retraining as nurse/mw - with 3 little ones - a crazy idea???

[SpeckledHen]

I have 3 little ones - 4, 2 and 2w. I have worked as civil servant for 14 years in a dept I am not fond of. Have never really been happy at work. Was pushed along v academic route at school tho was prob not really for me. Have a yearning to join caring professions. Am considering spending next 5 yeays devoted entirely to my tiny children and then retraining as nurse/mw. My parents both died last year.Life is not a dress rehearsal. I have 2 qns:

1. Is this crazy? I know a umber of nurses who have given up nursing for FT motherhood. Wonder how flexible hours can be. I would be 45 ish by time of qulification so cd still offer 20 years.
2. In my immediate post baby state I wd like to join the fab band of mws who helped me. To dothat wd be 3 year course. However this would limit options and I think better to spend 3 years training as nurse and then do 78 week conversion if needed. What do you think?

These courses involves a lot studying, and of course shift work. if you will have good child care support then go for it. Nursing is a good career choice.

There is national shortage of midwives.

I've been accepted to do child nursing sept 2008. I will have ds who will be 4 and dd who will be 2.

I say go for it!

Remember if you want to do conversion to MW, you have to do adult nursing. They prefer it if you apply for MW if you want to be a MW but there's a fraction of the spaces and it's very competitive.

I am in my first year of MW training and my boys are 8, 7 and 4......

Its tough but managable if you have good childcare and support.

As for how you go into midwifery, I am a direct entry student so I have no formal nursing training...so I'm biased