College professor invites student to bring her newborn to class

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He is likely the tiniest person to sit in on classes at South Carolina's Lander University, or maybe any university campus.

Two and a half month old Isaiah was just weeks old when he first attended professor Josie Ryan's math class.

New mom Sarah Thompson first met Ryan the day before her due date.

The professor saw how far she was into her pregnancy and invited her to bring her baby to class anytime.

A few days later, Thompson went into labor and brought little Isaiah into the world.

And about three weeks after that, Thompson tells KTVU Fox 2 that she took her professor up on her offer and showed up to class with her newborn.

Since then, Isaiah has been coming along to class on a regular basis. 

"Having someone go out of their way and be so understanding has been been really nice."

The mom says she was worried about Isaiah being a distraction in class, but on the contrary, she says having him there has helped her stay focused.

And the support from her classmates and professor has been a big part of that.

Thompson adds that she's been very impressed by how knowledgeable Prof. Ryan is about babies.

The rare moments Isaiah cries or gets fussy in class, Prof. Ryan has stepped in to hold him.

Sometimes she'll hold him during her entire lecture. 

And while cradling the infant, she's "able to stay on topic" and do her teaching job, said Thompson. 

Isaiah comes to class about once a week to the delight of his "classmates," who look forward to the baby time.

During Isaiah's visits, the professor allows the first few minutes of class to be dedicated to "oohing and aahing" over the baby, before she gets on with her lecture.

Being a first time mom is hard enough, but taking on the load of an applied mathematics major as a fourth year college student has been pretty challenging, said Thompson.

She says she is very grateful for the extra support she's received to help her juggle it all.