Anyone trained as a midwife?...

[OhDearWhyAmIFatterly]

Hello
Has anyone trained as a midwife later in life?
I am currently a teacher, have been for 17 years. I really think I'd like to re-train.
I know I can't convert any part of my degree, so I'm assuming it would be another 3/4 years?
Can any part be done via OU?
Would it have to be a full time course?
Thank in advance!

Anyone?....

Hi, I qualified when I was 34. I went back to college to do the access course and then to uni. I have 3 children and they al school age then.
You will have to go to uni for the course, it is 50% theory and 50% practise. You will have to check with your chosen university for their entry requirements as they are all different. Good luck, it’s the most privileged profession

Sorry for the typos, I’m typing whilst half asleep 🤣

Thanks for replying!
I already have a degree so I think I would probably be able to get on it without doing an access course? Do you think?
How long did it take to qualify?
I have 3 children too, but I think I need to wait until they are all in secondary?...

It takes 3 years to qualify and you can’t do it through the OU. It’s a very very intense course and can be utterly thankless at times. You do a mixture of clinical working with a mentor (including whatever shift pattern they are on) and theoretical class based stuff. When working clinically you are essentially working full time in a hospital/ community but the theoretical work doesn’t stop, you will still have essays etc to write whilst working shifts. It’s exhausting and stressful and thoroughly soul destroying at times.

But. Being a midwife (on a good day) is the best job in the world. And even on a bad day it’s pretty awesome too.

I'm also thinking of doing this in the next couple of years. I'm waiting for my youngest to be a few years older. Also worried about the financial side of things. Can't really afford to stop working to retrain.

Thanks for the info.
I'm not adverse to highly stressful, thankless jobs. I currently work in an inner city, incredibly deprived area and I'm in leadership. So lots of additional paperwork every night on top of the day to day running of a school.
It's the amount of time, 3 years full time that I think makes it tricky financially...

Yep it’s not easy and there is a high dropout rate. I trained when I was 23 and had a toddler and a mortgage etc so it is doable but my partner - now husband - really had to step up as for 3 years I was barely able to participate much in family life, between sleeping all day, working all night and writing essays on my ‘days off’ I wasn’t much fun to be around in those days!

Oh and working part time in a bar to keep things ticking over financially as well. I look back now and wonder how on earth I fitted it all in.

You will need good a levels, including biology, regardless of having a degree. 3 years full time course at Uni; this incorporates work placements on all sorts of shifts including nights, totally unpaid. Your tuition will also have to be paid for (by you, I'm afraid) which will be almost 30k over 3 years. You can apply for a student loan for this. Unfortunately there is currently no way of training "on the job" whilst being paid. I've looked into it extensively.

Even with a previous degree you have to have recent study, normally within the last 5 years....so depends how long ago your degree was.

www.yourmoney.com/household-bills/student-nurses-to-receive-5000-a-year-bursary-from-2020/

Bursary’s are returning woohoo 🥳 I had one when I trained as an OT and it really helped.

Check out midwifery degree apprenticeship s, they have just started and are a way of training 'on the job'

Great advise thank you everyone! I'm definitely thinking my youngest needs to be a bit older.
Interesting about the apprenticeship, will have a look into that!