Am I too old to be a midwife

[goodnightgrumble]

So I am 47 (only just) and a primary school teacher. I would like to retrain to be a midwife but. It sure if I will be considered too old. I will need biology or an access before I start so I will be 51 when I qualify! My current degree is primary Ed with English so not relevant at all.

My children are older now (I have 5) and I feel that I am in a position to finally retrain! What do you think? I am not bothered to be in classes with younger ones but would like some real honest opinions from midwives or mature students.
Funding not a problem as I funded my degree first time round.

Do it !

You're going to be 51 anyway, may as well look into it properly and see exactly what you need to do

Do it. Or have you considered becoming a Doula. My mums currently looking into being a doula and she's 52.

Not really, as you are never too old for many things!

However...

There is a suggestion that women over 50/menopause age may struggle with the physical side of it, as it's very physical, and there's lots of shift work - including nights.

Knowing 3 or 4 people who worked nights for many years, I can confirm that once you reach late 40s/early 50s, night shift is very tiring and wears you out a lot more than when you were in your 20s and 30s.

This may help.

www.midwifecareer.com/am-i-too-old-to-train-as-a-midwife/#:~:text=To%20'qualify'%20as%20a%20mature,to%20bring%20to%20the%20profession.

No, you’re not too old.

I’m a midwife. Plenty of students in their 40s and some in their 50s. Are you sure you’d need biology/access? Some universities would want this and others wouldnt so check with where you plan to apply to.

Nope!

I'm 55 and a staff nurse, many years clinical experience and hoping to flexi retire this year. Personally no way would I train at that age but that's just me. Hated nights which I found progressively harder to deal with as I got older. Trying to concentrate at work, even just function normally when you've only slept a few hours is horrendous and you constantly worry about losing your pin. The ideal and reality are also very different. Paperwork is neverending and just to cover the trust's back, the patients are rarely grateful. Health visiting is something I would consider but even that is mainly child protection....
I'd see what practising midwives say rather than randoms on MN.

Absolutely go for it!!!

My mum waiting till we had all left home and retrained to paramedic as I was completing my RCN training.
She had some set backs, life events but did qualify and register at 55.

I qualified at a time when bursaries were coming to an end and loans where being brought in.

I think they may have returned to bursaries again? Something to look into

[quote BearOfEasttown]Not really, as you are never too old for many things!

However...

There is a suggestion that women over 50/menopause age may struggle with the physical side of it, as it's very physical, and there's lots of shift work - including nights.

Knowing 3 or 4 people who worked nights for many years, I can confirm that once you reach late 40s/early 50s, night shift is very tiring and wears you out a lot more than when you were in your 20s and 30s.

This may help.

www.midwifecareer.com/am-i-too-old-to-train-as-a-midwife/#:~:text=To%20'qualify'%20as%20a%20mature,to%20bring%20to%20the%20profession.[/quote]
Thanks for the link! Will take a look.

@Tairbear

Absolutely go for it!!!

My mum waiting till we had all left home and retrained to paramedic as I was completing my RCN training.
She had some set backs, life events but did qualify and register at 55.

I qualified at a time when bursaries were coming to an end and loans where being brought in.

I think they may have returned to bursaries again? Something to look into

That's amazing. A paramedic was another option. I always wanted to do children's nursing or Midwifery but family sort of 'gently encouraged' me into teaching. I have also been a nursery manager and worked in child protection so have lots of life experiences.

It's a hard job. And the training isn't easy either. Night shifts, weekends, birthdays. Understaffed, over-medicalised.

In all honesty, I wouldn't be looking to do it at 50+.

It's one of those jobs that women get warped views about as they base it on their own birth experience. But, like most NHS professions, it's actually quite a self-sacrificing job with more stresses than joys these days.

@HerRoyalHappiness

Do it. Or have you considered becoming a Doula. My mums currently looking into being a doula and she's 52.

It's the medical side I am Interested in!

Its absolutely gruelling, I was a nurse until I was in my 40's and was seriously totally burnt out by then, midwives work twice as hard, work weekends xmas, bank holidays, `12 hour shifts.
I'm a podiatrist now, great money, lots of interesting things to do - we don't cut nails in my my department we do acute wound care, weekends off, bank holidays off 7.5 hour days 9-5, xmas off.
As a midwife you will be totally burnt out by 55.

I did 40 yrs nursing and midwife it’s hard work, 12 hour shifts, weekends and nights are part of the job. It suited me well, young, fit, family friendly, I had 3 maternity leaves myself, then did a lot of nights and husband looked after the kids. Pension is good but the job has changed, far more demanding than when I started.

Why give up a nice easy teaching job ?.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Its absolutely gruelling, I was a nurse until I was in my 40's and was seriously totally burnt out by then, midwives work twice as hard, work weekends xmas, bank holidays, `12 hour shifts. I'm a podiatrist now, great money, lots of interesting things to do - we don't cut nails in my my department we do acute wound care, weekends off, bank holidays off 7.5 hour days 9-5, xmas off. As a midwife you will be totally burnt out by 55.

56 in my case

@Crazykatie

I did 40 yrs nursing and midwife it’s hard work, 12 hour shifts, weekends and nights are part of the job. It suited me well, young, fit, family friendly, I had 3 maternity leaves myself, then did a lot of nights and husband looked after the kids. Pension is good but the job has changed, far more demanding than when I started.

Why give up a nice easy teaching job ?.

Ha ha! You think! 30 six year olds!!!

Don't do it. The last thing poor women need in this country is yet another inexperienced midwife. By the time you are fully qualified and gain some experience in the field you will be nearing retirement age

@Iwonder08

Don't do it. The last thing poor women need in this country is yet another inexperienced midwife. By the time you are fully qualified and gain some experience in the field you will be nearing retirement age

Why would I be inexperienced with full training?? Giving birth five times between the ages of 23 and 40 would also make me more experienced than a midwife who has trained at 21!

You will still be inexperienced at 51 despite having 5 children. Tbh that kind of attitude will definitely wind your younger colleagues up who are childless.

I would see if you can actually get accepted onto a midwifery course before making any big decisions. I know of a few people who have been turned down for it multiple times, one is even a registered nurse. It can be quite a competitive course to get in to.

Having given birth I’m afraid gives you no experience in being a midwife.

I do agree that physically it’s draining. 13 hour shifts on your feet often with no break and more women than you can cope with.

Newly qualified midwives are inexperienced. It takes most people a couple of years at least of being qualified to feel more confident. Hence the preceptorship

Your own birth doesn't count towards how experienced as a midwife you are to be honest, I'd try and shadow and get a feel for what is actually involved. Many unis require you to have recent study, and the nightshirts are gruelling. There isn't an age limit, but not for all the money in the world would I retrain to the sinking ship in my 50s.

So you personally giving birth makes you more experienced than a 22 year old who has trained specifically in the field for 3 years?!

I’m a retired midwife, practised for 28 years and I can assure you that giving birth doesn’t give you experience as a midwife, don’t knock the younger midwives, the ones I worked with were fantastic.