Senin, 02 Juli 2012

Isobel Cohen sits Cambridge final exams 28 HOURS after giving birth to first child

Isobel Cohen sits Cambridge final exams 28 HOURS after giving birth to first child

  • Isobel Cohen took exams in hospital while baby Beatrice was in intensive care

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 09:20 EST, 2 July 2012 | UPDATED: 19:23 EST, 2 July 2012


A student has graduated from Cambridge University with first class honours â€" having sat her final exams only 28 hours after having a baby.

Isobel Cohen, 33, had to leave daughter Beatrice in intensive care while she sat her practical criticism paper in her dressing gown and slippers in hospital.

She then completed her Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies exam the next day in the hospital.

Bright spark: Isobel Cohen said she was 'fixed' on completing her Cambridge English degree, despite being heavily pregnant with her first child, Beatice

Bright spark: Isobel Cohen said she was 'fixed' on completing her Cambridge English degree, despite being heavily pregnant with her first child, Beatice

Despite the exhaustion of labour and the final weeks of her pregnancy, she secured a first class honours degree in English from the University’s Lucy Cavendish College. Yesterday she admitted giving birth and sitting her finals in the same couple of days was ‘slightly insane’.

She said: ‘I wonder how I held it together and got through them because now I’m into full-blown “nappy brain”. While my concentration and memory were not as good as they might have been, I could still do things I needed to do and retain enough information to write decent essays.

‘At the time it seemed like a perfectly legitimate thing to do but now I look back and think it’s slightly insane.’

Miss Cohen, a former dancer from Cambridge, turned down the opportunity to study at the city’s university when she finished her A-levels.

Double first: Cambridge super-student Isobel Cohen, 33, with newborn baby Beatrice, to whom she gave birth just 28 hours before sitting her final exams

Double first: Cambridge super-student Isobel Cohen, 33, with newborn baby Beatrice, to whom she gave birth just 28 hours before sitting her final exams

Top priority: Isobel Cohen's baby Beatice, pictured at just a few hours old, was always the talented student's number one priority

Top priority: Isobel Cohen's baby Beatice, pictured at just a few hours old, was always the talented student's number one priority

But she later took up a place to study English at Lucy Cavendish College. She said the pregnancy in her final year was a ‘total surprise’.

She was offered the chance to apply for a DDH â€" ‘deemed to have deserved honours’ â€" instead of attempting her exams, but she decided to go ahead.

‘Maybe I was being desperately obsessive but I knew whatever happened I should be able to get a better result than what the university would give me if I didn’t take the paper,’ she said.

She added that she hoped the baby, like many first-borns â€" would come late. But a scan showed Beatrice may have had a digestive tract disorder so doctors at Adenbrooke’s Hospital arranged for Isobel to be induced.

Baby love: Isabel Cohen pictured shortly after giving birth to baby Beatrice Happy family: Isobel Cohen with baby Beatrice and husband Ewan Campbell

New beginnings: High-achiever Isobel Cohen plans to take six months off work to care for Beatrice, before continuing in further academic study

She was born weighing 6lb10oz after a difficult labour. Twenty-eight hours later, at 2pm on May 24, Isobel sat her exam. She said: ‘I was sitting in a hospital room in my gown attached to a catheter. I was feeling quite bruised and it was very painful to sit for three hours.’

Yesterday mother and baby were fit and well and resting at home.

‘I am really lucky,’ she added. ‘Beatrice is doing well and I’ve managed to get the degree I wanted.’

 Dr Stephanie Ellington, senior tutor at Lucy Cavendish College, said: ‘What Isobel has achieved is a phenomenal result â€" to gain a first class honours on such a tough course, under such remarkable circumstances.’

Now Miss Cohen plans to pursue her interest in writing plays and spend time with baby Beatrice and husband Ewan Campbell, 28, a PhD composition student.

Graduation day: Baby Beatrice slept all the way through Isabel's graduation, but did throw up on her degree results

Graduation day: Baby Beatrice slept all the way through Isabel's graduation, but did throw up on her degree results

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

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She's going to be a terrible mother. Leaving her baby in intensive care? Unbelievable - - Mark, Edinburgh -------- Yeh she should've put her baby on the hospital doorstep and collected it on her way out, isn't that right Mark?

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Is it even bpossible/b to fail an benglish/b exam?

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AWESOME!!! Congratulations!!! But how did she take her exams in the hospital? Someone obviously was monitoring her. Cool of Cambridge to do so!!!

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To the commenters: Haters!!!!! LOL! It's not her fault that you haven't achieved a first class degree.

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A wonderful woman who should definitely be adding to the gene pool. Take that Dr. Lucy Worlsey - 'I was educated out of having children'!

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You're all slating her for striving to achieve the best for her daughter. Some people need to think before they pass comment on others.

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Lucy S./Essex AND Destined in Birminnham - I'm on your side. I think this woman is absolutely amazing. She should definitely run for Prime Minister some day! Anyone who can accomplish those two things back-to-back is one hell of an individual and will successful in anything they attempt. I have nothing but admiration for her. Oh, and congratulations to the happy family!

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MRS HAMISH MACBETH, Lochdubh Scotland, 02/7/2012 22:42 - Maybe if you were a bit more observant you would clearly have seen the tube coming out of the babies nose in one of the pictures, or do you think they stuck that up there while she went to sit and take her exams. Its a shame people dont understand that parents who care for their children want to provide the best for them instead of sitting around claiming benefits. You cant win no matter what you do it seems.

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OMG this lady is just amazing! Congratulations twice over! BTW the baby was NOT ill, as many readers assume.The baby was a lodger in Intensive Care ( should read Special Care) so that Mum could concentrate on her exams, knowing that her baby was being looked after, fed and cared for.Nothing to do with ' Midwives being too busy' on Post Natal Ward. Not uncommon for a baby to lodge, for various reasons , but Mum's Cambridge Finals was probably a "first"! BTW I'm a Midwife and have looked after many lodger in my career, having worked in Special Care for about 6 years.

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It is SO annoying to read such a lovely story then having to read all the negative comments. How many stories are there in DM where women have left their children in cars to go clubbing etc. She left her daughter in a safe environment to complete a degree at Cambridge. Get over yourselves.

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