Career change to midwifery- your words of wisdom please.

[PoitouSharon]

I’m hoping some lovely mumsnetter midwives will be along to offer some pearls of wisdom.

After a 20 year career in child protection social work, I have decided to take the plunge and look into a career in midwifery.

I am aware that, like social work, services are stretched and a lot of midwives are heading out of the profession however I just keep coming back to this as something I wish to do. I’m heading towards 50 so it’s now or never !

I’m educated to masters level with more than 5 GCSE’s BUT no science GCSE. Is this an automatic block? I have thought about signing up for a biology GCSE and studying full time in order to take it in 2019 if this is a pre-requisite.

I would also like to shadow a midwife - is this feasible or would health and safety /safeguarding make this impossible? Basically I’d like to do anything to improve my chances of getting on a course and bolster my experience.

I would be grateful to hear from anyone who has made a switch or been in the profession a while.

Thank you.

Although I'm not in the profession myself, it's the dream. I've looked into it in my area and here it's fiercely competitive to get onto the degree course. Mature students need to do the access course and finish with a high majority of distinctions. The access course is then only 'valid' for 3 years. Each academic year the university gets (literally) thousands of applications. They accept only 13 students a year. For me, it will sadly always be a pipe dream although I've yet to accept it.

I wish you all the very best with it

Thanks Doggorun. I'm going to look into what I'll need to do. Sadly I don't have time on my side, but I do have the energy and commitment if I was able to get onto a course.

I hope something will change for you to make this dream a reality. There's already a way - it's finding the route that's the challenge.

I've been a midwife for 30 years. You asked for words of wisdom. Nothing good right now.
I love midwifery but working in the current NHS conditions is barely tolerable.
There are nooks and crannies and small scale projects where you can be professionally and personally fulfilled. But they are thin on the ground.
: bursaries for training have stopped. That means loans
: training requires compulsory, inflexible shift work. Second jobs for subsistence are very difficult to sustain
: pay on qualification is low, band 5. Progress to band 6 is usually within 12 months
: further progress is slow and very limited outside of large cities
: working conditions are harder now than I've ever known. 12 hour shifts with no breaks are not unusual
: not surprisingly, sickness levels are high and morale is low
: supportive managers leave, replaced by those who will do anything for a higher grade job and the environment is rife with bullying and disciplinary action.

Sorry.

Mayhew - thank you for your honesty. It echoes what my friend in the East said.

I am aware that all statutory sectors are so stretched and that morale is low. Added to this is the financial cuts I personally will need to make in order to train and then start from the bottom again.

I will think very carefully.

I absolutely agree with everything mayhew says, but it would be slightly different that you wouldn’t be looking at a long career in midwifery. I think a lot of frontline people are burnt out from years of putting up with this stuff and/or have 15+ years left to go before retirement. The main issue for you really is the costs and length of time to retrain.

Most hospitals will offer work experience placements, but there’s a lot of competition for places. Do you have any contacts at your local hospital through your work who could help arrange something?

I’m in my 2nd year of a midwifery degree, at 32 with 3 children 13 and under.

It’s competitive all over the country - the year I got a place there were 800 applicants for 27 places. Like a PP has said above you need recent study in the past 3 years at an appropriate level and subject. I did an access course, but had my science GCSE. I know some of the women didn’t have the prerequisite GCSE’s and did them alongside the access with the support of the college.

We have had 6 drop outs so far. First year I didn’t find too hard, I was happy to work all hours as had plenty of support and I’m fairly intelligent (not a boast, I mean it in relation to you - if you’re masters educated it shouldn’t be a struggle). However this year we are starting pathophysiology and it is increasingly complicated - it is taking every spare hour with extra reading and research and revision.

There is a range of ages - 18 to 48 when we started. If you go into midwifery now it’s because it’s a vocation - clinical mentors are vocal about the pressure/strain/overwork.

It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, I can’t describe the feeling of being the first person to ever touch that new human being and to help women into motherhood.

If it’s in your heart you will achieve it.

I’m just about to finish (one week left) my midwifery degree. Yes it is relentless, exhausting and quite often thank less..... but..... I’ve worked with an amazing team who have been so incredibly supportive throughout.
Hours are tough, when in placement you have to do 37.5 hours a week and will often have academic work to do alongside this. I’m not especially academic so I’ve found this but tough, but if you’ve already achieved masters then you shouldn’t find that to bad.
Getting in is challenging nationwide, despite the rising need there just aren’t the places. When I applied in 2015 there were 1200 applicants for 42 places. I would recommend emailing the admissions tutors for the unis you are interested in with regards to quals they require as all differ. Biology is obviously a must though, as is recent study (within the last 3 years).
Experience is best acquired through volunteering, not necessarily in maternity though. Women’s Aid are often looking for volunteers and if you still have sure start in your area they may be able to help. Also there will be many transferable skills from your current occupation that you can apply to midwifery.
There are a couple of good fb pages if you’re on there relating to applying, Secret Community for Midwives in the Making is one of them.
Funding is now through the loan system as opposed to bursary now, worth investigating how the land lies with that regarding your previous degree as they often won’t give another tuition loan from what I understand.
Happy for you to pm me if you want more info.

I am so grateful for all your wise words and your input. There's nothing like hearing things from people on the ground!

I thought about a career change when I had my own children 15 years ago and put it off as I couldn't balance the shift pattern with small people.

I shall continue looking at this and other options. It has to be feasible and worth the agony of completely retraining so I guess if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. If not, then there will be other things.

I'm the meantime, I take my hat off to all of you still out there doing it. I had such wonderful midwives when I had my own children and I guess that's something that has always stayed with me. 

If you’re looking at shadowing, do some night shifts. They’re bloody miserable as you get older. They’re particularly miserable when things don’t go to plan & women or babies are trying to die (from doc in another, related specialty who just turned 40 and wouldn’t want to be starting out again now).