Am I insane?! Could I be a midwife?

[feeb]

Hun fire away any questions on here or fb to me!

I did my nursing straight from year 12 then worked a few years before doing my mid! Now after 9 years as a mw I am studying again for mchn.

It would be hard with kids but not impossible if you have family and friends support to help look after kids when you have placements etc.

Personally I suggest going nursing first and then mid or doing double degree.

Look at latrobe, acu, vut and deakin web pages

[peanutter]

No, you're not insane.

Yes, you could be a midwife. I think you'd be a good one.

The question I'd be thinking, is whether you want to study for 4 years, and whether you're ok with shiftwork, travel, etc, which is part and parcel of being a midwife.

If you're happy with the package, I'd be investigating further what is involved both wish the study and the job, and maybe go to a careers day mid-year ...

Exciting!

[Teeki]

I think your colleague is absolutely right! You've got a long working life ahead of you and why shouldn't you be happy in it?

I believe you and I work for the same organisation, and I'm due back there in about a month. I've also considered changing jobs completely, my type of role isn't really me. But, I've considered everything Peanutter mentioned (money, study time, shift work) and realised I'm probably better off where I am right now Unfortunately I need the money and lifestyle this job gives, but if you're in a position to make the change and it'll make you happy I say go for it!

Sent from my GT-P7510

[MummyNaomi]

My girlfriend studied midwifery through the birth of her first son, then daughter 3.5 years later (I think she studied part time for parts of it) and now has her qualifications and LOVES her job. She came from a call centre background.

I think you can definitely do it OP, you could always look at the part time study option while your kids are young so you can balance family and study and ramp up later

Good Luck!

[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.

[Shades]

I was told by the ABA here that after their training and two years volunteering as one of their bf counselors you can apply for registration as an LC so maybe check on that.
And there is certainly direct entry midwifery, through our employment situation seems much better here in QLD than in VIC.
Forshelby - Check out Midwifery at Griffith... Two weeks intensive then straight into placement and online learning I believe. You're on the GC right?

[FabFiona]

I disagree with nutter - it's possible you are insane.

But does that mean you can't study to be a midwife - of course not!

There was a study done (or I'm possibly making it up) that people have 2-3 major job shifts in their lifetimes, especially now that we are working longer. This is just one of yours.

You are organised, capable and fabulous and can definitely make it work.

In fact, I may have another child just so I can have you as my student midwife.

[Liviam]

Not insane at all!!! It is an absolutley fabulous career. I can honestly say that I love my job

You have a few options. You can either do your nursing degree first and then your midwifery OR do a double degree in nursing/midwifery where you come out a midwife. I'm not sure what uni's do it now and what load option they offer.

I did my nursing first and then I got accepted into a program where I worked in midwifery as a student midwife and undertook my midwifery degree via distance education.

Good luck with your decision but it is never too late to change your career. I did my nursing with a lady who was 56 and my midwifery with another lady in her 50's. I did my mid when I was 28yrs.

[Heaven]

I say go for it! Don't spend any longer than you have to doing a job you hate! You only get one life, make it a great one and do what makes you happy! xx

[OceanPrincess]

Thanks everyone for all your input, I really appreciate it.

I've had a chat to DH and my sister (probably the two people who know me best) and neither of them said "You're insane!! You can't be a midwife!"

DH is concerned about our financial situation if I am going to become a student for 4 years... which is a good point...

And they did both point out similar things to peanutter - travel, shift work, time away from kids... So hmm, more things to think about. I can't see anything about a mid-year intake so I'll just keep thinking about it and see how I go.

[Arimeh]

Never too late to change your life - unless you're not here any more to do it

DH is studying nursing this year (his first year!) - we are managing on centrelink benefits (childcare would cost more than I am qualified to earn!) and its doable.

He is coming from an architectural background - so if he can be a nurse, you can defnitely be a midwife!

[peanutter]

IMHO, none of those things need to make it a no - just depends on what would or wouldn't work for you

When DH did security, he worked lots of nights (eg: 7.30pm - 3.30am shifts) and while he was able to stay awake etc, he really hated it.

Whereas a nurse friend finds them fine - two weeks on, six weeks off, she's used to it and it doesn't phase her.

Another nurse friend doesn't like it, but has figured out what helps her make it work ... for her, a separate bed at the back of the house (darker, quieter, etc) ... and she works a 0.8 load so she gets time to rest and sleep before and after night duty.

With the study, DH and I have both studied and worked - and have both found it completely fine and manageable - because we've been studying things we like! Makes it all very do-able.

And with travel - I personally like it ... it's my little bit of decompression at the start and end of the day. If I was doing night shifts and I had to drive, I guess I'd get some books on tape or listen to the radio or whatever (as I obviously couldn't read or meet my train friends ) but again, it would be fine. I've commuted since grade 6, and I don't find it problematic.

Changes in finance - only you and your DH can crunch the figures and figure what is and isn't manageable ... whether you can work part time and study full time, or whether you'd need to be on campus full time and work nights, or not work at all (other than your beloved BAS-es ... poor little BAS-es ...) or something else all together!

in any event, you have something like 10 months to chat to people and think and pray and plan before you need to decide anything

[My Three Sons]

I am doing my 3rd and final year of a bachelor of Midwifery at Monash Uni (frankston campus). I absolutely LOVE it. It is one of the best things I have ever done. I am 32- so you certainly are not mad. There are plenty of women older than me doing it. In Vic- as others have said, you don't need to be a nurse first.
I have 3 boys- 7,5 and 3. I do have good family support and my DH is on a reasonable wage so it has been doable. It is a lot of work- we do 2 days of placement every week from 2nd year- and 2-3 days at uni (plus online subjects and assignments etc) but it is pretty cool too.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me, I am always happy to chat with future potential Mid students.

[Mum2twoBoys]

Not mad at all op, I plan on going back to do my mid. It's the whole reason why I did nursing. Have wanted to be a midwife since I was 16. And i am considering looking into studying it part-time at rmit. But if you are interested in doing it go for it. There will always be hurdles, but if its something you really want to do you will overcome them.

[~MummaBear~]

You have to study nursing at uni and then specialise in midwifery. My SIL is in the progress of becoming a MW now. She has her first nursing class at uni this wednesday, so proud of her! Hopefully she'll see this and pop in and give you a run down...

I think you should definitely go for it!

And how sucky is that LC thing? I looked into it too as I was interested... but i have no desire to be a midwife, while it would be lovely I can think of some not so lovely aspects of the job that i'd rather not see or be able to cope with well enough for my pateints..

good luck!

THANKS!!!
I have sjut started. there are a few different ways that you can do it at Uni. i only have one choice because i live "rural" so i have to study RN ( nursing) first then do my final year 2 hours away from home. I am doing it part time for now because my babies are all so young! it will take 6 years to do the nursing and then another year full time to become a midwife! i dont think you are crazy for doing it at 32... i will be 27 this year so slightly younger but still not a spring chicken like the school leavers i am in class with LOL . I say if you want to do it go for it!!!!! just ring the Uni, they have some one there all the time to talk to future students and answer questions~

[My Three Sons]

just ring the Uni, they have some one there all the time to talk to future students and answer questions~

LOL... seriously half the time over here (melbourne) you are better off asking the students! The Uni give you such a run around- particularly with Midwifery because they have so many applications that they couldn't care less about helping people and answering their questions. (bitter much? lol... but unfortunately that is the experience of many of the women calling) they usually have about 600 applications or so for around 30 positions at our uni.