So you want to be a midwife?

I have been asked several times to give advice to women who want to become midwives.

My first question to them is always,

"Why do you want to become a midwife?"

The answers always seem to be the same,

• because I helped deliver my cousins baby
• because I like babies
• because I had a great midwife for my pregnancies and I want to be just like her
• because it must be a wonderful, pleasurable job and want to bring lots of lovely babies into the world.

So really what I wanted to do was to give some top tips to anyone who is thinking of midwifery as a career and a profession.

I want to point out before we start that midwifery is a vocation.

Top Tips

1. Never ever utter the word 'delivery' again in relation to BIRTHING. Women BIRTH they are not pizza they are NOT DELIVERED.

Scrub that word from your vocabulary. In actual fact now I am so obsessed by this use of the word that whenever we are having take out pizza and I tell my husband that it is being 'delivered' he asks are you sure it isn't being 'birthed' by the delivery man!

2. Midwives have a philosophy of care visit as many as you can and read them.

New Zealand College of Midwives Philosophy of care

International Confederation of Midwives

Birthspirit Holistic Midwifery Services

3. Once you have read these philosophies examine your own strengths and see what you have to offer pregnant women and how you can uphold these philosophies.

4. Talk to midwives and student midwives

Student Midwife.net

5. Consider how your own background and beliefs will potentially influence the relationships you build with women in your care. This is the beginning step in becoming a culturally safe practitioner. 

6. Consider and read about the political and social challenges that midwives face in the country in which you will be working.

7. Consider how you would cope emotionally caring for a woman who's baby has died, been lost in pregnancy or is facing her own life threatening challenge. The care we provide can kill and maim I cannot stress enough the responsibility you face as a practising midwife. 

8. Do not underestimate the commitment you will have to make to your clinical work and studies whilst you are 'training'. Whatever amount of time you think you are going to be able to devote to your studies I suggest you double it.

9. Be prepared that this studying you undertake is in actual fact a lifelong commitment to remaining up to date with evidence and with your studies it will never get any easier.

10. Examine your marriage and your personal relationship. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I have the right emotional support from my partner?
• How will he cope with me being tired, irritable, upset when things get tough?
• How will he cope with me spending long periods of time with my head in books, in front of the computer and doing clinical shifts and work?
• How will he cope with me being called out in the middle of the night to attend one of my continuity of birth women that I am following?
• How will he cope if I have to work a night shift New Years eve or a late shift on Christmas Day?
• How much support do I have to maintain all the usual stuff at home as well as working and as well as studying?
• How will he cope as I transform into a powerful, empowered, free thinking woman during my studies and after I qualify? I have actually seen colleagues marriages split after she qualified as a midwife because she was no longer the same person that their partners married.

So there are my top ten tips for anyone wishing to become a midwife.