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Higher education

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Original poster

Want to train to be a midwife, Help and advice needed!

27 replies

Dalrymps · 16/02/2009 10:21

I'm 28 and have a ds aged 15 months. I am a sahm at the moment.

Now, at the moment we are trying to work out how my dh can do his pgce and become a secondry school art teacher...But thats a whole other thread. It would take him a year anyway, he already has a fine art degree.

Once he has done that I would really like to train to be a midwife, I have been thinking about it for quite a while and am very excited about the idea. I just need to work out how to do it and what order to do things in. I'm so confused.

There are several obsticles standing in my way.

  • I live an hour away from the uni I want to train at.
  • I will have to do it full time over 3 years.
  • I don't think there is any part of it I can do through the OU which would have been helpful.
  • I can't decide whether to have my children then do it once they are at school or just do it before having more children. If I follow the original plan and have 3 chldren quite close together then wait till the youngest is in school I'd be 35 by the time I can do it. BUT would I be too busy with the children by then?

If I do it before having more children there will be a big age gap between the 1st and 2nd which I didn't really want and I'd probably have to put ds1 in to a nursery full time which I don't want to do at all.

There is a posibility of moving back to where the uni is in newcastle (used to live there anyway) and we may have to do this for dh's pgce but at the moment we can't work oput how as we are just entering the 3rd year of our 5 year fixed term mortgage so would have to pay a fee if we cam out of the mortgage and can't really afford to pay a mortgage whilst dh studies for his pgce anyway. He would get 6000 whilst doing it but I have no idea what financial help is available.

Anyway, way too much info there but any ideas/advice welcome!!!

OP posts:
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 16/02/2009 10:32

Hiya, I'm a m/w.

This site may be useful for you

www.studentmidwives.co.uk/phpBB3/index.php

Do you know its very competitive to get into midwifery training? Unis will want you to have had recent study (within the last 4 years). So if you haven't got this you may need to go to college for a year for an Access course or maybe night classes for an a-level before you can apply. Each uni has different requirements though so its best to ring up and speak to the uni that you're interested in. They often have open days as well. Good luck.

Original poster
Dalrymps · 16/02/2009 11:17

Well, I have a degree but it's in 3D design,graduated in 2003. Have good Gcse's and did a GNVQ and Foundation course at college before going on to uni.

I was young and didn't really know what I wanted to do at the time so just followed what I was good at which is Art. Do you think the fact I have these qualifications would be relevant?

Thanks for the link

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Original poster
Dalrymps · 16/02/2009 17:00

Anyone else have any advice at all???

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StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 16/02/2009 17:08

The qualifications are very good and its certainly something you can talk about at an interview that you can demonstrate that you will be able to cope with the academic side of things. But unless you've done your degree within 4 years they will want you to go back to college and do something else.

I'd got a previous degree as well but it was 8 years old. Luckily I'd done a NVQ in Custoemr Services, which they counted as my recent study.

theboob · 16/02/2009 17:15

hi i have just completed a year resiting my GCSE's again.I am on an access to HE course now,i have applied to do a degree in adult nursing in 2010 and then i will top up my degree in an 18month course in midwifferyI am currently pregnant with DC4 and the baby will be 1 when i start my degree next year,the uni is also an hour away but placements will be in my local hospital.I am so glad i am doing it this way,the stress the girls who have a conditional offer on the midwiffery degree is horrible,they have conditions of 65% and above to be accepted,i just have to pass ,maybe going into your local college for a chat would help

Original poster
Dalrymps · 16/02/2009 17:26

I see. I don't have a problem with doing some sort of course at my local college before hand if I have to. Could even do something relevant... I think money is the main isue but looking on the bursary sight has been helpfull, I can see there is help available if needed.

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theboob · 16/02/2009 17:39

I am studying social issues in health care and human physiology along with some smaller lessons to top my credits up

Original poster
Dalrymps · 16/02/2009 17:42

Ah I see... Do you have to have a certain amount of credits then?

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theboob · 16/02/2009 18:21

yeah,not quite sure how it works college worry about that for me ,i think its 60 credits

DaisyMooSteiner · 16/02/2009 18:41

It's worth talking to the uni in question though - I had completed my degree 6 1/2 years previously and still got a place to do midwifery having done no recent study at all. It was a biological sciences degree though, I guess that may have made a difference. Still, worth talkign to them and see what they say.

Original poster
Dalrymps · 16/02/2009 19:22

Thanks, will do, I went to the uni to my other degree anyway so know it well iyswim, may be worth a chat with them

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Original poster
Dalrymps · 17/02/2009 10:58

Has anyone trained to be a midwife in a whilst living in a rural area say an hour away from the uni and then done some of their placement where they live?

Was just wondering...

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Original poster
Dalrymps · 19/02/2009 22:38

anyone?

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FairLadyRantALot · 19/02/2009 22:45

hm, doing OT not midwifery and I live 45 minutes from Uni, but that isn't really to bad.
My Placement (am on my first one, is only 15 minutes in the car...so, that is nice)
My situation is different though, I suppose, as we are finished having more Kids and our Kids are 12, 6 and 4...so, out of the Baby stage, etc...
don't think I could have coped before.

