What does being a hospital based midwife involve?
We do three month rotations to delivery suite and the ante/postnatal ward - although if it's busy staff are moved to where the women are so you could be working anywhere.

How long after qualification did you become a hospital based midwife and did you work in any other areas of midwifery previously?
I started work in the hospital I trained at as soon as I qualified - I did MCA shifts until my registration came through as we were broke - I also felt if I was out of the unit for 6 weeks or so then going in as a NQM, I'd be more scared!

How does the role of a hospital midwife differ from those working in the community, a birth centre or within an independent practice?
Obviously we see more high risk women than you would encounter in birth centres and so on. However, I feel that the role of the midwife is no different - there are just variations in how we fulfill the role because of the needs of the women. I don't think that I have an 'obstetric' philosophy just because I work in a hospital, it is possible to practice in a woman centred intuitive way in a hospital environment - it's just more challenging to keep this ethos at times.

Whats are your personal circumstances?
i.e. married/kids/single etc
I'm married with three kids and a dog, I live in a tiny little seaside town where I walk on the beach most days

What did you do before you became a hospital based midwife?
I was a student midwife! I was a teacher before becoming a midwife

Why did you choose Midwifery?
My second son was delivered by a student midwife, and chatting with her piqued my interest. It was a few years later before I took the plunge though. I love working with and supporting the women I care for, I love to support them in their decisions, to see the glow when they've 'done it' or to see nervy primips going home as more confident mums.

How did you feel on your first day in practice, after qualifying?
Crapping myself! I had a very scary first shift - when I got home my DH asked how it went - I was all for phoning round for some supply teacher work!

Please share a highlight of being a hospital based midwife, so far...
So many... Being able to give continuity through teaching parent ed - the first time mums are so pleased to see a familiar face. Working with a student who had only seen epidural/synto births, for the first low key calm birth in a dimly lit relaxed room that she had seen. Recently looking after a VBAC who wasn't sure she could - and crying with both of them when she did.

Please share a low point and how you got through that...
A massive PPH following an instrumental birth - the woman was a relative of a good friend and she went down so quickly - her BP was so low it was unrecordable for 7-8 minutes. I really thought she wasn't going to make it - I was so scared. I 'specialed' her for the rest of the shift, and went in the next night (my day off) to talk things through with them, She didn't remember much but her partner was in bits. I talked it through with the doc and the G grade I'd got in sharpish, that helped me to get my head around it, and through watching them and the critical care and outreach team I learned a lot.
The lowest point for me has been watching a friend and someone I will always think of as my mentor being hounded out of the profession. It has made me question the role of midwifery regulation, but mostly immensely saddened at the loss of an amazing, true midwife. I will always be grateful that I had the privilege of working with this person as a student, an experience that made me the midwife I am.

What is your favourite midwifery text book?
Hearts and Hands - Elizabeth Davies. Quite americanised, but the palpation pictures are fab

What is your favourite midwifery literature book? i.e. babycatcher.
A Child is Born by L. Neilsson (?spelling)

What is your shift preference? earlies/lates/long days and what time to they start and finish
Nights - 1915 - 0745

Are you a member of a midwifery organisation? i.e RCM/ARM/LLL
RCM - lapsed ARM member - will have to send a cheque...

Do you feel supported by your supervisor of midwives? if yes/no please tell us why that is.
No - due to a personality clash following an experience as a student and having been allocated this person as a new supervisor. I do have a great team of supportive colleagues though. I keep meaning to request a change of supervisor, but am worried about the politics of doing this...

How do you keep up to date with evidence based practice and how easy do you find it to implement this into your care whilst working within the constraints of local protocols?
I read everything I can get my hands on, and chat with colleagues and students about new developments. I can usually incorporate new things into my practice, but it does depend on what it is - for some women we are still meant to use active management/partograms etc which does not have a firm and appropriately applied research base so for some women it is more difficult to practice in a way which is both evidence based and complying with local guidelines. Ah, the joys of being a midwife....

What are your future plans as a midwife?
To be a better one!
I have tentative hopes of a lecturer practitioner post in the future, but I want to be really good at what I do first - there's nothing worse than a teacher that doesn't know what they're talking about or who have no idea of the reality of the job!

Share your wisdom.... what would you like to pass on to other students/wanabes?
Never be afraid to ask - it's better to look a prat than to make a big mistake.
Don't ever, ever forget who the most important people in the room are.

Describe your ‘day in the life’ of a hospital based midwife
The shifts vary so much that this is virtually impossible to do - one of the great things about the job (and the worst things about the job!) is that you never know what you're going to find when you walk through the door.

__________________
Love Dory xxx
Just keep swimmin', just keep swimmin'....

Have you just been offered a place? If so and you want a mentor please post in post this forum (also post here if you would like a mentee)