PhD: Pregnancy Halts Dissertation?

As most of you know, I'm in the middle (well, beginning, actually) of getting my PhD at the U.  I spent two very enjoyable, albeit slightly stressful, years getting my masters in science of public health (therefore, I'm technically Scarlett Reeves, MSPH.  Looks pretty good, eh?)  I just finished taking two semesters of doctoral level classes and they've been kicking my ass.  Since Bill gave up his admission to Tulane University's Business School (he was accepted as part of the MBA program) this past summer, we had made an agreement that we would stay here in Salt Lake for 2 more years to allow me to finish all the necessary classwork I would need for the PhD.  Then we would move to wherever Billy gets accepted for business school. 

It has been hard to cram the majority of 74 credit hours into two years.  Already, I've logged about 30 hours in coursework in just two semesters.  Considering that every 3 credit hours equals roughly 180 hours of classroom time, homework, and reading, that amounts to approximately 45 hours of school/week on top of working 20 hours a week part time as a research assistant and approximately 5-10 hours a week doing some (basic) statistical consulting = 70-75 hours a week doing public health stuff.

It's taxing.  It really is.  And the fact that I can't come home and take a nap everyday really makes my life difficult, but I have to keep telling myself: I chose this, I decided to make this a big part of my life, and I'm lucky enough that I have the time and money to do so.

Now that I'm pregnant, I've had to rethink how I'm going to make up a lot of the credits I was going take in the fall and next spring.  In order to finish my doctorate, I will have to take 6 credit hours in the fall, 9 credit hours in the spring, and 3 credit hours in the summer.  Is this ideal?  No.  Is it necessary? No.

Believe me when I say that the best short-term thing for me would be to quit school, take it easy, do a little consulting on the side, and stay at home to take care of Little Nacho.  There have been several well-meaning friends who have hinted some disdain at my decision to 1) get pregnant while I'm pursuing a PhD and 2) finishing a PhD while I'm pregnant.  I understand their concern, but their comments pushes me to prove to them that I'm not just one or the other: I could be pregnant, give birth, and help to raise a family while finishing my education.  Millions of women have harder lives and I'm not going to whine about how hard it is (well, not more than I've done so already) when there are women out there who have to go back to the shitty job they have that won't give them decent maternity benefits and who have to work for less than I do to make ends meet.  I am very lucky to work with an advisor and in a program that is supportive of mothers and families.  My advisor, a family med doc and reproductive epi researcher, is very willing to work with me through the pregnancy and the birth of the baby.

I made a commitment to myself a long time ago that I would finish school; I haven't done this much and gotten this far for nothing!  Additionally, I would love to impart to our kids how important education is to us and to show them that they could achieve anything and that they should strive to find something to focus on that will fulfill them and make them really happy.

Finishing is something that is important to me and will hopefully engender the respect from my children (when they're old enough to know better).  I hope that I'm not being overly optimistic in fulfilling my goals and that I'm not neglecting to spend much needed time with my child.