Midwifery

[marsden2008]

Hi im starting a hnd health and social care course which will take 2 years whilst my son is still in nursery. I really want to become a midwife but im not sure if i would be able to take blood and examine people etc that side of it is snyone a midwife is this something you just get over and becomes 2nd nature to do or do a lot of people struggle with it?

Unfortunately it's an integral part of the training and the job so if you find it difficult then it may suggest the role is not for you. Sorry if that is not the answer you are looking for.

Thank you

Hi, I'm a current student midwife and I don't think it necessarily means you can't train. A friend in my cohort is afraid of needles and has managed so far, but its not something you can brush under the carpet, you would need to tackle any issues you have over it in order to progress? In terms of examinations, do you mean vaginal ones?

Many student midwives and midwives that I know originally had a fear of needles and were squeamish about the thought of taking blood etc. However, as its something midwives do all the time, they find that it is something they overcome quite quickly in their training, so I wouldn't let that put you off if that's the only thing you are worried about.

Yes thank you to you both yes it was the vaginal examination and taking blood im slightly squemish so wasnt sure if i would be ok or not

To be honest the thought of doing vaginal examinations does feel weird at first, but you are doing it for a reason and you're often to busy figuring out progress and how the baby is lying etc to actually contemplate it (if that makes sense?). You don't actually do that many of them in the grand scheme of things and there's so much more to a midwives role than taking blood and doing VEs, so dont let it put you off.

Thank you 😊

We all have our own things we don't like doing. I'm really bad with vomit and there's a lot of it in this job, but you find your own ways to manage it and still provide supportive care to the woman.

Yes thats what i was trying to see really if u kind of just get on with it as part of your job thanks

Its part if the job which you wll need to manage. How about being a doula or going into mental health nursing instead.

If you’re squeamish it’s not just the taking blood and vaginal examinations. Labour and birth is a messy and often smelly experience.
What about examining placentas? Handling when the woman poos in labour or if she’s sick?

Whilst you do get used to it to some extent it’s something that midwifery students deal with from white early on in their training and it’s not something that’s going to stop at any point.

I was a midwife for a number of years and have to say the reason I gave up was to do with shifts not fitting in with my family life and not because I was squeamish.

Not trying to be mean but think people often have a romanticised vision of what being a midwife is and not really understanding the hard work, long hours often on your feet and thinking on your feet as well as dealing with bodily fluids whilst keeping the woman’s dignity and not embarrassing them by retching at someone being sick or being hesitant at having to examine them.

Yes i understand what you mean it is trying to think of it realistically really isnt it

I’d imagine you can’t be at all squeamish to handle labour and birth- the mere thought of performing an episiotomy is enough to put me off being a midwife. I’d imagine you have to deal with more blood, poo, sick and bodily fluids than most other healthcare roles. Not that it isn’t something you could work on- I had a friend who hates needles who managed to overcome it and become a nurse.