Midwifery training with children ???

[Dalrymps]

I'm thinking of training to become a midwife once my children are school age. The reason being I've heard it's 3 years full time and pretty full on with shift work etc.

Just wondered if anyone had any experience of this and can give me any advice.

My ds' are currently 3.3yo and 10mo and I'm wavering over whether to have another. I'm interested to hear from others who have trained whilst having children and what it had been like. Is doable?

TIA

Is it doable..

Anyone?

Bump...

?

I would love to know the answer too Dalrymps as I have got a similar plan in the back of my mind.

What I know is that it is very full on so I think I am personally going to wait until my DCs are at school so that it cuts down on the childcare costs too.

Getting on the course is very competitive too so bear that in mind. Relevant work experience is good for the application but I'm not sure how to get any as our local hospitals won't let work experience people on the maternity wards which I can understand.

A friend has just done nursing training. It will probably be similar.

You will probably need to do a minimum number of nights, earlys, lates and weekend.

You will need a good support network for childcare

I'm a social work student and TTC. I would say have a good think if you want one now or during degree. When you qualify you will almost certainly want to get stuck into work.

Also you will probably need to do an access course if you don't have the relevant entry requirements.

You will to be good at biology.

Re funding - check out if it attracts childcare grant.

Hi..i am a midwife and trained when my dd was very young. That was 15 years ago. I did an access to science course at the local college which started when she was 4 weeks old. I had great family support so she was full time with family while i worked on that. I then went to uni for the three years so she was almost 5 when i qualified. I have to say that it i found it much easier to do it when she was younger. The shift work fitted in not too bad because once you get onto the wards you have days on, days off and work different shifts in the day. This tended to mean that for a lot of time i could be around for her. On the down side she would have to stay over with my sister the night before an early shift etc. I have to add that i was a single parent at the time which made it slightly harder but still do able with good support. Looking back now i wouldnt have changed it...i think they understand less when they are younger and just accept what goes on. Studying etc was fitted in round naps etc.
Since then i have had 4 more children and work still fits in well around them. Big downside of being a midwife....getting broody
Really long post sorry but a most rewarding job and with good support you can do it.

Hi - I'm a first year student midwife, single parent with kids aged 8 and 4. It IS doable, but you need a really good support network in place for childcare. I have friends on standby to have the children to stay overnight when I'm on shifts, my ex has them a fair bit, and his mum too. I waited till my youngest started school, which makes the childcare slightly more affordable, but they're pretty inflexible when it comes to shifts - you're expected to work when your mentor does and sort out the childcare around that. I tend to 'wing it' week by week, and we're muddling through. The hardest part has been my community placement, I was placed 50 miles from home and it's knackering doing a full day's work, driving that distance and still finding enough time to spend with the kids! But if you really want to do it, you'll find a way.

On the plus side, I have honestly loved every single moment so far. It's academically demanding, emotionally draining and you're pretty much running on empty the whole time, but I drive home from placement every day with a huge grin on my face thinking about everything I've done that day. I'm learning a huge amount and loving working with women, and blown away every time I watch a woman give birth. Working on community is fantastic because you really get a chance to build up a relationship with women - following them through from antenatal visits to (hopefully) being with them in labour, to seeing them as parents.....well I honestly can't imagine doing anything else with my life. So if you really want it, you'll find a way to make it work, and the rewards are incredible. PM me if you like, always happy to talk about it.

Wow. It sounds amazing. You have both made me want to be a midwife and it isn't even my thread!! Did you have to do work experience for your application for uni hellsbells76? What did you do?

And what science qualifications do you need? I have only got science GCSE but I do have A-levels and a degree already...

I didn't have any work experience - came from a pen-pushing job in the local council! But I've been hugely interested in pregnancy and birth since having my own kids, and following my DD's birth at home, I set up a local homebirth support group, which led to getting involved with the planning committee for a new local birth centre and various related activities which all helped my application. Others on the course worked as maternity care assistants, or breastfeeding support workers, or just did a bit of work experience on a labour ward - but others hadn't really had any relevant experience but were obviously able to convey a passion for midwifery at the interview. I think as long as you can show a genuine interest in the subject you're in with a good chance.

I had no science qualifications! my A levels from about a hundred years ago were in English, French and History, and my degree was in English! I've found the biology side quite hard but we're lucky to have a brilliant teacher (who actually wrote most of the textbooks we use) and she helps make it easier to understand. If you get a chance to do an Access course or a Human Biology GCSE/A Level you'd probably find it a big advantage I think.