Original poster
Dalrymps · 19/02/2009 22:53

Ah I see, useful to know that placements may be closer to home. Suppose I could look in to that closer to the time.

Not sure how i'll feel about the whole thing by the time i've had one or even two more lo's. Will just have to see how hectic things are I suppose cause it's easy to make plans but I have no idea what it's like looking after 2/3 children instead of one!

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FairLadyRantALot · 19/02/2009 23:04

very true...
many moons ago I trained as a Nurse (20 years ago)...but had not been nursing in a long time (since 1995), only done some auxiliary work and stuff.
I had sort of looked into OT over the years, but never thought I would ever be able to do it...but than it all kinda worked out for me this way, and am I glad...absolutely loving it, could NOT imagine to ever go back into nursing. But I don't regrett my nursing experience, because, well, it comes in handy now

I am not to sure how it works with Midwifery Placements, tbh, because, I suppsoe you would be "limited" to the different maternity Units/Birthcentres/Community Placements and I suppose HV Setting?

We had to sign something that says that we can be placed anywhere within a 45 mile radius from where we live. However, they do take things like family commitments etc...into consideration,so, hopefully won't have to face very far away Placements...

Original poster
Dalrymps · 19/02/2009 23:14

Ah I see, glad you're loving it, must be great to do something you actually like. I've only ever had jobs that I tolerated, would love to do something i'm actually interested in.

There is a small maternity unit here but it's only for low risk births and most people travel an hour away to the nearest hospital(wansbeck) to give birth(like I did).

Hopefully at least part of my placement could be at the unit here though if I got on the course, it's a lovely unit .

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FairLadyRantALot · 20/02/2009 16:14

well, that would only be 1 placement....you will have more than that, in a variety of Units....

with ot we only do 3 placements in 3 years, but nurses do loads more and no idea about midwifery students, but my guess is, that it would be similar as to nursing students....i might be wrong though...

Original poster
Dalrymps · 20/02/2009 22:55

Yeah, I would expect there will be quite a few placements but it would be nice if one of them was close to home

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StudentMadwife · 20/02/2009 23:23

I started 2007, live 3hrs from uni so commuted. luckily placements were 1/2hr and 40mins from home. have had to have a break due to family stuff and getting dcs into school. was supposed to go back 2010 but now have worked out I just cant afford the petrol costs next yr and have to start back next yr in order to complete within 5yr NMC rules. Am completely gutted but am planning on re-applying to finish in 8-10 yrs when economy has (hopefully) settled down a bit and have saved up enough to get through the course.

go for it but the most important advice I can give you is make sure you have a big support structure around you.
my uni were completely unsupportive, had no recognition that i was doing 230mile rounds trips day in day out and was told no flexibility whatsoever in shifts.

If you are not affluent then I would say wait, theres nothing worse than having to pull out, trust me ive wanted to do it since age 11 and it broke my heart last yr when i had to withdraw from the course.

Id also say wait till child/ren at school because IME unis are not flexible at all in terms of shifts, parent or not.

a typical 2 weeks could be
mon 8-2pm
tues 10pm-6am
wed- off
thurs off
fri 8-6pm
sat 8-2pm
sun off
mon 10-6am
tues 10-6pm
weds off
thurs uni
fri 8-2pm
sat 8-6pm
sun off

I also found that i was going in at short notice when not due to work, to witness births and deliver babies.

Its 24/7 and takes over your whole life, if youve got the support fair play, if you havent, have your other children first then go for it IMHO xx

ps we have just decided to try for dc3 since im no longer going back next yr!

Original poster
Dalrymps · 21/02/2009 00:07

Wow, thanks, thats really helpfull info. I did imagine it might be quite full on which is why I was thinking of doing it when the dc's are at school. Think you've confirmed for me I should do that... It'll probably be in about 7 years if everything goes to plan. I know it's a long time to wait but I figure I can read up and prepare for the course whilst I wait and if I still want to do it in 7 years then it must be the right job for me

Congratualtions of ttc number 3 by the way and good luck! We're ttc now too!

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milkysallgone · 21/02/2009 07:34

Hi, I'm due to start my midwifery degree in Sept. You do 45wks per year, so pretty full on. As far far as placements are concerned I guess it depends on how far (and which direction) your trust area goes!

As someone who has recently gone through the rollercoaster of the application process I would advise you to do as much research as is humanly possible and to try to get work experience before applying. The website link you have been given above is a fab place to start.

Original poster
Dalrymps · 21/02/2009 11:30

Thanks, 45 wks a year is a lot but I did expect it to be something like that... Not sure how far my trust area goes but the two closest hospitals are both an hour away! There are maternity units closer though. Yeah, that was my plan, to read up on it as much as I can before applying. Do you have any idea what the reading list is for the course or what the best midwifery journal is to subscribe to?

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FairLadyRantALot · 21/02/2009 18:37

Dalry...
you might want to try to get in as a Health care worker into a maternity Unit...

Original poster
Dalrymps · 21/02/2009 21:47

How would I go about that then? Not sure the one here would employ me though as it's so quiet I doubt they need any help...

They're very friendly though, they might let me do some kind of 'work experience' or something?

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