Hi Kipling, well you certainly sound keen!

I trained as a Registered Nurse through Uni and worked as a nurse before deciding to undertake Midwifery. The only reason I became a nurse was to become a midwife however I strongly recommend getting your background in nursing first as there are so many basic (and complex) nursing skills you need to learn that will be needed in midwifery but not directly midwifery related. So I went back to Uni for a 2 year post graduate degree in Midwifery. It was part time study so I was able to work full-time as a nurse while undertaking study however it was a large load! Second year was 5 days a fortnight practical as a student midwife and then worked the rest as a nurse. To undertake the course you had to have a position through the hospital to be accepted. Luckily, because I already worked at a private hospital It wasnt too difficult to get a position but I know a lot of people who have been turned down who want to do the course.
So Ive been practicing as a midwife for 4 1/2 yrs. I work full-time at a private maternity hospital. I do not practice idependently as a midwife for a number of reason. In Tassie, there are only a few who do and who have been doing it for a looong time. Because of insurance costs, risks etc. its definatly an area I do not want to go into.
Regarding what areas you can work in. I think it would depend on the hospital. At the hospital I work at you are required to work in all areas as we are a relatively small maternity unit (aprrox 50-80 births a month) and you therefore you can work in a different area every shift. If you do have a 'favourite' area you can work at making that your area. I work mainly in birth suite as I enjoy it there where as many midwives find birth suite too stressful to work there too often. So the 4 areas we have are birth suite (we deliver from 32 weeks), postnatal ward, antenatal clinic (Know Your Midwife) and Special Care Nursery.
Because we are a private hospital, our clients go through private obstetritions throughout their pregnancy so we work very closely with the obstetritions which I think is fantastic! However the midwives do all the labour/birth care and all normal births. The obstetritions will only be called in to assist if we are concerned or a Forceps/Ventouse/LUSCS is required.
Shifts wise - It is shift work. So therefore a variety of Early's (645-1515), Lates (1415-2245) and Nights (2215-0715). We also do on-call and a lot of overtime because our work is so unpredictable. So therefore it is a lifestyle and a committment and although some places may negotiate a little on shift most will expect you to do what everyone else does.
Biggest challange - One is how much there is too it!! A lot of people think its just cuddling babies all day but so wrong! You have a lot of responsibility. You are the one making the decisions that can affect the outcome for mother and baby and that can be very stressful at times. Which is why I think its important to work with a really good team of fellow midwives who you know will be there by your side if you need them. It is also very emotionally draining which I dont think I really expected. It is the most important time in a couples life and you are sharing it with them so to an extent you go through that journey with them. They rely on you for everything, support, comfort, knowledge, guidance, friendship and I find that the most tiring thing.
Best things is probably same as above - I still think it is the most amazing thing bringing a baby into the world and I have never got tired of that. I think the day you stop thinking its the most amazing and special thing is the day you should stop being a midwife. Women and their partners know if you could really care if your there or not or if your just waiting for your shift to finish. However there are plenty of fantastic things, even just day to day things like teaching a first time dad how to do a nappy or how to do a first bath. These things make you smile and you get a lot of laughs in midwifery.
What type of people who are midwives - people with empathy and a real desire to help people and people who love babies
Yes there are emergency situations and tragedies. It is a stressful job and you need to be able to act with a level head to be a midwife. People who dont cope with the stress of emergencies dont usual last long The main thing is to keep all your skills, training etc up to date. I go to a lot of conferences, training sessions, courses, in my own time, to ensure I know what to do in these situations. I feel I have that responsibility to the women I care for.
If you are keen then best way is to find a maternity hospital you would like to work at, go up to them and ask their manager or educator to give you a tour and tell you about their ward. They will probably be able to tell you if they take students and also which university they recommend you do the course through.
Hope this helps
xo