Online distance education is often the choice for students who are unable to go to a traditional university. As a result, it can be a good choice for women who are either starting a family or who already have young children. Indeed, for some students, it is having children that motivates them to go back to education. That doesn’t mean it is easy, though, and sometimes the challenges of learning while parenting can be overwhelming. Drawing on the real-life experiences of student mums who they have interviewed, Sharon Mallon and Sam Murphy discuss some of the common issues that expectant and new mums may face, such as: 

• tiredness, sickness and negotiating medical appointments (or even hospital stays) while pregnant 

• trying to study with a new baby  

• negotiating study with a toddler. 

In this session we will identify some of the strategies that other students have reported helped them to work through the tough times.