midwives! would you spare a minute and tell me what you think about your job?

[swottybetty]

i am thinking about what to do when i return to work. prob because i am pg with number two and obsessed with childbirth , but have been thinking about adding midwifery to my list of things i'd like to consider. would love to hear what midwives think of their jobs .... tia

Right, what do I think about my job? The truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth??

Well on the one hand I love my job. I love the contact with the women. I love supporting women during labour. I love it when a birth goes all nice and normal. I love it when I can tell that without my support a woman's birth might not have gone as well as it has. I love it when someone manages to breastfeed or something because of my help.

On the other hand my job can be frustrating and very stressful. Frustrating because due to staffing and finances I don't get to spend as much time with the women as I'd like to (ante and postnatally). I don't get to give proper 1-2-1 care in labour, because I've got 2 or on a bad day even 3 women to look after. I never expected that a black pen would be the most important piece of kit a mw can have because of the volumes of writing we have to do.

Finally; I had a 2yo and a baby when I started my training and it was b**y hard work. The university or hospital DO NOT account for the fact that you are a mother and have a family. I ended up being challenged because of an absense (yes only 1 in 3 years) due to child care problems and it was even suggested that I should interrupt the course and start again when the dcs were a bit older or when my childcare problems would be sorted. With no family nearby the latter was impossible and I was not going to wait until they were teenagers and OK to be home alone!! Which made me very angry off course. You will also have to work shifts and so before you embark on a midwifery course you need to make sure you have your out of hours childcare sorted or you'll be in trouble.

Childcare is much less of a problem when qualified, because I can now request my shifts to suit my family, within reason of course, and there's always the option of swapping shifts with colleagues too. On top of that I am now working part time. Not many mws work full time. The job is just too stressful for that I think. I don't think many of us would cope!

I love it, but it can be rediculously busy and stressful at times.

I trained before I had children but know many who have coped admirably doing it with little children, don't think I could have though. Having said that I find it ok working with two little ones and studying for a course worth 40 credits towards a degree.

I wouldn't do any other job. It is frustrating that sometimes I don't want to follow the protocols but on the whole they are evidence based and I agree with most of them so not too much of a problem. Am always happy to support women in their choices even if it goes against protocol as long as I'm sure the woman realises what she is asking.

I delivered loopymumsys second baby, my she was awkward!!

I do love the job but its unbelivably stressful. The responsibility can be quite daunting as well.

I love meeting different people and helping/supporting them, trying to make a difference.

It can be frustrating when you can't do that as you're looking after too many women and can only provide the bare minimum of care.

The training is very academic.

I stick to protocols unless the woman declines something/disagrees. Then I make sure she's making an informed choice, document it well and support her in her choice.

If something went wrong and I hadn't followed protcols (unless the woman had made her choice not to go with them) then it would be my registration on the line and I'd be hung out to try. Its not always a very supportive profession to fellow collegues, if something goes wrong its like a witch hunt!

thank you for your replies. the responsibility does terrify me i must say, midwives should be paid a fortune

skss - 'Its not always a very supportive profession to fellow collegues, if something goes wrong its like a witch hunt!'

Sounds dreadful, where do you work? I am training to be a supervisor of mw's (am a band 6, not a manager or anything) it shouldn't be like that and I don't think it is where I work.

I've been a midwife for about 10 years. I currently look after vulnerable women and I do love my job. There's a LOT of child protection in my role and that can be stressful and worrying. I'm currently a band 7 so I now do a lot more teaching and specialist work.

I love looking after womwn who are having a difficult time and that I can provide some support and a friendly face for them. Delivering babies is also great, but extreemly sad if things go wrong (ie delivering late terminations for congenital abnormalities, intrauterine deaths etc)

Also - it is unfortunately a riduculously busy environment to work in. I cannot remember the last time I had time to have a meal break. Meals are eaten on the go - or often not at all. I remember once having such a busy shift that I thought at the beginning of the shift 'I must go for a wee' and not having the time to go until the shift was over!!!! So on one hand the job can be very fulfilling but on the other extreemly frustrating as you do not feel that you were able to do your job properly due to the level of workload.

I find all other midwives where I work very supportive and we do look after each other. The hours are great for looking after a family as they can be flexable. Also - the pay is ok - but think you would be paid a lot more for that level of responsibility in industry.

I think that midwifery is not about babies - it's about looking after women.

I'm a student midwife and so far am having a ball. DDs are older though (10 and 12).
have also been a nurse for years so know the reality of working within the nHS, sticking to policies and protocols i don't agree with. the shitey time pressures, never having a break, no staff, medical hierarchy, general day to day crap and the good bits like the patients, when it all goes to plan, doing something that makes a difference.
will let you know in a year or so how it has gone and if i've changed my mind.

Maxbear - I'd rather not say where I work, but am sure its not like that everywhere. We've had some problems at the unit and had an externa investigator sent in after so many staff complained about the bullying and bitchiness, etc. Nothing seems to have changed though. There is plenty of eye rolling and sniggering behind peoples' backs if other staff don't agree with them.

A collegue was getting screamed abuse at by the neonatal team the other day as she scooped a baby up that was unexpectedly fitting and ran to the NNU which is just through the doors. They weren't happy that the baby had been brought in unannaounced and without a review, then told her off for the fact it wasn't well wrapped. Then shouted at her later on wanting to know why she hadn't followed the policy for macrosomic babies. We don't have a policy and this was pointed out to them but they kept shouting there was. Then had to back down later on.

Its not all the staff and some are very supportive but I do feel on edge all the time, like people are waiting for me to mess up. Handover is a total bitchfest.

This is a bit off course but I would like to ask a question.

When I was in labour the first MV went off shift before dd was born. As she was leaving she said to me and dh 'Thank you for being so nice'

Was she just being polite or are some patients really awful?

Some are really awful, some are a pleasure to look after. Some are inbetween.

I suppose some you just see to "click" with more than others.

Seem to click with even.

I agree, some are rude and awful, some are particularly nice.
Some shout at you and say you aren't listening to me, help me help me, get this f***g baby outa me, do something etc.

It is quite waring and difficult sometimes, on the other had looking after some women is a pleasure.