feel so antisocial.

So I just want to send message to other girls, don't decide on abortion. Ever.

Hi, will tell you a bit about my story, though different from yours I hope it helps.

I found out I was pregnant in my 2nd year (undergrad) at uni. I was really scared as I had 2 kids already, one was 5 and the other was 2. I did not have any family support. I was very worried and cried most of the time (because my previous pregnancies had been very difficult - I suffered with morning sickness and a debilitating condition called SPD). My hubby was worried because of the problems I had had in the past. However I decided that the worst thing that could happen was that I would defer my studies for the next year.

I continued with my studies and people at uni were very helpful. I was on crutches for 6 months of my pregnancy due to a condition called SPD (symphisis pubis dysfunction). I was quite small and carrying a big baby. I was working part time in an administrative role and my colleagues were great. The only thing that bothered me during the pregnancy was that I felt quite sleepy and tired lol for the last few months of the pregnancy. I worked till 3 weeks before the due date. I realise that everyone is different, but I managed to do really well and passed all my exams with no resits. Financially we did not struggle as I was earning a reasonably good wage and so was my hubby.

While PhD is way different from undergrad, I would advise you to go part time if you can, to allow you to plan and sort out your antenatal visits, childcare, support network, and just getting used to your little one without being under intense pressure. I also belonged to a very supportive forum on the net where I found some people in the same situation as me.

I went on to do my masters degree full time when my little one was 10 months old. He did really well at nursery because his brother was at the same nursery. I have just embarked on a PhD and my youngest is now 3.

If you decide to do your PhD after your little one is born, thats still okay, as you will be able to enjoy your pregnancy without added uni pressures. If you decide to go agead with your PhD, try and go part time and see how that goes, make sure you get time to rest. We are women, mothers, wives, sisters, friends, and we are allowed to take it easy when the going gets tough. I laugh sometimes and call myself six in one, as I am a student, wife, mother, cook, chauffer, and whatever else I need to be to make my life complete. I lost my 20 year old brother last year and have realised life is too short. I'm sure he would have loved to live till he had a family or a child of his own. In a nutshell I have learnt to be grateful for my life journey as each one's experience is unique and different.

Wishing you all the best in your motherhood journey as well as your PhD journey.

If you need any support or need to ask any questions, feel free to inbox me.

Hi Radion, I am sorry I did not realise your post was from a year ago and you were giving an update. I thought the post was recent. I apologise for that.

Hi Radion. I am so sorry to hear that you feel you made the wrong choice. It was a tough choice to make and you did what you thought was best at the time. It sounds like you are really struggling now though. Can you access any counselling at your uni? It might really help you get through this tough time. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Hi Radion,

I haven't posted here in a longer time, but didn't want your post to go ignored. When I was halfway through my MA degree I fell pregnant, and I decided to have an abortion. I was depressed for at least a year afterwards, and lost interest in anything other than going through the basic motions of job, study, etc. However, eventually it passed. I think that it is natural to mourn after a huge physical and emotional event like this. What I am trying to say is that it is OK to feel sad, and that perhaps your feelings are a natural, healthy way of working through your response to this. I do agree that speaking to a counsellor might be a good idea - I talked a lot to my partner and friends about it, which definitely helped. It is now five years down the line and I have a six month baby girl - looking back I am glad that I waited until the time was right. I know how awful you are feeling right now - but it will get better with time. Be good to yourself and try to ride this out - it does get easier, I promise x