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What year are you in?
YR1 first placement

Whats are your personal circumstances?
i.e. married/kids/single etc
Single at home living with parents

What did you do before you became a student midwife?
A level student at college and Asst. carer.

Why did you choose Midwifery?
I have no idea. I am fasinated by pregnancy and the fact that your body can do that so naturally and I love working one to one with a person. The fact that you could be the first person to see or touch that baby gives me a real buzz.


How did you feel on your first day at uni and in practice?
Lost. Uni was ok but on placement it was a bit of a crazy day. I met my mentor and went straight out in the community.

Please share a highlight of being on the course, so far...
My first waterbirth was amazing. This woman was in control of what she was doing and gave me a perfect example of normal labour. This lady also set my groundings of this is definately what I want to do. My mentor was amazing and spoke to me through the whole process and what was happening to baby and the lady.

Please share a low point and how you got through that...
Proberly the other day when we had to transfer a lady as she had been 10cm for 2 hours. I just felt complelty useless and we had two new midwives come on shift and me and I just felt this lady must be feeling swamped and then the ambulance turned up and it was all a bit too much for me. I couldnt transfer with her and I had been with her all morning with my mentor but my mentor had to go when her shift finished I just felt I had let this lady down but the situation was turning into the abnormal and I felt rubbish

Do you prefer academic or clinical?
Clinical definately you learn more out there. Especially how to communicate with people which you cannot in the class room.

What is your favourite midwifery text book?
Skills in Midwifery Johnson and Taylor. When you see something that you are not sure why it was done or question it being done properly in practice you can go back and look. I also cannot live without Myles.

What is your favourite midwifery literature book? i.e. babycatcher.
A Midwife Crisis, I think its called. And ive just come off shift and sat down so am not going upstairs to look


What is your shift preference? earlies/lates/long days and what time to they start and finish
At the birthing centre i do 8-4,0730-1530, 1-9pm or nights. I prefer to do 8-4s as lots happens and get lots of PN and AN visits done in the morning.

Are you a member of a midwifery organisation? i.e RCM/ARM/LLL
ARM

Do you feel supported in practice? if yes/no please tell us why that is.
Yes, the unit is small and you get to know all the mws there. I feel happy in the company of all the mws there. And love watching different ways of practicing.

Do you feel supported at Uni? if yes/no please tell us why that is.
Yes, I have a fantastic personal tutor and e-mail links between pupil and lecturer are really good.

Do you prefer antenatal/intrapartum/postnatal? and why?
I love doing antenatal. To be able to support a woman through her pregnancy and give her all the advise she needs gives me a buzz. The thought that you have done all you can to ease a mother through this lifechanging event is very very good indeed. Because I can at the birthing centre I can one day be doing a palpation and the next delivering baby which is a odd feeling, thinking I felt this baby the other day!!

What are your future plans as a midwife?
I intend to do my core midwifery and then go out into the community linked with a birthing centre. It is such a holistic care enviroment and really brings out the natural child birth process. I would also look into independent midwifery if womens one to one care hasnt improved in the NHS after I have qualified and gained confidence.

Share your wisdom.... what would you like to pass on to other students/wanabes?
Check how you are going to finance this. I am working and I am shattered and do not intend to be working for much longer and TIME MANAGEMENT and use your reflective diary.


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