I voted for "Caring for women in labour".

I gain great satisfaction from being with a woman 1:1, in established labour. When things are getting really intense and I can offer her calm, positive support.

I believe so many women that we see are full of fear and this makes the pain they are experiencing so much worse. Giving them confidence and reassurance, with a few simple breathing techniques, helps to dispell the fear and they often cope far better than they thought they would.

Catching the baby at the end is a bonus. But, I'm never too worried if I go off duty before a woman has delivered.

I voted for caring for women in labour, I have only been on delivery suite for 2 shifts, but I loved it.

I could also have voted for community too as I loved my placements there. I think at the moment though delivery suite is where I feel happiest.

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Midwifemissy x

Student Midwife 2007
Student uni rep
Educational Resources Manager

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I voted community, though the ideal would be domino care, really. Though perhaps if I was able to work in a community area that didn't have a pathetically low birth rate I wouldn't need to!

I love all aspects really, and each have their good and bad points. I don't particularly enjoy working at the hospital tbh and often wonder when a low-risk woman comes in in labour and it all goes horribly wrong how different it may have been at home for her..

That said the hospital environment has so many aspects influencing midwifery, and features so many conditions and complications there is so much to learn and you learn quickly, so though it isn't my favourite place, there is never a dull moment.

Community based midwifery is atm where my heart lies, being able to care for women from booking and really get to know them, to enable them to trust and confide in you, empowering them to have the antenatal and hopefully labour experience that they wish is so rewarding to me, seeing them postnatally and helping them adjust to family life is fantastic, and makes it all worth while.

Domino would be the ideal as it would be good to keep up the high-risk skills and poss mean I would be able to come in with the women I was looking after too!

Ahhh..dreams, I may not even get that far!

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SMwife, I agree. If women had proper antenatal education throughout their pregnancy, not just a couple of hours at some point, they would understand what happens to their bodies during labour and would believe it was a normal and fantastic experience. This would lessen their fears and would require less intensive care during labour to alleviate the fears.

When on delivery suite, I love getting women who are not yet quite in established labour as this gives me an opportunity to explain how wonderful their bodies are and what is likely to happen during the labour. I like the partner to be there too so that they understand what stages she is likely to go through and some of the things they may say along the way.

If I can then be with them when they hit 'transition' I can then remind them of our earlier conversation and ask them if they remembered that we said she would feel like this, or say this at that stage - it immediately calms them down again and we usually go on to have a beautiful birth.

KS x

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Kentish Spitfire
Moderator, Student Services
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"It's better to be thought a fool - rather than proved a fool!"

Community seems to be the clear winner so far.... cast your vote!

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J
StudentMidwife.NET Founder & Director

"You're braver than you believe. Stronger than you seem. And smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin in Pooh's Grand Adventure

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