Is anybody who has to attend BOOST planning on going accompanied? I have to report to 3 month in Feb and am still considering it. If anybody has gone to BOOST accompanied, is the schedule so stringent that you would recommend going unaccompanied? To complicate matters my first child is due to be born Jan 23, with my report date Feb 20. I realize this is a personal matter and each situation is different, but any advice is welcomed and greatly appreciated.
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Family to Boost?
- Thread starter NavySTL
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STA-21-INTEL
Registered User
I am currently in BOOST and I brought my wife with me. I am 100% glad that I brought her. If for no other reason, I would bring your family to avoid having to live in the barracks. The housing isn't the greatest, but the barracks are the worst. It will, of course, require some of your time, but to me it's worth it. Keep in mind, though, that when NSI starts, there won't be as much liberty and you'll have to stay in the barracks at least during the week anyway. (Everyone has a barracks room with bunk and computer from the time they check in, regardless of where they "live")
NavySTL said:
Throwing in the unsolicited mom opinion- moving your newborn baby to RI in Feb is not the best idea. It's so easy for a baby to catch RSV (among other things). At the very least, don't move your wife and baby until the baby has had his/her first series of vaccinations, and your wife has had her 6 week post-partum check up.
And of course, you're assuming the baby will be born on time- if the baby isn't born, until, say Feb 2nd- you're really asking a lot of a post-partum mom and 2 week old baby. I was in bad shape after having my first kid, and I didn't even begin to feel remotely normal until 4 weeks or so after the birth. Sitting down was an event. Granted, after my second kid, I felt great right after the delivery, no problems.
Anyways, point to my rambling- sure, it'd be nice for your family to be together for those 3 mos, but your wife is going to need to recover, it will take time for her to get breastfeeding established (probably the first time that's ever been said on this site, lol), your baby really needs to be kept in for most of those first few weeks, and you'll need to focus on school.
Does your wife have any family/support where she is now? When I had my first (pre-Navy), I was pretty much on my own, since my hubby was working 12 hour days, and it was definately manageable. Babies mainly just sleep for the first couple weeks. And the breastfeeding, well (again, probably TMI for a male dominated site) it was honestly a full time job. I didn't want to deal with other people, I just wanted to sleep. With the second kid, hubby was a student at prototype, and he had all of 4 days off- which he spent watching our older child while I was at the hospital. He will be missing our son's first birthday when he's at NSI.
So, just think long and hard about it...
photonchick
Registered User
I'm going to disent here, but as a navy wife and mother of 5 1/2 kiddos,( and 10 pregnancies) I have always followed my hubbie. We have had 3 children born withen 3 weeks of moving to a new duty station, some overseas, with no complications. I have also moved 6 times while pregnant. There are always doctors, hospitals, etc. who are more than willing to see me and the children when need arrives. Time is precious for military families, I don't want to miss a second of it. 
Just my 2 cents!
Just my 2 cents!I have to disagree, with it being a bad idea to move a baby or bad for their well being to take them. For me, a new baby would have been a non-issue. IF you can financially afford the move (doubtful the Navy will pay since it's only 3mo), your wife wants to go, and there are no complications resulting from the birth, I don't see a problem. I personally, would have gone in the above situation. I think it would be nice to come home and relax with your wife and enjoy your new baby. Families miss so much because of required separations. I am not a fan of being apart more than necessary.
My 1yo son caught RSV twice when we lived in CA and he had not left the town we lived it. It is more common in RI than other places?
We moved from off base to on when our oldest was less than 3 weeks and I had pretty bad complications from the epidural. I just let everyone else do the work.
I was on a plane from IL to CA to see my husband when our 2nd was 5 days old, and then flew from IL to Japan with a 3yo and 3 week old. (I won't go into details...but it was not the best delivery for me) I never kept my babies in when they were little. I made sure they were properly dressed, I had diapers and wipes, and out we went. Babies are so easy to travel with....the older they get the more challenging it becomes.
I'd just play it by ear, talk to the OB, etc. Everyone has to make the decision that is right for their family. Good luck.
