Becoming a midwife...?

[snickersicecreampls]

I have wanted for years to retrain as a midwife and am now starting to seriously think about it.

It feels like a bit of a minefield however.

I work in the corporate environment - so complete change. I'm quite senior - and the breadwinner in my household (this is relevant!) - in a management role working 3 days a week as I have young children.

Initially I'm looking at doing my maths GCSE (I flunked it at school - regret it now!) to get a C or above and then enrolling in the Learndirect Access to Midwifery course.

It's after that I can't seem to grasp what I would need to do. From my understanding I would need to do a nursing degree (?)

Can anyone help?

I'll need to be able to study part time around my job and family so well aware it may take me years to retrain but that is fine as I would still hope to qualify by the time I'm 38-40 (I'm 33 now) which is hopefully not too old...!!

Can I study at uni to be a midwife part time? Can I study from home (open university?) and can anyone actually tell me the starting salary for a newly qualified midwife?

Please help - thank you!

You don't need a nursing degree you need a midwifery degree. They are all full time though and although working alongside would be doable it would be extremely difficult because you would have to work round your shifts for placement

I was going to suggest trying to get a HCA role part time/weekends in a midwifery department, or even voluntary work to see if it really is what you'd like to do.

I found this might be another option for entry: Apprenticeships (rcm.org.uk)

Have a look on the NMC site which lists approved institutions that deliver midwifery degrees www.nmc.org.uk/education/approved-programmes/

You can either do a 3 yr midwifery degree or a 3 year adult nursing degree with an extra 18 months midwifery qualification on top

There isn't a part time option for midwifery as far as I'm aware. The course is quite competitive to get a place on. The starting salary for a newly qualified midwife is circa 28K

The course is a combination of 50/50 clinical practice and study which are integrated so no opportunity to learn remotely

You can either do a direct entry to midwifery degree, or the adult nursing degree + 18month post grad training. If you do that route then you are seconded out to midwifery so you still get paid whilst doing the 18 month course. Plus then you have the flexibility of working in nursing should midwifery not work out.
However nursing and midwifery are quite different. I like to think I'm a good midwife, but nursing was not at all my cup of tea (my med placements were horrendous)! Our local uni has phased this course out now, one reason was the really high drop out rate.

Either way you will need flexible childcare, or a partner that is willing to do more than their fare share. Hospital shifts where I work are 7am-8pm, and community shifts are 8:30am-5pm plus on calls overnight. Students are expected to do either 30 or 37.5 hours per week (depending on stage of course) plus uni assignments on top. It's gruelling!

Thank you so much everyone this is fantastic advice.

Can I ask, do you think I am too old to be considering this? Do you get midwives qualifying in their late 30s and beyond?

Is there opportunity to increase your salary annually/with extra quals? I'm private sector so no idea how it works.

28k ish would be ok initially but be good to know that would increase in time.

I started direct entry midwifery training at 34 with a 4 & 2 year old. There was a woman 10 years older than me on the course. It wasn't degree the. Might have been the last year for the diploma (in Scotland).

Wow @tass1960 how did you find it with the shift work and two young children? This is a concern!

What is it the appeals with midwifery? Is it working with women, babies, helping, caring, pregnancy and birth in particular? We might suggest alternatives based of what appeals with midwifery. Just throwing another idea your way which is osteopathy.

I used to attend a clinic where senior students near the end of their degree would treat patients under supervision- so I always got chatting to them. The vast majority already had a career in something else previously, and not always medical related- a policeman, banker, PE teacher were some I recall. The course can be full or part time and I doubt any of the placements would be night work- unlike midwifery. I think part time was 5yrs. I personally found osteopaths far mor holistic than say chiropractors (no offence to them).

Once qualified, you could either rent rooms, or have a summer house/garage conversion to treat people on the days/times that suit you. I also saw a qualified osteopath when I was TTC, and she charged £60 for a 30min session. She also did another module to treat animals, and used to run horse and rider sessions at the local stables. I assume that pregnancy osteopathy would be in demand for SPD, back ache etc. She also treated children. Its just another idea.

I went into the coursesworking full time anyway so wasn't too onerous and in some ways easier than full time 9-5.

Husband worked shifts and we had a great childminder and family help. I knew what I was doing and when for the whole three years ie college, placement, holidays etc. I generally managed to get my shifts on placement to coincide with my husband's shifts (and he did a bit of juggling too) so that one of us was there for the kids and we had good support anyway.

Looking back it was quite hard but not impossible (obviously) and I'm glad I did it. I don't work as a MW anymore though and am glad about that too.

