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What I Wish I'd Known

Becoming a Parent in Graduate School

Acaylia Jensen, OTS

Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program, C/O 2026

Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences

Mary Baldwin University

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The Moment Everything Changed

I was about a third of the way through my program when I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I had moved across the country for grad school. We didn't have family nearby.

I didn't know anyone in my program or at my university who had been through this — not in a program that required me to show up in person, on schedule, every day.

There wasn't a roadmap. I had questions, and not a lot of answers.

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Whether you're a student parent, an educator, or a classmate — this is my experience, what I wish I'd known, and what I built — so that student parents feel supported, educators feel informed, and classmates can better support their peers.

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What Pregnancy in Grad School Looked Like for Me

The Physical Reality

Morning sickness

Sitting in lecture for hours while experiencing pelvic girdle or round ligament pain

The exhaustion that sleep can't fix

The Emotional Weight

Guilt when you're studying and want to be with your child, and guilt when you're with your child and feel like you should be studying

Decision fatigue on top of coursework

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What Pregnancy in Grad School Looked Like for Me...

The Academic Pressure

Needing to modify study schedules to account for fatigue, frequent bathroom breaks, or nausea

Wondering if you'd graduate with your class

Balancing clinical rotations with a newborn

The Mindset I Was Stuck In

I didn't know my rights, so I didn't know what I could ask for

I felt disruptive if I needed to stand because of pain, took frequent restroom breaks, or left to pump

My mindset was less "let me support what my body is doing" and more "I have to live with the consequences of my own actions"

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The Gap Nobody Talks About

My faculty and staff were kind and supportive. That was never the issue.

The issue was that there wasn't a clear policy and procedure in place for pregnant students. I didn't know what resources or accommodations were available to me, and neither did the people I turned to for help.

Even if there are resources available, if no one knows about them, they might as well be nonexistent.

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Your Rights Under Title IX

Title IX protects pregnant and parenting students from discrimination in education.

Pregnancy discrimination is sex discrimination

You cannot be forced to take leave

Medical absences must be excused with documentation

Lactation accommodations should be provided

Reasonable academic accommodations must be provided

Retaliation for asserting your rights is prohibited

You have the right to return to the same academic standing

Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education, Office for Civil Rights — Title IX, 34 CFR § 106.40; The Pregnant Scholar — Breastfeeding Know Your Rights

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Putting Your Rights Into Action

You can ask for these things. They are not special treatment. They are equal access.

During Pregnancy

Excused absences for prenatal care
Modified deadlines during complications
Flexible seating or break allowances
Remote participation when needed

Postpartum & Recovery

Protected leave with right to return
Lactation space and pump breaks
Adjusted clinical rotation schedules
Extensions for recovery period

These are examples, not a complete list. Talk to your Title IX office to figure out what makes sense for you.

Medical complications may qualify for additional accommodations through accessibility services with documentation.

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What I Built

When I went looking for resources, rights, and support — there wasn't one place that had them. That became my capstone project.

The Student Parent Resource Hub

Know Your Rights

Title IX protections, university policy, leave options, requesting accommodations, and medical emergencies and sensitive situations

Healthcare Navigation

Building your care team, coordinating appointments and course schedules, insurance and financial help, and support resources

Supporting Your Wellbeing

Managing fatigue, stress, and the mental load of dual roles with practical tools for rest, decision-making, and taking care of yourself

University Resources

A directory of MBU offices and services for student parents, from peer support and Title IX to accessibility, health, and wellness

Visit the Student Parent Resource Hub → Link