Biology GCSE is good idea, I do have a double award GCSE which had biology as part of it.

I got offered an interview for an MCA post when I enquired about work experience but I didn't want to leave my current job (which I enjoy) and take the paycut just to get the experience. Your extra-curricular stuff sounds amazing, I have thought about becoming a breastfeeding support worker so I might look into hat more.

It is great that you are enjoying it so much. I'm jealous!!

It is a fantastically rewarding job to do..in fact you very rarely think of it as a job. Just think everytime you deliver a baby you think..wow..i am the first person in this entire universe to ever lay a hand on this little life..and that is an amazing feeling.
A lot of universities will take on mature students now and they tend to go on the interview process rather than academic qualifications so you don't necessarily have to have paper qualifications..life experience sometimes is better.
hellsbells76 i had 3 homebirths and loved every minute of each one, although second one being a bit hairy but we got through it we have no birth centre here (scotland) but it would have been lovely to have the option.

Wow thanks for all the info. I just got my breastfeeding peer supporter certificate this week so hoping to gain some relevant experience doing that as I'll be visiting ladies in their homes and possibly on the local maternity ward too..

I will look in to access courses as I hear you have to ace done recent study and the courses are competitive.

The whole third child thing is a real dilemma for me. I like the idea but don't like the idea of waiting even longer to start training. I have been interested in midwifery since before I had my dc, probably for about 7 years now. I was busy working to buy our first flat, then saving to get married then I fell pregnant with ds1 (an early but happy surprise)

Amazing how the years fly by but I feel like I've been waiting forever already...

Babybear - you say you've had more children since qualifying, how did you find this? How long realistically were you able to take off after each child before returning to work?

Hellsbells - tha j's, I will PM you if any questions come up ad I am looking in to this.

I have looked in to it a few times bit it all seems so much harder with the dc to fit round

Sorry for spelling mistakes!

Dh says he'll do whatever he can to support me and be flexible and I'm sure he will

Dalrymps - if you get pregnant now then you could start in September 2012 and have the best of both worlds. Well done on your breastfeeding peer supporter qualification.

My other concern Dalrymps is that I don't think there are any tuition fees on the midwifery courses at the moment so I am concerned that even more people will want to do the course or that the Government will introduce fees on the course.

Dalrymps i know where you coming from. It seems really hard thing to do with children but it something you really want to do. It is well worth it and trust me you will find a way round. It sounds really complicated for childcare etc until you actually start doing it and then everything just falls into place.
Something a friend did was have a live out 'au pair' type minder for the children as she was cheaper than a nanny but more flexable. There are several options. The nhs is relatively child friendly these days to and a lot of mentors etc will be flexible to work with. I was able to take up to a year off work each time.
And i think you will find that there is a large majority of midwives who do have children so all are very helpful and accomodating.
The only downside...working with so many women means there is always some pmt going on in the month

If i can help with anything just shout..only too happy to help and chat

Congrats on the breastfeeding support work. I am still breastfeeding and we can do with more of you around

Hmm yeah but I'd rather the youngest be at least in nursery and preferably school when I start.. I have been a sahm with ds1 and he only started nursery when he turned 3.. I kinda want to treat all the dc the same and make them equal. I know it might sound silly but I'm reluctant to send 'dc3' to nursery early when the other 2 got 3 yrs at home. That and the fact that on dh's wage we can't afford to... That's why I can't make my mind up whether to have a third.

Will there be any point in training if I have a third? I might be nearly 40 by the time I qualify. Is that too old to be just starting?

You will have at least 28 years of working left in you at 40 - so it is definitely not too old!

Wow strange to think I have all that time left to work at 40. 30 this year and that scares me enough!

Those of you who are training, how many 'mature' students are there on your courses?

On my training my two closest friends were 40 and 43 and are now i would say settled and content. I think training older shows you are more serious and committed. I was 30 when i qualified so wasn't young either!
I know what you mean dalrymps about spending equal time with them. I didn't send my dd to nursery till she was 4 and feeling guilty cos ds is going in when he turns 3 (but only because i think he is more mature) and that leaves me my dd at 10mths at home. I have 2 more at school and meant to say whilst i was training i adopted a dd who was 2 at the time..so i do believe what is for you won,t go by you and if it is for you you will be a midwife when the time is right

I'd say out of our cohort of 30, at least 10 are over 40 and most of the rest are late 20s/early 30s. Definitely not too old!