If it's something you really want go for it. It was something I always wanted to do and my misspent schooldays meant that I couldn't do it without doing some highers at at night school - sitting my English higher when I was 36 weeks pregnant 😳

I have just completed my second year of midwifery. I will be 40 in December.
It us very hard but worth it. My son was 3 when I started and will be 6 when I qualify. I am a single parent so need my support network to make it work.
happy to answer any questions you have 😊

It's really common to do the degree when you're a bit older. I'm 35 and just finishing up my second year and most of my cohort have come to midwifery from something else and are older than a 'normal' student

Thanks all!

@Doublechins @UpUpUpU are you working whilst studying?

Financially I'll need to keep working 3 days a week I think and just not sure how I would make that work.

I’m 15yrs qualified, when in to midwifery at 18, back in the day you could do diploma and top up with degree. We had about 40% mature students which is anyone over 25 and lots had children. It’s tough, really tough, it’s full time, plus studying/essays/exams. Having to come in in your own time to meet with uni tutors, see midwives on their shifts when you’re off to get bits signed off, not to mention at the end of the course everyone fighting to get their last births (coming in after their clinical hours have been completed) because the birth rate is dropping and the student numbers are increasing.
As others have said you need to be prepared for long shifts, on calls, and following your mentors rota.
you qualify as a a band 5, check out agenda for change for pay (it’s all based on full time), your pay increases based on banding. Most midwives are band 6, which you usually get after 1 year if you have completed your clinical skills. Band 7s and usually labour ward co-ordinators or more specialist roles with management, and that varies how quickly you get that, also depends where you are in the country. More senior roles are harder to get if you’re out of big cities. Band 8a is matron usually, 8b/c is consultant midwives and you usually need a masters or working towards one. Band 9 is director or midwifery.

I got my band 7 after 8years post qualifying including 1 year of maternity leave, you can get it earlier though again depending on skill/experience/if you want it.

financially you have to pay to do midwifery now, thanks to Jeremy hunt, however much uni costs… £9k a year? And you can get student loans. There’s no bursary anymore, thanks Jeremy.

it’s really hard but if you really want it you will go for it. You need a good support network with on tap childcare, and know you will do a mass mixture of shifts.

good luck whatever you decide for this journey.

Oh and as for the job….. depends why you want to be a midwife?
I love my job when I have time to do it properly, which isn’t often. The politics is shit, and the higher you get up the worse that is. There’s minimal thanks, you miss breaks and leave late, it’s incredibly emotionally challenging aswell as physically. And you can never do enough right. Would I do it again if I knew then what I know now…. I’m not sure.

Financially I'll need to keep working 3 days a week I think and just not sure how I would make that work.*
*
The only way to make it work would be to work 7 days a week - which isn't sustainable particularly when learning in a safety critical environment

@snickersicecreampls you won't be able to work 3 days a week whilst studying.
There are full time placements and quite a bit of academic work - it's a degree course but full time. You could potentially join your local hospital HCA bank but won't be able to guarantee shifts would fit in.
I did it after nursing diploma - mid thirties , single parent - bit of juggling .

@greyhairnomore thank you.

I guess I'm just wondering how people make it work financially when you have children/outgoings - how do people study full time? I have a husband but wouldn't like to just rely on his salary while I studied. Just seems impossible :(

When I trained I was lucky enough to get a salary as I had already trained as a nurse. I think it was about £21k.
I'm not sure of the funding now ? Any sort of bursaries ? You valued ask the university where'd you apply to.

Also don't know if you'd be eligible for any UC or student loans etc.

@Mummyme87 I have always wanted to be a midwife, since I was a little girl, but fell in to another career and have progressed within that.

As I get older I keep revisiting this thought and it just isn't going away.

I'm incredibly passionate about women and babies and birth - I'm definitely a calm 'people person' and my friends and family are always telling me I need to work with people. I want to make a difference, and if that's in a broken system then so be it - I just feel I have to try. The physical and psychological aspects hugely interest me also and I've spent a great deal of time reading and learning everything I can regarding birth.

I don't want to regret not following my dream... even if I am a bit late in the day!

I don't work alongside the course. I physically couldn't fit anymore in personally. We survive on my husband's wage plus I get approx £10,000 maintenance loan a year (which I have to pay back) and £7000 bursary (which I do not have to pay back).
Am I constantly skint? Yes. Do I hate having to rely on my husband so much financially? Yes. Is it worth it? 100%

Hey,

Allied Healthcare Professional Student here. You definitely won't be able to work on top of the course. It's very intense. You will get an annual income of c.£7k Student Finance plus another possible £3k on top if your household income is low enough. You will also get a £5k bursary, plus another £2k as you have children. Plus 25% off Council tax and other student benefits x

Completely agree!!

I will hopefully qualify next August and can't wait 😊