Nure-midwives and students? I'm looking to connect.

[Lila]

I am a recently divorced mother of 4 who had 3 of mine at home with a CPM. I now have to go back to school to have a future for myself and my children (who have a wonderful, supportive father too, so they want for nothing. Don't worry. Hehe)

Anyway, I am working toward getting into nursing school with the aim of completing the nurse-midwife post-grad program at Baylor in Dallas eventually. I know that a lot of nursing philosophies will not line up with my beliefs about birthing, but I believe I could reach a wider range of women and be more effective with the nursing degree under my belt. Statistically, three times more women chose nurse-midwife births in clinics and hospitals in the state of Texas than chose home births with CPMs or lay-midwives. All that is to say, I am pretty well convinced that the path I am taking is the correct one for me.
I would like to make contact with other nurse-midwives with a more hands-off birthing philosophy as well as other women (particularly single moms like me) who are also working toward the same goal. I need as much support as I can get!!!

Best to you all,

Lindsay 

[hram]

I just wanted to say Im kind of considering going down the path you are. I had always planned on becoming a CPM becuase it lines up with my philosophy of birth and I had a wonderful birth with a cpm. And CPM's are legal in my state, so no worry there. But like you said, CNM's just reach more women. And thats what I want, to reach women not just practice how I want and in a way that makes me happy.

I know there is a student nurse midwife blog, I think it comes up when you google holistic nurse midwife or something similar. I bet you could fine some pretty good blogs if you looked around.

So good luck!

[BirthTender]

HI, Lila, aka Lindsay,

 I went on to complete the nurse-midwifery program through SUNY @ Stonybrook several yrs. ago after being a direct-entry midwife and nurse since 1985 for many of the same reasons that you are considering the nurse-midwifery path. I also went through a divorce, and the only truly legal homebirth attendants in my state, North Carolina, are nurse-midwives. Fell free to contact me if you want to discuss anything.

my email is;  [e-mail]

[BirthTender]

P.S. Lindsay,

I did end up remarrying a couple years ago, and now my children are also grown and gone, but it wasn't always that way. I'm praying for many supportive hands and hearts to you, as you certainly have mine.

[SimplyRochelle]

Hey, I don't have any kiddos yet so no input there but I'm currently in a 2 year ADN program and the plan is to graduate in May 2012 as an RN, apply for the bridge program at Frontier and then the nurse midwifery program there immediately after. With any luck, I'll be a CNM by the end of 2015.

Wishing you the best of luck!

[Eeyore_fan]

Hey everyone, I'm Eeyore_fan. I am a CNM student (not a single mom, though) in my first term of school. After nursing school, I worked as an RN for a little less than a year and have been looking for a job since June. I do have some birth doula training but am not certified.

Feel free to PM me anytime.
 

Edited by Eeyore_fan - 2/13/11 at 4:00pm

[kimiij]

I am also a nurse-midwifery student.  Do people want to introduce themselves?

[mariahsea]

I am a future Nurse-Midwife student. After I get my bachelors (not in nursing), I am hopefully going to attend Yale's CNM school, which has an accelerated RN program for graduates entering without being a nurse. Altogether the program is 3 years, with 3 semesters going towards the RN, then 2 regular years for the CNM. I can't wait! This year I am working on becoming a doula and Lamaze educator to quench my thirst for childbirth care.

[MidwifeErika]

I am not currently a CNM or a CNM student. I am a CPM and currently considering CNM schooling options. I don't know what the future holds, but I am staying open to the idea of attending one of the programs that has an option for those who have a degree in another area of study. It will be a minimum of 3 years before I can seriously look because my husband needs to finish his degree first. I would just love to hear more from others as to what programs they are in and what they love (and don't love) about them.

[Kaydove]

Hi, my name is Kaylie, and I'll start my pre-reqs in April for the AA RN program at a local college, after I get my AA, then I'll do the RN to BSN program at University of Washington Bothell campus (I live in the Seattle area), and then do the Master's Nurse-Midwife program at UW Medical College in Seattle. Whew!

I was originally planning on going the CPM route at Seattle Midwifery School/Bastyr, but my husband is now open to taking a job in another state and since lay midwifes aren't legal in every state, I need to be able to peruse my passion no matter which state we are in. The reason we're open to moving is because Microsoft (we both work there for now - just a job for me, but a dream career for my DH) is changing the health insurance plan in 2013 from 'never pay a penny for any health care, natural path included' to having to pay a co-pay and meet a deductible. He almost took a job in Reno last year, but the benefits didn't come close Microsoft's and we didn't know that they were going to change it. We seriously considering moving again.

If we do stay here, I can work as a homebirth and out of hospital birthcenter midwife as a CNM, which would be the best case scenario for me.

[kimiij]

Hi all, I am a student nurse-midwife at a three-year program. The first year consisted of nursing studies and the last two are dedicated to midwifery.  My favorite part about school are the clinicals obviously.  I love working with women and I've had a chance to learn from a variety of preceptors.

I plan on working for a community health center as soon as I graduate because I'd like to work with underserved populations.  At some point I'd love to also do birth center/homebirth work but that will come.

