Q&A: Phd Too Pregnancy

Recently, I received the next inquiry from a reader (edited for anonomity):

Dear Eva, I of late came across your Book in addition to blog. I am finishing my primary Somewhere in addition to starting to apply to PhD positions inwards NL for withdraw after my graduation. My ambition is to larn a Senior researcher inwards My Field.
However, at that spot is a big dilemma of combining career in addition to family. I convey a wonderful Partner in addition to desire to construct a identify unit of measurement alongside him. I am 24 y.o. for instantly in addition to I desire to convey my offset kid maximum past times 26 yo (as I am afraid my wellness isn't thus perfect to endeavor when I'm older). Here comes my question: Can I last meaning piece doing a PhD? Can an employer burn downwards me for that? Can I inquire for iii calendar month opor-garai (July, August, September) for delivering a child? If I quit the programme after offset engagement (of xviii month), volition I last able to give-up the ghost along later, in addition to start from where I stopped but inwards merely about other project?
Your advice would last real valuable for planning my life.

I replied her every bit follows:

Dear Reader,

Thank you lot for reaching out to me through my blog, in addition to for sending me your inquiry alongside regard to pregnancy in addition to maternity during your PhD. I’m glad to read that you lot convey a proficient human relationship alongside your partner, in addition to that you lot are planning your time to come together.

Considering your situation, you lot should pay attending to the type of contract that your time to come promotor offers you lot together alongside a PhD position. In the Netherlands, at that spot are ii types of contracts. The offset type is a contract alongside university, where you lot larn an employee of the university. With this contract, you lot are protected past times the “CAO Nederlands Universiteiten” (collective labor understanding of the Dutch universities), you lot pay taxes, you lot salve for your retirement, in addition to you lot convey social security. The minute type of contract would last based on a scholarship. This type of contract is to a greater extent than mutual for students who come upward from abroad alongside funding of their dwelling trouble solid university. Their funding includes a stipend for living expenses, but it is non regard a regular employment, thus no social safety in addition to saving for retirement. In your case, brand certain you lot inform alongside HR nearly the type of contract they would last offering you.

If you lot convey an employee contract alongside a university, you lot volition convey sixteen weeks of pregnancy in addition to maternity exit to deliver your babe – whenever your babe is coming (not necessarily over the summertime months). It’s absolutely illegal for an employer to burn downwards you lot because you lot are pregnant. It is your alternative in addition to correct to larn a woman rear when the fourth dimension is correct for you. For many women, the correct fourth dimension is during their PhD. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sometime colleague of mine had both children during her PhD, in addition to my best friend had her offset kid during her PhD.

Of course, it all depends on your personal province of affairs to nation when is the correct fourth dimension to convey a child. For many women, having a kid during the PhD years is a proficient option, in addition to inwards all cases I know, the months of pregnancy in addition to maternity exit where added to the length of the PhD contract, thus you lot don’t lose time. For the tenure rail years, things are a lilliputian less well-organized, I understood. That agency that the minute best alternative would last to expect until you lot convey tenure – but nation you lot start your PhD at 23, graduate at 27 (earliest possible), ii years of post-doc (29), in addition to 4 years of tenure rail (33), thus you lot come across that you lot cease upward inwards your mid-thirties. For merely about women this is the correct time, for others, it is not.

I’m non certain what you lot hateful alongside your inquiry nearly quitting after xviii months. You could ever produce this, in addition to endeavor to issue a mag article on the operate you lot did during that time, but if you lot convey to restart afterwards inwards a dissimilar project, mayhap alongside a dissimilar supervisor, you lot volition withdraw to start from zip again. This province of affairs happens when funding for a projection does non come upward through, or when pupil in addition to supervisor don’t larn along, in addition to the pupil decides to give-up the ghost elsewhere. I don’t come across maternity every bit a argue for having to start over novel somewhere else.

Additionally, for merely about advice on combining a PhD alongside motherhood, you tin cheque out this post

Wishing you lot all the best inwards finding a PhD seat in addition to alongside your personal life,
Eva