Becoming a midwife at pushing 40!!!

[tigwig]

I have worked with babies and young children since qualifying as a nursery nurse back in 1996. I have always harboured a dream of becoming a midwife or children's nurse and actually got accepted onto a course a few years back but decided to turn it down to start a family first.
Now I am thinking about it again and want to become a midwife but if I have to do an entry course first thats a total of 4 yrs full time study and I will be nearly 38 by then (once my youngest is at school).
So has anyone else done it at that age or should I forget it and concentrate on my kids?

[Maydup]

If its something you really want to do tigwig, you're halfway there. Go for it.

[horseshoes]

Absolutely go for it. Look at all that experience you have. Good luck if you decide to. x

[boxtops]

Tigwig, yes, absolutely. I know people who have done their nursing degrees in their 50s. There is a shortage of midwives and the numbers of health visitors will be increasing soon if the Govt proposals go to plan.
Speak to your local University - you're too late for this September which is probably too soon anyway, but they will be interviewing in late 2011 for September 2012 entry to the programmes.
It's never too late, your own experience will be valuable.
Go for it!

[JonnyBoy12]

No, do not let your age put you off; you are as old as you feel. When I was on a Nursing Course some of the students were in their mid-40s, and they coped with the work. This should not stop you at all.

[hippyhoppy]

A friend of mine did it.. it was HARD WORK.. and she had lots of unsavory placements during her training.. but she stuck at it and is now flourishing. I did look into it myself.. but I know that I would probably give up at the first difficult challenge.. Good luck if you decide to go ahead... Very rewarding I should imagine... ;-) x

[ethandron]

tigwig, go for it. i worked with a lady who decided at 39 to start a nursing degree and she's never regretted it for one moment. she's now a lung cancer specialist nurse at our local oncology centre. if you don't at least give it a go, you'll always regret it. i wish you all the very best :)

[Maydup]

Oh and another thing!!!

When you were having your children which would you have prefered? A wise midwife pushing 40 with kids at school or an ambitious 26 year old?

[Sqad]

maidup

<<<A wise midwife pushing 40 with kids at school or an ambitious 26 year old?>>

She would be pushing 50 with kids at school.....!!

[Philtaz]

Very hard work, increasingly fraught with litigation. Also, do you want to work night shifts when your children want mum to take them to the cinema etc?
Give it very serious consideration before you make your choice, though I've no doubt you already have.

Sorry if I've put you off, it's just that I work with midwives on an almost daily basis and see the ups and downs of their job.

[Maydup]

How long does it take Squad?

[Sqad]

I agree with Phitaz....do you want to be a good mother or a good midwife, at your age it will be difficult to be both.

[Sqad]

maidup....no idea now....but in my time one had to do a Nursing course....3 years at least...then staff nurse grade before deciding on Midwifery.........at least 6-8 years starting from now.
If I am hopelessly out of date, the someone will put me right.

[ethandron]

you're hopelessly out of date :)

[Maydup]

Whatever the training or the committment, I'm sad that you think that only a childless woman can be a good midwife.

Many mothers are working full time and managing all manner of shift patterns. I still think a mother must make a better midwife - surely! But please lets not argue about it, I'll wander off quietly, but wish tigwig success in whatwever she does.

[Sqad]

Maidup

,<<<< I'm sad that you think that only a childless woman can be a good midwife. >>

I have never said that.

[Maydup]

But you said it would be difficult to be a good mother and a good midwife.

[Sqad]

maidup....yes at the age of 40, when your kids are still young in th case of tigwigs. If her kids were in their late teens or early twenties, the deciding to do Nursing and Midwifery might be a consideration, but tigwigs has children under years old ( I think) she certainly has a baby.

[saxy_jag]

I know one or two women who have trained as nurses in their 40s and all have had a very positive experience. A colleague's partner is a senior community midwife and she says the service is crying out for recruits right now and mature candidates are very favourably looked on. It's a job where maturity is an asset, apparently.

I think the training is around 3 or 4 years, including the degree, but I could be mistaken.

[boxtops]

sqad yes, you are wrong - these days you go straight into a midwifery degree - as tigs says in her OP, it's a 4-year full time programme.

[tigwig]

Thanks for the thoughts. I am 34 now lol and my kids are 16mths and 6yrs. I wouldnt want to begin the course until the youngest is at least at school nursery so probably it will be Sep 2013. I may have to do an additional year first if the uni doesnt accept me straight onto the degree course. So the total years of studying will either be 3 or 4. The other thing as well that bothers me is if I'm totally honest I dont think once qualified I would want to work full time so is it worth going through all the hard work to work 3 or 4 days? I cant imagine leaving the baby at the moment which is why I am waiting til he is older.