Appropriate units of measurement

Height of stack of remaining grading: inches.

Dilation: centimeters.

Time until grades are due: days.

Time until birth: days (I hope).

Folks: don't try this at home, no matter how much you'd like to really max out your institution's parental leave policy.

_______________________________

I do feel a bit of (survivor's?) guilt with respect to how it all looks to outside observers, most especially junior female ones. Look, I wasn't trying to do this. Really.

Comments

[dr g]

So glad you posted- I've been lurking a long time hoping for an update. No guilt, please, and no stressing yourself out in these last few days - your colleagues are lucky that you're so conscientious and are still grading! All good wishes for the birth - the UK academic community is cheering you on...

[Rachel]

Hey, at least you finished teaching this term. Grading can always be put off for a few weeks or delegated if need be. I hope you get it all done, but that you also don't worry about it if more exciting things distract you. And do try to sneak in a little time to relax - I was in the library working until 11 pm the night before my little fusspot was born and in retrospect I wish I'd just put my feet up for a day or two and enjoyed the quiet.

[Polly Wog]

My son was born with a week of classes left in the fall semester. My colleagues took over for the last few class sessions, I did the grading (exams and papers) postpartum in December, and had from December to the start of the next fall term on maternity leave (except for consultations on an overdue senior thesis and a departmental external review--but such is life at a SLAC). It was wonderful. But no, I didn't plan it that way either. Hang in there, and all best wishes for a blessedly uneventful delivery.

[Jody]

I never felt anything but satisfaction when I saw female academics who managed to get the timing in that "sweet spot." And a certain amount of awe at their ability to grade and finish a semester under such a deadline.

Glad to hear you're almost there!

[J]

First, if colleagues (even junior female ones) knew how hard you had to work to get here and how tenuous it was, I think they would cheer that you are at least getting to take maximum advantage of the benefits. Second, I don't think there is anything wrong with getting the timing right, whether by (attempted) design or chance. Of course, I say this because I was lucky enough to have it work out more or less by design, but I'm not blind to how much chance had to do with it.

Anyway, I'm so glad you get such a long leave. And I hope you get the grading done before the birth, just so you don't have to think about it anymore, but it is true that it can be delayed if necessary.

[cathy]

woohoo! thanks for the update. don't worry, my baby came 2 wks early just as i was trying to finish my MA thesis. you can do it!

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[ivfcycler]

i wasted a few cycles early on trying to achieve timing like that...

a friend described giving a final project presentation in grad school to her extremely, very pregnant prof, who had to keep her feet up on a stool the whole time, and then getting the email announcing the birth that night, and being completely floored that her prof was so dedicated as to come to the presentations while presumably *in labor*. she was probably exagerating the time-line, but her reaction was basically one of awe.

[Joshua]

I wish you all the best! I am sure things will turn out fine. Keep posting! This is Joshua from Israeli Uncensored News

[Julie]

Thinking about you! Please update when you can, at least a brief hello...

[HK]

Good luck! I submitted my tenure dossier at the same time as my request for maternity leave, and it is perfect timing even if it was a result of infertility (as it was with me too). Academic life is a good one to have with kids.

[cathy]

oh my god! can you PLEASE update??? am desperate to know how things went!

[meg]

I've been curious too!! I am a longtime lurker. . .

[veggiegrrl]

Thinking of you and hoping everything is well!

[kristi85]

Does anyone know what happened? Kinda scary that there's no update.

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