Wwyd midwifery or self employed

[MeeceAndMice]

For background, I'm 33 have 3 young children all in primary school. Wanted to do midwifery years ago but dh hours meant that was impossible.

He's just changed job so he now is home evenings and weekends which means it would be possible to do it. However I'm just about to start up my own cake business from home.

Pros for midwifery are much more reliable pay, and probably higher pay at least for the first few years. Also feel like I'm doing a worthwhile job.
Cons are it's crazy chaotic working as a nurse or midwife these days. Also means working shifts and struggling with childcare during holidays.

Pros for cakes, I really enjoy doing it, it's peaceful and I'm a naturally anxious and shy person so it feels better mentally for me than any jobs I've done before. I will be working for myself so can set my own ours, take on less during summer holidays for example, can go to school assemblies and plays.
Cons are, less money coming in and unreliable income, especially in the first few years. I'll have to learn to do taxes etc and sort out with revenue and customs.

Wwyd?

Midwifery, definitely. It's a profession and I imagine very rewarding, if extremely tough. Cake making is just a glorified hobby and won't bring in much money.

Also, if you report your post and get this moved to Chat or the Work board, you'll get better replies.

Somehow I've put this in style and beauty, I've asked for it to be moved to chat

Thanks, I just feel that we get by now on just dh wage, and the amount of time I'd be out of home when the kids are young would be really chaotic.

I made my own wedding cake last year which I had another Baker quote me £500 to do and (if I can say so) mine was almost as good and with practice I could easily do them as well if not better

We're just moving this over to chat for the OP.

Thank you :)

There are so so many bakers now, you’d have to be absolutely exceptional to compete. There will always be someone cheaper, more experienced etc. It will take you years to build up a good client base and get word of mouth going.

I’d definitely go for midwifery.

I would say midwife, but we have one in the family and the training is brutal - let alone the hours once you start work. You will need lots of childcare help I think - in addition to a husband at home in the evenings and weekends (eg who will drop/ pick the children up on an 8-8 day shift?).

I am from a totally different professional background and have actually considered it myself but cannot see how I could make it work (lots of children, not all yet at school!).

I have often wondered if there are not ways the training could be made more friendly for parents of children, the NHS may find they have more takers!

Cakes. No contest.

Midwifery is a better idea long term if you will be able to stick to it and handle the studying.

That's the thing, I just don't think I could cope with the hours. I struggle with the kids now, my mental health is starting to improve but a few years ago I was a nervous wreck. I say all my kids are in school but my youngest isn't quite, she starts in September, so would be when the course starts.

I thought I didn't have an opinion but now I'm defending cake making and picking holes in midwifery I think I'm answering my own question ha

If you don't think you can manage midwifery now, why don't you do some cake making, bring in a bit of money, enjoy it. Doing it in the knowledge that you're not relying on the wage. If it takes off, great. If not, then you can do midwifery in a few years when the kids are older and easier to look after?

I am a midwife but don’t know much about a cake business.

I think with three young children you may find the training a struggle, but not impossible. However you need to think through if it’s doable for you. Whilst training you will work a full shift pattern, and because you follow a mentor you have very little say in what shifts you work - ie you’d just have to work whatever you were given. On top of this you’d be expected to find time to write assignments and study. Some trusts also expect you to go on call. You will be working over the school holidays too and the days (and nights!) are long- usually 12 hours. On the other hand, if you have good support around you it is doable. But particularly whilst you’re training your work life balance won’t be great.

For the sake of your mental health, steer clear of nursing and midwifery. You need to be robust to work in healthcare, but you also have to think that midwifery isn’t all about normal labours delivering healthy babies, to healthy women. Could you cope with 14 hour shifts, day and night through the school holidays and also juggling school runs etc? Do you have support so you can go to work if one of the children is unwell?

If the answer is yes then go for it. The pay is secure, you’ll have access to NHS pension and it is rewarding once you have your confidence to be an autonomous practitioner. But I would work as a HCA in the hospital for a year before you commit to the studies to make sure it really is for you.

