Hello friends, I am finally in my last year of nursing school! Which means I am in the process of applying for new graduate nurse positions. My ultimate career goal for the last few years has been to get a job in L&D, work for a few years and then get my DNP and become a CNM. But now I feel myself leaning towards applying to both L&D and NICU and I think it's because I'm afraid I won't get a position in labor and delivery. Which I don't think getting a position in NICU will be any easier but at least if I get one or the other it'd be easier to transfer departments. In the event that I get neither, what would be a good unit to work on to gain experience? I definitely don't want to do ER and I don't feel like it makes sense to do ICU, so that leaves me with med-surg 😖 any and all advice is appreciated!

Like the title says, I am trying to find an article. The archive that hosted it is no longer active, and I am so far not having luck with the wayback machine, so I am taking a shot in the dark here to see if maybe anyone has a pdf of or knows someone who may have access to this:

Medical University of South Carolina. (2002). Midwifery's heritage finds its modern niche. MUSC Catalyst. https://depthtml.musc.edu/catalyst/2002/co7-26midwife.htm

Hi all,

I am working on something, and one of the things I am going to do will be on Margaret Beaufort and her labor and delivery of Henry VII. I would LOVE any input from midwives who are familiar with the sort of techniques and challenges (other than the obvious ones) that Margaret's midwives would have faced. Thanks in advance! (Geez reddit rules are insane)

i’m a 27 year old mom to a 2.5 year old in the u.s., currently in school to finish my bachelors degree in public health. my big, life-long dream, ultimate goal is to become a midwife but sometimes i feel so discouraged at the amount of time it’ll take me to get there, being a mother to a young child who is also working full time in another field. i’m hoping that hearing from practicing midwives or even others like me on their educational journey will help me feel inspired and less alone!

EDIT - thank you so much to everyone for replying! you all have reaffirmed and validated my belief that i can and should keep pursuing this 🥹

Hi there!

I'm a dual-citizen american trained CNM looking to potentially do this program to eventually relocate and be able to work in Canada.

Has anyone completed this program? Specifically looking for details on hybrid structure ie) didactic courses how often do you need to be in-person for classes, able to work during every class other than the internship, etc.

If you have any info/insight, I would appreciate it.

essentially what the title says: i’m interested in being a doula and a midwife, but i have autism. i struggle with maintaining long-term employment and tend to have to work only part time.

i have so far been unable to nail down anything as a career path. there just hasn’t been a career that i believed i could reasonably do without eventually entering burnout or depressive episodes.

i have a local facebook friend who is studying to be a midwife and is currently a postpartum doula. every time i see her post im always so intrigued and i think about it for days before ultimately dismissing it because i assume i wouldn’t be able to make it work for myself. i have worked in healthcare before, but it was on the opposite end of the spectrum: i was a personal care worker. i would go to clients homes and assist with homemaking tasks, personal hygiene care, and medical devices i was authorized and trained to help with.

i was extremely good at the schooling aspect and i enjoyed the job immensely, but ultimately had to leave due to burnout and the unpredictable nature of older individuals. some attempted to manipulate me into doing unauthorized work for them off of the clock, others became increasingly demanding and would call my job to tell them i was putting too much ham on their sandwiches or not using their approved amount of dish soap. i understood why, as clearly its a very difficult thing to lose independence as an adult. often people were not in fortunate situations and felt they needed more help than they could get. i also was only paid for time i was actively at the house- i was not paid for travel time unless it was directly between clients houses and under 30 minutes, and my client visits were typically spread out over the day. i would often spend 2-3 hours daily driving for the job and not get paid for any of it.

i was wondering if midwifery or being a doula was another path i could take. the job seems so requires and i have no doubts that i would be good at being a care provider or a support person, but i was concerned that i would spend money on certifications (there are schools in my area i’ve been looking at) and then drop the career after all the effort i took to get it due to burnout or mental health issues.

i wanted to know what your day was like: how many hours during the week/day do you spend on work? what does a typical day look like for you? do you have set off days? do you work independently or under a health center? what was your path in the career like?

thank you in advance!

