Am I insane?! Could I be a midwife?

[*EJ*]

Not insane at all, i went to my local Uni open day last year and got a bit of info. I have 3 young children at home at the moment so decided now is not the right time but i sill believe that my time will come. When you think about going back to Uni for another 4 or 5 years (maybe i think....) it's nothing when you look at having another 30 years of work ahead of you. I say it's definately worth your time and effort.

If there is something that you want go out there and get it

[Little Chicken]

While you might not be interested in general nursing, it might make you more employable. There was an article recently about how graduates from the bachelor of midwifery were finding it hard to get jobs. It might be something about how hospitals put in their contracts about how even though they have been employed in one area, you may be required to work in other areas.

[Mildez]

Good point little chicken. Where I work all the midwives are also RNS.

[Hannahbanana]

I am studying the combined degree at deakin (Bach of nursing/Bach of Midwifery). This will be my second year of 4 years. I have 3 kids, 6 4 and 2. The work load is not too bad, its about 15 hours of face time at uni each week which I have so far managed to timetable mostly in the mornings. I am usually home no later than 3pm. I have good back up and a DH that is a shift worker so he is quite flexable.
I came into it as a 33y/o with no medical back ground at all, just a lot of self aquired knowledge about birth that I didn't want to waste.
It's definatley do-able. The tricky bit is all the placement we have to do. Because it's a combined degree you do twice as much as the nursing students and during 3rd and 4th years we do 2 to 3 midwifery shifts a week during the semester to make up the required hours for registration. This year I won't have any mid semester break which means no time off during school holidays either.
It will get full on because somewhere in amongst all that you have to fit in appointments and births of your follow through mums. But I will take that as it comes and juggle as much as I can.
But the whole point of my post is that it is definatley do-able

[fionas]

Well I'm planning a career change at 42 so if you're too old, then I must be completely insane. Not to midwifery but I'll be studying for my Masters so job hunting for an entry level position in my late forties.

While this is a bit scary, you only live once and I'd rather take the risk than carry on doing same old, same old for the next 20 years as I don't find it fulfilling any more.

[Traveller]

I am studying the combined degree at deakin (Bach of nursing/Bach of Midwifery). This will be my second year of 4 years. I have 3 kids, 6 4 and 2. The work load is not too bad, its about 15 hours of face time at uni each week which I have so far managed to timetable mostly in the mornings. I am usually home no later than 3pm. I have good back up and a DH that is a shift worker so he is quite flexable.
I came into it as a 33y/o with no medical back ground at all, just a lot of self aquired knowledge about birth that I didn't want to waste.
It's definatley do-able. The tricky bit is all the placement we have to do. Because it's a combined degree you do twice as much as the nursing students and during 3rd and 4th years we do 2 to 3 midwifery shifts a week during the semester to make up the required hours for registration. This year I won't have any mid semester break which means no time off during school holidays either.
It will get full on because somewhere in amongst all that you have to fit in appointments and births of your follow through mums. But I will take that as it comes and juggle as much as I can.
But the whole point of my post is that it is definatley do-able

My story is similar. Same degree, different location, and slightly different kids ages. I came into the degree as a 30 year old, and I am not the oldest on the course. It's a great degree and has given me the taste for learning, so much so that I am already investigating honours year/PHD level education. I would say do it. It's the best thing I ever did

[The[cookie]Doctor]

When I started last year I think at least 30% of the intake were over 30. I had one tute class where I think a good 70% were over 25.

I think the most important thing to consider is if you can do it financially. I know ACU recommends that you only take first year part time (if at all) and the follow through program as a LOT of hours. Many of the girls struggle to fit family:work:study:follow through women in. You would probably need to not work.

It is why it is now on my "backbench" because i just cant do it without working. So DH is finishing his engineering degree first while i support us and then i will go back.