Community midwives - overdressed?

[deliakate]

Fully prepared to be slated here..... but....

The community midwives in our area really struck me when they came avisiting after both of my summer babies as having slightly over thought their outfits.

Its really none of my business what they wear, of course. But an observation is not I hope out of order.

They were all sparkly sandals, pedicures, white linen pant suits, glitter tops and lots of makeup. It did make me wonder whether they were headed out to a cocktail party on a yacht in the french riviera after hours - once they had finished dealing with the frazzled new mums with sick in their hair, messy houses who had only just changed out of their pyjamas in time for the visit.

AIBU to think some places of work become competitive, and you end up with more and more glamourous and spangly work outfits appearing each day, as part of the culture? Or was I just feeling a frump and jealous??

LOL!

I saw mine yesterday and she was wearing slacks and her NHS tunic.

YABU sounds like you were feeling a frump and jealous.

And not all new mums have sick in their hair and messy houses.

Perhaps it's to guilt all the slovenly new mums into making a bit more effort

As a health worker myself, I have to say, after many years in uniforms, generally most of us are terrible at putting together outfits. I have been able to spot many a MW on a day off by 'wacky' earrings or funny purple hair.

There is something about only being able to express a bit of your personality through your clothes. I am in a no uniform job now, I look like shit and I can't accessorise for toffee.

I would have thought it would be more professional to wear NHS uniform.

Are you SURE it was a midwife, not an Avon rep?

You are feeling a frump and jealous

I would have seen style in a bucket full of shit when I got home with DS

My money is on them being Health Visitors

The health visitors are a lot more ordinarily dressed. They still look nice, are not in uniform, but they are not quite so..... blingin'

Oh, minnie, the HVs' natural beauty shines through!

Send your well dressed midwife my way.......my midwife was here this morning and looked like she had slept in her faded and crumpled blue linen trousers and slightly stained/soiled red t-shirt.

Also I agree with Worraliberty, I have a new baby but im fully dressed, clean, make up on and housework done. I hate feeling scruffy, and can always find 5min to make myself feel clean and tidy.

To confirm, my house was always tidy too, and I looked pretty. Ping.

i'm not sure about aybu, but sounds strange for a midwife to come in civvies. most trusts issue uniform and we had to wear hideous nylon lilac blouses with navy blue workwear trousers, or navy scrubs on the wards.

feeling a frump and jealous me thinks

Ugh I know exactly what you mean. I remember one time I spent a night in hospital. It was an emergency so I had nothing with me and I'd fallen asleep in my clothes. By the morning I was crumpled, my hair all Cameron Diaz spunk quiff, foul breath, the weepy black eyes of a chimney sweep and croaking like a frog stuck on it's back. Cue the most beautifully made up young female doctor waking me up. Hair in ringlets, perfect manicure, smart suit, make up you'd kick a puppy for. I could have died. I would've given my kingdom for a dash round Boots with a tenner.

I've never seen a midwife not in uniform! But then I probably do have baby sick in my hair, the most housework I can manage is sticking the washing on and I can't imagine wanting to make time to put make up on, so maybe they just don't want to make me feel bad.

Not strange for the CM to be in civvies, lots of trusts do that now. In mine (I am a student midwife) we have to wear black trousers and white top, but it can be anything reasonably smart that we own. Your midwives' outfits do sound slightly over the top, but then again, someone was on here a few months back complaining that her CM in the clinic was wearing a flowery top and jeans. The horror!

My CMWs all wore civvies and trust me, I saw a lot of them!

They were always smartly dressed but not over-dressed. wouldn't have looked out of place in my office. Surprisingly, they didn't seem at all concerned about my baby puking on them, even at 8:30 am when I must have been the first call of the day.

Ha ha. Just like female newsreaders - I want my news read by a frumpy old bat, not some beauty who looks like she's on her way to a high-octane cocktail party

I could be considered a breach of patient confidentiality if NHS midwives / community nurses etc turned up in uniform as all the neighbours would know that they were ha ing treatment.

Regards to breaching patient confidentiality, for the cm I should think the new baby would be more of a giveaway than the midwife visiting......