Starting my journey into midwifery

[MumAli]

Hi everyone, I'm just looking for info on where to get started when becoming a midwife. I'm basically going to redo my math's and English GCSE, I've applied to do a functional math's course at college to prepare me because math's isn't my strong point!
When looking online to figure out what I need I basically keep finding that it says you may need this and may need that and I just don't know where to start!

Is there anyone here that basically started all over GCSE wise and could tell me what I need to do?

I've wanted to be a midwife since I left school but put it off thinking I couldn't do it because I didn't have the GCSE's for it and I'm sick of telling myself that I can't do things! I'm just going for it and will do whatever it will take.

I'm 36 with 3 children so its going to be quite the journey but I'm ready for it.

I did an access to higher education course. It takes a year, but gets you up to speed with all the skills needed, including maths and English, and researching, writing and referencing skills.

I would speak directly to the university you would like to apply for and ask them what they require, as each university has different requirements. I’m doing a healthcare course (not midwifery) and a friend on my course had to get her maths gcse, she was given a conditional offer on the basis she got this.

You should be able to phone the university and explain the problem, and they’ll put you through directly to someone who can tell you exactly what you need to do.

Best of luck to you, 36 definitely isn’t too old
and mum to 3 means you will have an awful lot to offer in terms of experience!

Thank you so much. I will get in touch with the university. I kind of figured out that each place is different with different requirements 🙂

It's a degree programme so you'll need a levels or equivalents.

Midwifery courses are really oversubscribed and quite competitive - try and get some experience or volunteering with pre and post natal care to make you stand out from other applicants. Having had your own children is probably not enough experience

I redid my Maths Gce (I’m old) at 40.I found it so much easier second time round as I was motivated and not afraid to ask for things to be explained again. Then I did a post grad year ; it was hard work but I survived.Go for it.

You do need to speak to the uni you’d like to go to but as a general guide:

• gcses in maths, English and potentially science (varies uni to uni)
• access course from an FE college. Lasts one year, need to check the uni accepts it
• relevant experience - work exp, volunteering, shadowing, research. Show a good understanding of what midwifery is, challenges you might face, current issues. Starting with the 5 Cs of Care, NHS values and royal college of midwifery. There might also be online options for webinars or learning. You could be doing this now, as the access course is intense. Keep a journal of what you do and after each thing you do/watch/read reflect on it. It’ll stand you in good stead for interview and applications

Can’t do Access or similar without GCSEs at certain grades in certain subjects so that’s definitely the right place to start.

I redid my maths GCSE last year, I was terrible at school - failed it twice but passed last year! I’m now doing an Access to Social Work course and I’m loving it!

The best advice I can give you with maths is to put in the extra work at home, so whatever you learn that week, go home and practice. There are brilliant YouTube videos for the parts you don’t “get”, and you can do past exam papers so you get used to the format. The past papers were the reason I finally got that GCSE I think, I did loads of them!