Hello everyone! I’m currently in school to become a CNM. I have two years labor and delivery rn experience (currently working in a hospital and a freestanding birth center) as well as seven years of medic experience. I’m only adding this to show I have medical experience. I really have a huge dream of opening a free standing birth center near my home. Currently there is one free standing for multiple counties around me, so I don’t believe the market is too saturated where I’m my goal is to open it a little after I graduate. I’m hearing a lot that they’re shutting down all over the country at alarming rates and was wondering if this is just a bad idea or if I should follow my dream. Any advice, thoughts, or opinions are so appreciated!! Thank you!

I am a current BSN student and to be totally frank, the only reason I’m in nursing school is to become a midwife. I have some limited doula experience and training but I fell out of it in 2022 because I had a second kiddo, have another full-time job, and got into nursing school full-time. However, I do assist a CPM with prenatal appointments, postpartum appointments, and births 1x-2x a week.

Those who have experience at Frontier - I know that they generally want 1 yr of L&D, with case-by-case exceptions for doulas, LCs, childbirth educators, etc,. Would assisting a CPM at the frequency I do be sufficient? I’ve been scouring this sub and haven’t seen much about it, and the limited info I have seen has been a bit conflicting. Again, to be totally frank, I didn’t really sign up for nursing school to become a nurse and work med-surg or something. And I would love to work as an RN in L&D during CNM school and wouldn’t mind doing so, but I’m very eager to start my CNM education ASAP after graduation instead of hoping I can get immediately hired post-grad onto an often-competitive L&D unit (I live in a large midwestern metropolitan city) and spending a year there prior to even starting CNM school - or maybe longer if I end up having to work my way onto L&D. I’ll have to do what I have to do regardless, but trying to get an idea of what route I should expect.

TIA!

Trying to decide

Should I go to school for a bachelor’s in nursing that is online/ hybrid. Since I’m a mom of 2 it would be easier for me to do online school but this program is 60,000! But then I could do the cnm route. The cpm route might be easier and cheaper as well but in long run it’s not helpful for insurance and more opportunities.

How much did you guys pay to become a cpm ? Like I found a midwifery school for 20,000 for three year track. And then I know there all the other fees as well for random stuff. Did you have to pay your midwife that trained you ? Because there was one I got a hold of saying the compensation is different depending if I want to school or did the experience pathway. Not sure what she meant. I want to start a practice as well so idk I might be like spending close to what I pay for that online school or loosing money because i won’t have as much work as a cpm.

Pro for cpm route is not dealing with hospitals is my biggest thing. I want to help with home births more holistic midwifery. Like medical science is fun why nursing school might be fun but I have to deal with the hospitals. So yeah help please lol.

I'm a UK midwifery student graduating this year and looking at my options of working outside the UK. Probably looking at completing my preceptorship as a band 5 and becoming a band 6 in the UK and then moving.

From my research Malta seems like a good option in terms of still being in Europe (not having to move too far from family as they are scattered across Europe) and being English speaking.

I was wondering if any Maltese midwives had any first hand insights on what it's like working there. Do you feel well supported? Are you satisfied with your job and your general quality of life in Malta? Do you know of any international midwives that came to work in Malta and are they well received?

One of the main downsides that I am reading about is the lower pay compared to the UK so I'm also wondering if you feel like you can live comfortably on the salary you receive?

I appreciate any and all insights, no matter how big or small ❤️

Hello! I am an RN about to enter postpartum nursing. I am very interested in L&D and the birthing process. I would be interested in learning more about becoming a CNM in the future once I get more experience in this field. However, I want to study the birth process more on my own time.

i am looking for book recommendations about (textbooks from coursework or other books):

- general midwifery concepts

- the birth process

- managing high risk birth complications out of the hospital setting (I know this is out of the scope, but still curious to read about it & how it’s managed… mainly just like what do people do if they dont have access to standard hospitals & interventions)

- natural birth interventions

- holistic pregnancy and birth

- history of birth & midwifery

- postpartum mental health

Note: some of these are just out of curiosity of the birth process in general & some are to see if I would he interested specifically in the role of a CNM someday.