I think any kind of health professional role is difficult with a family, and that's for those who did their training before a family.

Have you considered anything else? Cake making at home vs professional qualification in a very intense role seem very extreme choices. If you are interested in working with babies and families and women what about a health visitor? No idea what the training is but at least it's more predictable and presumably more family friendly hours.

What happens if your dhs role changes again?

Could you combine cake making with further study via OU maybe? Or an access to healthcare qualification? And look at other rolea within the NHS like SALT, physiotherapy etc.

100% cake business.

And I'm a midwife

The more I'm reading about it the more I'm thinking I don't want to do midwifery. I'm good at cakes and although midwifery would be rewarding and doable, I think it would cause more stress than its worth in the short term. I think I'll do like pp said and do the cakes and I can always train when kids are older if that's what I want

Ok you say you are an anxious person, do you really think midwifery is for you? It’s very high risk and trust me when things go wrong ( we are talking death and severe brain damage btw) it usually the midwife who gets the blame first.
I’m in paediatrics and have always been very glad I’m on the other side when a damaged baby appears and the blame starts.
Shifts are hard 12.5 hours ( before you get off late) weekends, nights , Christmas Day, NYE.
How are you with stress?

Positives it’s always interesting and you get paid regularly ( I will not say decent considering The hours and risks involved) NHS pension. Sorry after 20 years in NHS it’s damn hard work and dealing with ungrateful people does wear you down.

Cake making sounds nice but what’s the competition like?

@Frouby health visitors are qualified nurses and midwives with experience that then go on and study for a further year at MSc level, there's no direct entry route.
@MeeceAndMice have you visited any university open days? If the uni you want to study at has one coming up it might be an idea to go. You could speak to the lecturers and get more idea about the course. I am a nurse and health visitor by background, now a nursing lecturer. Nursing and midwifery courses are hard work, not only are you studying for a degree but also for a professional qualification. The courses are longer than standard degree courses, around 45 weeks per year, placements run over a 24 hour 7 day pattern and it goes without saying that the job itself is really demanding. BUT, for some people it's the right job, the positives outweigh the negatives and they can't imagine doing anything else. Lots of students manage with young children, it can be done if you have good support and childcare.

I work full time in the NHS and also have a cake business.

Shift allocation is hell in my department and we have no shift pattern, no input on shift choices and we get a maximum of 6 weeks rota in advance. We work 12 hour shifts and xmas day/all bank holidays etc and obviously if anything goes wrong you're expected to stay back. It's not great pay for the amount of work that goes in to it after going through uni etc (I'm not a nurse/midwife but have a lot to do with them and I can't see the pay justifying the stress). However, cake making isn't a cutesy little job like it is when it's a hobby. Baking for market stalls etc takes 12 hours+ and unless you are exceptionally skilled in sugarcraft I'd base your expectations more on £50-70 birthday cake orders rather than £500 wedding cake orders. Like your wedding cake, I paid just short of £1000 for my wedding cake and looking at it you would think my cake maker had made a killing, but once you actually factor in the time & cost of ingredients, it really wasn't that much of an extravagant wage for her. Once you really get into cake making you'll see the difference of a £100 cake in comparison to a £500 cake that you probably don't see now. People will always argue it costs about £3 for cake ingredients, however as an example, for your average 3 tier wedding cake you'd be looking at £50 just for the plain white icing to cover it.

Of the 2 jobs, I'd say go for cake making as long as you aren't relying on that as a steady income but don't be fooled into thinking it's an easy option. If you put the hours in though it can really pay off.

For cakes you also need to review your market. In some cities the ‘basic’ 10-100 pound cake order is already dominated by chain independents and / or costco. So one man bands either have to specialise in the really high-end stuff (and for that you may need to take a few courses) or do basics nobody else is doing (for example vegan / gluten free etc).