Becoming a Midwife - where do I start?!

[MyNextMove]

I have an NVQ3 in Care and am a qualified Care Assessor, but am interested in training to become a midwife.

Would really appreciate anyone's firsthand experience of how they became one, how long it took, pros and cons of the career with a family and any other info would be great.
Thanks

I went to uni after a-levels. It took just under 4 years, at 45 weeks a year. 39.5 hours a week, with shifts. So couldn't really work.

That was donkeys ago, so funding etc will have changed. I got a small bursary, and student loans. You won't pay course fee's, this much I do know.

I think your frst step is to find your nearest uni offering the programme, and talk to them.

Good luck! [amile]

thanks for that treedelivery

hi i am about to return to midwifery after a year out having suprise dc3. I have a year left. It is a very demanding and full time course, and i would say that having a car is a must, for me anyway. We are lucky to have good family support to help with baby care and my elder 2 are at school. I did an access course, not sure if L3 care will be enough you would need to call the uni. If it was done in the last 3 yrs it may be.

Getting a place was hard, it is worth buying the practising midwife mag and reading as much as you can about midwifery. A real knowledge of a midwives role is needed, some people on my course applied for 6 years to get in, i was lucky and got in 1st time. The interview process is not pleasant, but well worth it!!

Go for it though, its a brilliant course, and i love being a mature student!

thanks for that beccagrace , hope the rest of the course goes well. The more I think about it the more I think it is not going to fit in with my circs unfortunately as being a single mum it will be hard with school runs etc.

I know plenty of midwifery students where I work who are single mums.

You need to wrok shifts so normally 7-2:30 or 2:00 - 9:30. Then nights as well. So you'd need childcare but one student I know who's a single mum manages with no family support just a fab childminder.

Plenty here too.

I think the real struggle is the job it's self. As a student there is more flexibility, but you need a realistic take on the fact that the service is 24/7, 365 days a year. Some trusts will be more family friendly as they have better staffing, others will be unable to make allowances as all the midiwves are younger, have young families and are all in the same boat.

So, where will your chldren go on Christmas day, if your unit does 12 hours shifts? Will your childcare be understanding if you have to stay back 30 mins because you don't feel you can leave a lady who is about to deliver?

It's a demanding service, and it can be hard to juggle that with our own young chldren.

But if you can, if it is your vocation it is path, you find a way through these problems. I rely on grandparents completely. If they beome unwell or unable or unwilling, I wll probably need to leave tbh. It can be that tricky. But then others manage, just muddle through I guess.

I found it harder as a student as I was expected to work what my mentor worked. We self rosta so I can now put myself down for shifts I want. I guess this isn't the case everywhere though.

Oh that's encouraging to hear thanks! DD will be driving soon so that will make things easier, I am just scared of committing to something I may not see through but then I suppose that's a defeatist attitude

Having read up on it it is definately a job I would love to do. I just have to be more confident I think!

I childmind for my friend who is training as a midwife. She contacted the local university. Her uni days she is there 3-4 days a week 8:00-6:00 approx, she also has to do "duty" at a hospital which is shifted, often double shifts too so can be long days. She does get a bursary which of rhte first year paid most of my fees but only a percentage in the 2nd year. She manages but has a good support network.

Another friend of mine is doing the same course, different uni and hospital. She also has good network and good minder who shares childcare with one of the grandparents.

I'd say depends on what your network is like and how committed you are. Once you get home from placement/uni it doesn't stop as you have homework - it is very time consuming but seems that both friends love it and they both say they are certain they are doing the right thing.

Hope that helps.

Good luck!

You will need evidence of recent study (either A levels or an Access to Midwifery course within the past couple of years) first of all (you can do these in a year). You then apply for Midwifery courses through the UCAS system.

Thanks for all that info - it's really helpful