Hi all, I am new to the board. I am a ADN student in my 3rd out of 5 semesters, graduating in May 2007. So far my program has been great - small rural community college & a lot less pressure than I had feared!

In any case, I have come to the point in my life where I'm suddenly getting concerned about how to fit in having a family. I'm 28 and my husband is 34; we've been married 6 years. My mother (who is a big support to us both financially & emotionally & would love to help with the childcare, is 66, so I would prefer to have a child while she is young enough to help and enjoy).

I was originally toying with the idea of trying to get pregnant in the fall so I'd have the baby in the summer after school ends before beginning my first job. However, a lot of people have advised me against this. Alternatively, I could try to conceive during my first year as a nurse - this would put me in line to have a baby when I am 30. My concern with that plan is that I don't know how difficult it would be to combine the first year of nursing with a pregnancy, stress-wise. Still, I don't want to wait longer than this for age/planning reasons.

I am really stressed out about making this decision - keep thinking I've made a decision and then I undoubtedly start rethinking it! I'm worried that taking a break after school will decrease my employment opportunities & be too risky, but I'm also worried that I'll never be able to handle my first year carrying a pregnancy. I'm also concerned that things are only going to get harder physically as I get into my early 30's. I'm not prepared to wait 2 or 3 more years in any case, so I have to make some kind of plan.

Can anyone advise on my situation or share personal experiences? Boy, I wish hubby could just carry the baby...would make life a whole lot easier!