My 1yo son caught RSV twice when we lived in CA and he had not left the town we lived it. It is more common in RI than other places?
We moved from off base to on when our oldest was less than 3 weeks and I had pretty bad complications from the epidural. I just let everyone else do the work.
I was on a plane from IL to CA to see my husband when our 2nd was 5 days old, and then flew from IL to Japan with a 3yo and 3 week old. (I won't go into details...but it was not the best delivery for me) I never kept my babies in when they were little. I made sure they were properly dressed, I had diapers and wipes, and out we went. Babies are so easy to travel with....the older they get the more challenging it becomes.
I'd just play it by ear, talk to the OB, etc. Everyone has to make the decision that is right for their family. Good luck.
photonchick said:I'm going to disent here, but as a navy wife and mother of 5 1/2 kiddos,( and 10 pregnancies) I have always followed my hubbie. We have had 3 children born withen 3 weeks of moving to a new duty station, some overseas, with no complications. I have also moved 6 times while pregnant. There are always doctors, hospitals, etc. who are more than willing to see me and the children when need arrives. Time is precious for military families, I don't want to miss a second of it.
I totally agree with you. We have four kids.
I guess, Nukewife, I must have bad ideas! Nonetheless, I disagree and believe that bad idea...is really a good idea. Having your family with you is important. Besides, why miss out on the first months of your child when you are not deployed? When you deploy with your future squadrons, you will be forced many times to miss out on the development of your children. So why choose to do it when you do not have to?
My son was 3 weeks old this summer when I moved to Pcola. There were no complications with him. Moving your infant is not going to be a catalyst for pathogens. Nukewife just sounds like an overly worried mother. Sure my wife was tired though, but she did nothing anyways during the move because friends helped out instead.
To answer your question, NavySTL, regarding being accompanied and the BOOST schedule, here is my other $0.02. My daughter was born a month before I started BOOST, many moons ago. There was no impact on my studies and academic performance, even when I had those blissful sleepless nights. It was actually quite a relief to go home from classes and see my daughter. Granted, I went when BOOST was 9-months for everyone. The 3-month program may be more condensed and difficult, not sure if that is the case, but you will be able to handle it. If you cannot, then having your family accompany you during college would be just as hard.
Before going to BOOST, I was stationed in Newport for 3+ years and absolutely loved it. Since you are going to be there before tourist season begins, that is great. No dealing with tourist traffic, lack of parking in downtown Newport, and less of the infamous 'Rhode Island Slide'. Lots of scenery and history is in that area. Not only that, but you are close to Boston, Providence, and NYC. Most infants love sleeping while driving, so that is the perfect time to take the family driving for some sight-seeing.
Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions about Newport. My BOOST info is outdated, but there should be plenty of people on here that have better gouge for that. Good luck with BOOST, congrats on being selected for STA-Pilot, and best wishes for whatever your decision is.
My son was 3 weeks old this summer when I moved to Pcola. There were no complications with him. Moving your infant is not going to be a catalyst for pathogens. Nukewife just sounds like an overly worried mother. Sure my wife was tired though, but she did nothing anyways during the move because friends helped out instead.
To answer your question, NavySTL, regarding being accompanied and the BOOST schedule, here is my other $0.02. My daughter was born a month before I started BOOST, many moons ago. There was no impact on my studies and academic performance, even when I had those blissful sleepless nights. It was actually quite a relief to go home from classes and see my daughter. Granted, I went when BOOST was 9-months for everyone. The 3-month program may be more condensed and difficult, not sure if that is the case, but you will be able to handle it. If you cannot, then having your family accompany you during college would be just as hard.
Before going to BOOST, I was stationed in Newport for 3+ years and absolutely loved it. Since you are going to be there before tourist season begins, that is great. No dealing with tourist traffic, lack of parking in downtown Newport, and less of the infamous 'Rhode Island Slide'. Lots of scenery and history is in that area. Not only that, but you are close to Boston, Providence, and NYC. Most infants love sleeping while driving, so that is the perfect time to take the family driving for some sight-seeing.
Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions about Newport. My BOOST info is outdated, but there should be plenty of people on here that have better gouge for that. Good luck with BOOST, congrats on being selected for STA-Pilot, and best wishes for whatever your decision is.
I just gave that scenario to my wife and here's the way we see it, assuming that neither of you are from New England (we're both southerners). You will be moving your pregnant wife to New England with no friends or family in the middle of winter. She'll have the baby and have to move again 2-3 months later. During the time you're there, she'll want to be pampered and taken care of while you're home, but, BOOST is not your typical Navy school. It's college level courses, taught by college professors. In your off time you will have study groups, and have to do homework and write papers while at home. On top of it, you'll have to do drilling and PT and any other new crap they've thrown into the program up there. Sure, the course load and difficulty depend on the professors you get, but you don't get to choose. Most are cool and will work with you if they understand that you have a new baby at home. Others hate you, hate the military, hate America, and have no problems failing you and sending you back to the fleet (we called her the Afghani bulldog). Personally, I would send my wife to live with her mom or my mom while going through BOOST.
flynsail said:
Well, thanks. Glad you felt the need to offer your opinion by criticizing mine.
When I was in graduate school, I obtained my certification as a pharmacy technician, and spent my time working in the inpaient pharmacy at a hospital. I prepared all sorts of fantastic IV medications, and had to go through extensive training as to the purpose and appropriate usage of said medications. So, I *may* have a better grasp of the potential health implications than you do. And, flynsail, until you pop out a a kid (and, let's throw in an episiotomy, just for fun) I don't think you're qualified to attest to how his wife may or may not be feeling. Sure, she may appear tired, but having stitches in your crotch is a special kind of fun.
I don't care if any of you agree with me or not, but parts of your response are unneccessary.
trvsmrtn said:
His wife is due in Jan.....he reports toward the end of Feb. The baby will be a few weeks old.
Would you take your wife to any Navy schools? The majority, if not all of the Navy schools my husband has attended are college+ level and if possible we go. He was at Post Grad school in Monterey for a little over two years and got two Masters and Engineers degree. (Ph.D. minus the thesis) While he had an extremely heavy class load, did tons of studying, and spent hours and hours at the school, I can't imagine not going because he was taking grad level classes. He was in Nuke Power school this past summer. The kids and I were not authorized to move down with him but we went as much as possible. He said it was so much nicer when we were there. A very welcome reprieve and sense or normalcy during an otherwise stressful and difficult school. He will be in advanced nuke school this next summer and we will stay up there with him the majority of the time. He is gone so much as it is, we make every effort to be together as much as possible. It's more difficult for us because we have four busy kids. One in high school who is very involved in cheerleading and clubs, one in middle school who cheers and does competitive gymnastics, as well as two in elementary. We have to work around their schedules, but we manage to. Babies...are so much easier to move and very portable. I went all over the place when I only had little ones.
As far as pampering and being taken care of....that TOTALLY depends on the person. I am very self sufficient and don't require my husband to pamper me or take care of me. Out of our four kids he was only around for one of them when they were infants. I had a baby born during cruise, one born when he was in the middle of workups, and our last was born 5 days before a 6mo cruise. We lived overseas, near no family for two of them. I managed perfectly fine, and have no regrets....others may not be able to deal with it. It all boils down to doing what is best for the individual family.
NukeWife,
What I was said was meant in jest. It is no suprise that an internet forum is an imperfect medium for someone to know the precise tone of a post. Nevertheless, was not meant to upset you.
I was a nursing major my first two years before I decided I was more passionate about flying. Never pretended either to say I knew how his wife would feel. Oh well!
What I was said was meant in jest. It is no suprise that an internet forum is an imperfect medium for someone to know the precise tone of a post. Nevertheless, was not meant to upset you.
I was a nursing major my first two years before I decided I was more passionate about flying. Never pretended either to say I knew how his wife would feel. Oh well!
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