I was aiming to complete 2 modules of a diploma by correspondence before DD was born but didn't achieve much in my 1 month off work before she arrived. I ended up doing the self study, 2 major assignments and 2 exams after she was born.
I found that it was way easier to do stuff when she was a newborn. She slept for longer, laid on the floor in the spot where I left her for tummy time and it was easy for DP to look after her and just bring her to me for feeds when I was working to a deadline.
I've just started the third year of my degree after taking a semester off.
Initially I was going to work right through without a break but the thought of trying to fit uni around a newborn who needs constant attention put me off. I'm glad I took those few months to bond and spend time with him.
Now DS is a little older and his routine more predictable, finding the time to study isn't too difficult if I'm organised. If he doesn't nap during the day I will have to wait until he has gone to bed to do a bit of work and my thankfully mum looks after him once a week so I can have a whole day of uninterrupted study.
Studying with a baby is by no means easy, I have come to accept that my house is always going to be a little messier and dinner not always on time, i'm lucky to have a hubby and family who supports me and give me plenty of help. If you have a good support network and are good at managing your time there is no reason why it can't be done.
I had a Cert III course to complete and intended to get into when DS was really little (like newborn) but we had lots of unexpected problems early on which made it a very low priority. I didn't get into it until he was about 5 or 6 months old. And picked up what I needed to complete at a time when DP was home a fair bit on holidays so he sorta just took over with DS most of the time.
Its hard but not unachievable. I have a friend who went back to a law degree with 3 kids, the youngest was 2 months old
I attempted to go back to my studies (have 4 units left of a Bachelor of Arts degree) this year, but it just didn't happen. DS is 13 months, and when he's awake he's pretty full-on - always busy, always doing something, bringing me books to read, etc - so studying while he was awake wasn't an option. I know myself well enough to know studying of an evening wouldn't work. So, that left DS's day sleeps and weekends when DH was home as the only time I could study.
Of course, right when I tried to start studying was when DS decided to drop to one day sleep... Needless to say, I never really got started with the study and ended up pulling out before the census date (no money lost, no grades lost).
I'd say the younger the bub the easier it would be. Either that, or when they're much older and at school or day care.
It is a hard question to answer as it really depends on the baby in my opinion.
I went back to study when DD was 8 weeks old. Just past that newborn babymoon phase. I actually took her to Uni with me and she slept during classes. At home I got a lot of study done (and work too - I was doing accounts for our business). I found if I kept her in a pram near me she was pretty happy cooing and looking around and sleeping.
I finished that semester by the time she was about 7 months old. By that stage she was more active, needing more attention and wanting to move so study would have been much more difficult. Her sleeping patterns deteriorated at that stage too so I was less able to cope with added things in life such as work and study. I dropped everything then and focused on full time mum.
So for me, DD was a very settled newborn and needed me more later so I definitely say getting study done earlier was easier. On the other hand, I have seen many babies be the opposite and allycat06 is a good example of how things can work better the other way.
Oh, and in my situation - I didn't have family around to help and DH was doing crazy long hours setting up a new business so I was really on my own which coloured my experience.
Good luck with whatever you decide and remember to check out cancellation dates. With my uni, I could do a month or so and still pull out if it wasn't working out without being up for the costs.
Studying from home with a bub
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