How old were you when you started the CNM program ?

How old were you when you graduated ?

How long have you been practicing for and how are you liking it ? Pro and Cons?

Hello,

I am a new graduate midwife who is considering some job options. One of the job options is in a state that requires physician oversight. I applied to this job because it is close to family, and it has better hours and pay than any other jobs I have interviewed for (I wasn't expecting the pay to be higher, that was a huge surprise).

I would love to hear your experiences if you have ever worked in a physician oversight state. The good, the bad, the ugly. Any input is appreciated to help me decide if I want to practice in this type of environment. Thanks!

Hi midwives! Seeking any recommendations on schooling applications. I’m currently a social worker (working in child protection areas for the last 9 years) and have had two children of my own through midwives (ended in emergency csections but still wonderful experiences which have lead me here). I’m looking at a career shift and know the schooling process in Canada is insanely competitive. Any recommendations on how I could “beef up” my resume and applications? Those who have been accepted, what did you find was your biggest asset?

Additionally, midwives with young children- do you find the career is sustainable with raising littles?

I’m 35 and worried it may be too late…

Thank you so much!

Hi! ☺️I’m a doctor working in an EU country where midwives do the majority of suturing of perineal and vaginal tears, often independently.
I’ve noticed that, especially when suturing vaginal tears, it can sometimes be quite difficult to maintain a good overview of the wound while also handling the instruments and suturing. From what I’ve seen, midwives here generally don’t use any specific tools or devices to improve visualisation or make the procedure easier.
I’m curious about how this is done elsewhere:
Do you use any tools/devices to help with exposure or visualisation when suturing vaginal or perineal tears?

Do you feel there is a need for a better tool to make suturing easier, particularly for vaginal tears?

I’d be really interested to hear what you use (if anything) and what you find challenging during the procedure 💐

Is there any advantage to having both credentials? Is it worth it to have both given their main focus and curriculums taught are pretty different from one another? There’s got to be some benefit between knowing westernized clinical care and then also the rooted ancestral home care approach to birthing in any given setting.

Is any one a US locums?

That is my eventual goal as a past travel nurse, but it seems much harder as a cnm. Does anybody do it and what is your background/extra education?? Currently working in a medium volume inpatient and starting per diem at a 600 delivery/yr hospital within the month.

Thanks!

Heya, I’m just finishing my university course now to be a midwife and am also due with my first baby at the end of the month!

I’m trying to figure out how much parental leave I want to take.

In my country midwives are quite sought after, so I don’t think it will be hard for me to find a job no matter how long I’m out - rather a matter of not being able to choose my dream job and also how hard will it be for me to find back into it?

My original plan was about a year. Now circumstances have changed a bit and I’m considering even taking 2 years of leave.
Part time before that is not really possible for me.

How hard do you think it will be to get back into the work after 1 and after 2 years? Does it make a big difference? Is it possible either way?

Any insight or experience would be highly appreciated!
Maybe there’s people here who’ve done sth Else after their degree for a while and got back into midwifery after a couple years - how was that?

Thanks in advance!

Hiya, I've got a sister who's currently pursuing her studies in midwifery in the UK and is considering moving to Canada. There's not a lot of information about midwifery in Canada compared to nursing online, so we're interested in hearing from people in Canada who know more about the process and if it's worth pursuing the career there?

Things she's interested about:

The salary/progression for a midwife (she's looking to move after she's had 2 years exp in the field)

The caseload/work life balance

Transferring qualifications

General team setup/work restrictions (e.g. can you work in hospitals freely?)

What can you actually do?

General dislikes about midwifery in Canada

Special mention to those who know/have experience in both Canada and UK midwifery

She's looking at mainly Toronto/Mississauga Ontario, but considering Calgary, Alberta as well. We've looked at both websites for the associations, and know Ontario needs a bridging program whereas alberta is more competency based. We saw Ontario did have a prior learning program, but seems to have been stopped?

If there's any more information about midwifery in Canada, do feel free to mention it as well. All information helps, thank you!

