How to organize my studies and care for my child(ren)

It is best to make an overview of the services you still have to provide for your studies. Which achievements will you still manage during your pregnancy and which achievements will you have to do after giving birth?

If your pregnancy is uncomplicated, you are doing well and there are no safety concerns that speak against it (in detail right here in the following paragraph), then you can continue your studies even during the maternity protection period. This means that as a pregnant student you can attend events and take exams during the entire statutory maternity protection period, i.e. six weeks before the due date and eight or twelve weeks after giving birth.

If you work with hazardous substances (e.g. in the laboratory) or with machines, you should in any case go through the risk assessment early on at the beginning of your pregnancy, together with Claudia Hannappel from the Department of Occupational Safety and Environmental Protection (see above) and the respective examination office. In some cases, the TU is obliged to take special protective measures (see above).

The Maternity Protection Act protects you from the beginning of your pregnancy and during breastfeeding until one year after delivery. Questions about the Maternity Protection Act can also be answered by the TU Dortmund University Family Service.

A child already senses the mother's stress, discomfort and restlessness in the womb. If you are well, everyday life can continue - perhaps just plan more breaks. It is then not necessary to completely stop early. Allow yourself time to prepare for the birth and to buy a crib & co. At TU Dortmund University, there are baby and rest rooms for breastfeeding, diapering or resting. Pregnant women on campus can retreat here and rest.

There is no uniform regulation for the delivery of academic achievements. It is advisable to discuss your situation personally with the relevant lecturers and to advise on the submission of the achievements.

Again, there are no standardized special regulations for the completion of course work. You should discuss these in a personal conversation with your lecturer. The following regulations apply to all new examination regulations and those to be amended:

"...If students make credible by means of a medical certificate that they are unable to complete an examination performance in whole or in part in the intended form or time limit due to a prolonged or permanent disability or chronic illness, the chairperson of the examination board shall determine in which other form or time limit the examination performance shall be completed. In case of doubt, the responsible person or office for questions concerning the interests of disabled students (e.g. the area "Disability and Studies" within the Center for Higher Education at the Technical University of Dortmund) should be involved. Examination procedures shall take into account the periods of absence due to the care of children living in the household who are predominantly to be cared for, the care of the spouse, the registered life partner or of a relative in the direct line or of a relative by marriage in the first degree, insofar as the latter is in need of care."

"... A graded examination shall be deemed to have been assessed as insufficient (5.0) if the candidate fails to appear at the examination date without good reason or if he or she withdraws from the examination without good reason after the examination has begun. The same applies if the examination performance in a written examination is not completed within the specified processing time. The reasons asserted for the withdrawal or the failure to attend must be notified to the examination board in writing without delay and must be made credible. In the case of illness of the candidate or of a child to be predominantly cared for by the candidate, the submission of a medical certificate is required. In the case of illness on the part of the candidate, the medical certificate must contain the facts proving the inability to take the examination in a generally comprehensible form. If the examination board does not recognize the reasons for the withdrawal or the absence, the candidate will be informed of this in writing."

These regulations are to be taken into account by the responsible examination board even if they have not yet been included in the examination regulations of the degree program. You can obtain concrete information from your responsible dean of studies, the lecturers and the equal opportunity officers of the faculties.

Answers to frequently asked questions about examinations can be found in the examination FAQ.

Students with children can still complete coursework or take exams even if they are on leave of absence due to "raising and caring for their own children," but they are then no longer eligible to receive BAföG. Students who are entitled to child benefits for themselves will also not receive child benefits for themselves during a semester of leave.