Midwifery?? With young children. Tell me all.

[steph1512]

Hi i have 3 children aged 4,2 and 6mth. I have always had an iinterest in midwifery but now i have finished having babies i would like to look into studying it.

I am sure it has lots of hodden areas etc but i feel if i dont consider my options i may always regret it!

Firstly is it even possible to study midwifery with three children? And a dh that works shifts?

Alos is it possible to work as a midwife with three children or a complete nightmare.

If i research and decide its for me i am looking to start training when my youngest starts school if earlier is a possibility i may do so.

This would mean my children would then be 4,6 and 8.

All info appreciated

Thanks in advance

arh typos sorry rushed message over teatime

I'm intrested in this too . Mine are now 8 and 5 but wouldn't do it until they could pretty much let themselves in after school on their own I think.

do-able if you have massive amounts of family support for babysitting at odd hours.

you will be expected to work all shifts and won't be able to request certain ones (you'll need to fit in with whatever shift pattern your mentors are working)

it is hugely competative and hard work but lovely.

I stated my nursing training when DD2 started school - it was fine and good that the DDs went to bed nice and early so I could get a couple of hours study in in the evenings.

Just finished my midwifing wich was much much harder (didn't help that the DDs are older and never go to bed)

Also note university holidays don't match school ones (not that midwife or nurse training takes much notice of university term dates anyway - none of those nice 9 week terms and 3 months off other courses get).

Contact your nearest university and ask them what the entry requirements get and also get some healthcare type experience.

I might wait until the kids can completely stay at home on their own then.

If you really want it you can achieve it. I did my social work training when mine were 11, 5, 4 and 2. The placements involved shifts. It was hard work but the feeling I got when I qualified was something which I cannot put into words. The course transformed my life and my earning potential. I have two friends who did their midwifery training with very young families and they were both sucessful - it wasn't without its stresses as I am sure you can imagine but its amazing what you can do when you are committed. What you need is to really really want it and that your dh understands that to (although one of my friends did it with very little support). In terms of childcare I have no family who could help out so childcare grants paid for all of mine. If you feel its the right time for you go for your dream, its amazing what you can achieve if you want something enough.

I have four, aged between 14 and 7. I'm waiting until Sept 2012 to start (assuming I can get a place) as I have no help at all. They will then be between 16 and nearly 9. My DH works shifts and I need the kids to be reasonably self sufficient. I will be old, old, old (45) when I start training, and the waiting (15 years) has been difficult for me to say the least - I'm not patient by nature. But the kids have to come first for now & I'll be much more able to concentrate, if they're older when I start. There's no way I could do the job justice whilst fretting about where they are, when I'll finish or if they're happy.

It depends on your circumstances of course, but if you don't have help I think I'd consider holding off a little longer.

I did my midwifery training with a 3 year old and a 6 mth old still fully breastfeeding-now my baby is 18 ! and i have 2 more. Feel free to pm me if i can help at all x

Hi tjere,
I'm a student mw currently on a break as preg with baby no 2 I have a 5 yr old who was 3 when I started my training (am in last year)
Having reliable childcare round the clock is important i.e late shifts night shifts, you wont get any special treatment because you are a parent. Sometimes you will only get a few days notice of your shifts. So you need childcare that can cope with late/early night at the drop of a hat.

academically it is tough to study when caring for children as I find I never have enough time, but you just have to do an allnighter if needs be.

Also will need childcare in school holidays as it is a 45 week a year course only 7 weeks holiday which don't tend to fit in with kids holidays.