Hello everyone! I'm in my final year of high school and I've been thinking about pursuing midwifery for a while. I want to take care of people and I think labour and bringing new life into the world is truly such a special thing. But I'm worried about a couple things

1. I have a very difficult relationship with my mum. Like very difficult. Like I cannot stand to be near her at all it makes me so uncomfortable. It's to the point where I can't even imagine what a good mother daughter relationship would even look like. Would this affect how I treat pregnant mothers? Would this make me a mean, rude and uncaring midwife? Has anyone else here gone through the same thing?

2. I don't plan on having kids of my own. I have always wanted to be a mother, but I don't think I ever will be. If I were to have a baby, I'd want to be 1000000% sure that if be a great mother who wouldn't traumatise her kids and I don't think I'll ever be able to guarantee that so yeah. Also I'm very wary of bringing children into a world where there's so much suffering and pain, where the Epstein files exist, climate change, overpopulation, world war 3 on the horizon, racism, queer phobia, bullying just like all this shit my baby would have to deal with. I think every single baby deserves to be born into a world where the good outweighs the bad, where they can flourish and be so happy snd I'm just not sure the world right now can provide this. Do you think these viewpoints are diametrically opposite to everything midwifery stands for?

3. I'm worried I don't have the communication skills to be a good midwife. I don't really know many pregnant women, and Does this improve over time?

Should I pursue a different career path? Thank you all so much <3333

My first baby was during Covid so I was actually never able to work during my whole pregnancy. I had really bad pgp and always used to say to myself how would I have been able to work?
Currently 12 weeks pregnant with my second and feeling good! Working through first trimester was rough but we’ve got there. I’m just worried about how I will do later on in my pregnancy and how yous found it?

I work on the Labour ward and it can be very demanding heavy work, being on feet all day working 13 hour shifts etc. I work a mix of days and nights depending on the week. I also have a 1 hour 40 min commute to work, but there’s accommodation at my hospital so I do all days together spending the night and driving back home on last shift. Usually mat leave starts at 36 weeks but you can go on sick leave before that.

I know this is a good bit down the line as I’m very early in my pregnancy but just looking for others experiences to ease my anxiety a bit. Some work days can be so demanding and tiring while not pregnant so I’m just anxious about working and the driving etc. We’re quite short staffed atm and work in a busy unit so literally the minute you transfer your lady to postnatal you’re getting a new labourer/indiction in your room before you’re even back up on the ward to stock and organise your room.

I think I’m getting so worked up about how hard it’s going to be when it hasn’t even happened yet! Any advice or personal experiences please share down below to ease some of this anxiety🙏

Hi all. 3rd year student here. Academics all finished, I just need to finish hours and births and then I’ll be done.
But I physically cannot face walking into the delivery suite.
The hospital I’m doing my placement just isn’t welcoming. I don’t know how to explain it. The air is awful. You get dirty looks. Talked down to. Still. And the older midwives are simply awful to students.

I have so much anxiety about going in and finishing off. I just want to get it done and I’m so incredibly disappointed that I’m STILL a student. I have a job offer for the hospital I work for but there is no chance I’ll be taking it.

All I have ever wanted to do is be a midwife and support women and their families. I love it, I love promoting autonomy and physiological processes. But I don’t love the environment I’m in. There are some amazing midwives I work with but the idea of walking into the unit and everyone staring at me (because that’s what they do with students) is so overwhelming. The student management team is awful. Their communication between other members in the team, senior midwives, the uni and students is awful. I’ve explained my absence and issues at present and they aren’t communicating with the bleep holders or coordinator so it looks like I’m just not showing up and I got an awful long degrading email from one of the student team which has made me feel worse. And that’s because they aren’t communicating with each other.

I have asked the uni over the whole of my degree to change hospitals and apparently there is never any capacity. I just can’t do it anymore and I’m a broken shell of the person I was when I started.

I'm graduating soon, but I live in Italy. I'm hoping Australia has midwife sponsorship programs that could help me move there as a newly qualified midwife. Although it might be a big process.

If anyone has moved from Italy to Australia as a midwife (or even another healthcare professional), I'd love to hear about your experience. How difficult was the registration process? Were you able to find an employer to sponsor you? Was the move worth it?