I think my biggest learning goal for this year is how to guard and facilitate physiologic birth.  

Looking forward to chatting more with you ladies!

[Katie8681]

Hi!  I'm Katie, I'm a CNM.  In May '10 I graduated from a 3 year accelerated program for people w/non-nursing BAs and unfortunately had to move to a pretty strongly anti-CNM state with not much opportunities for a new grad, but I have been working as an L&D RN.  I'm pregnant with my first :)  Obviously I went through school not as a parent, but I had more than one classmate that did it.  It can be done and midwifery students are known for strongly supporting each other!

In a few months I'm moving to northern Cali, where midwifery job openings absolutely abound.  Very exciting!  Annnnnddd... my philosophy is quite hands-off and easy on the interventions, so much so that I'm hoping/planning for a home birth.  Glad to see you all!

[mauri456]

Hi!  I am hoping to become a midwife one day.    Right now I'm an L&D RN so I think CNM will be the most logical route for me to take.  But I haven't ruled out CPM b/c I do feel as though homebirths will be what I want to do.   I have alot of the core classes done for CNM school bc I have my Master's in Nursing Education (ie Pharm, Patho, etc)   But I have four month old twins and a 3 year old so I know right now my work is my babies.   We'd also like one more, so I think after that baby turns 1-2 I will apply to school.   If I go the CNM route, I hope to get into Frontier.

[hram]

Just stopping in to see how all the CNM/future CNM students are doing:)

I wonder if anyone would like to chime in on my situation.....I totally have that last trimester pregnant brain and cant make a decision to save my life so I would love some insight!! Please, tell me what to do:) Keep in mind, Im "due" in 4 weeks with baby #3. My oldest will be starting 2nd grade, and my youngest now will be starting some kind of pre-k (per her request...no insistance!) in the fall. So in school time would give me some time for school, online or on campus.

I had always planned on becoming a CPM. They are legal and licensed in my state, and the CPM philosophy is completely in line with my views. I had a beautiful homebirth with a CPM and am planning another with this one. But, the catch is there is only one CPM within hours of where we will live. So basically its up to her to decide if I get an apprenticeship. She has already made comments like "well you have young kids so its better if you wait" Making me feel like she wont accept me becuase of my children. She also has a student working with her so her availability is always unknown. It could be years before she would even accept a new apprentice. So I have been thinking of starting a program to be come a CNM for a while. I want to be able to travel to a different state if I want, my dh and I plan to travel internationally once our kids are older and I would also liek to have the opportunity to be the "bread winner" in the family so my dh can be at home for a while if he chooses. So I want to make sure I have credentials that are accepted.

I have decided that Frontier is my first choice for a CNM program, plus I want to do the WHNP program once Im done with the CNM. I am now trying to decide if I want to do the bridge program or go ahead and get my BSN. I want to do the ADN then bridge proram but my dh wants me to do the BSN. The time frame is the same, but I think the cost woudl be more with the BSN.

His thinking is a BSN would give me more opportunity for a job if I wasnt able to start a CNM program. But my thinking is, a MSN would trump a BSN and its what I want to do. I have no interest at all in being a nurse, and I wont stop until I have reached my goal. I see the skills they are taught as being very valuable, but I cant have a job in which I dont have a passion for and i dont belive in. (thinking about giving babies loads of vax or dispensing loads of meds jsut because thats how things are done).....What are other's feelings on ADN and the Bridge program vs BSN and going straight to the MSN for the CNM?

Now here is where the crazy pregnant brain comes in. If I do the ADN I was thinking of starting one or two classes in June. Is it totally crazy to try and do two online classes for pre-rec's with a 2 month old? 

[Peony]

hram,

Not currently studying anything but last year I was applying to grad programs and trying to seriously figure out my path so I did a lot of research and I'll throw in my 2 cents. I'm an ADN RN/IBCLC, and would like my MSN so I was figuring out the whole bridge/BSN/MSN thing. While a MSN does trump a BSN, some RNs with MSNs actually end up in positions where they choose to work under their BSN instead of MSN. If you had an ADN instead of a BSN then you could work under that but BSNs do get more jobs then ADNs. The reasons for working under a lesser degree are varied, I've known CNMs who worked as a staff RN part time to get benefits that were unavailable to them as a CNM, and when you are working as a floor RN, you can't exactly use your CNM in that environment. Things like needing to work temporary, decreased workload during a hard time, difficult time finding a job as a CNM, etc.. would all be reasons to work under just an RN instead a CNM. Now, lots of CNM will never work under anything but their CNM, but if I had a choice between a BSN or ADN starting out, I would personally choose the BSN. I didn't have a choice, a ADN is the only option in my area.

And if I'm remembering correctly, I think Frontier is phasing out their WHNP program in 2013.

[hram]

I must have misunderstood, I thought they were phasing out the bridge program for the WHNP. Thanks for bringing it up, Ill check on it again.

But thats pretty much what dh said, he feels the same way. I just dont want to make the wrong decision.

[Peony]

Maybe it just is the bridge,  I've got pg brain as well so who knows! 

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

hram, i'm in the same boat as you are--I'll be giving birth to my 2nd this Summer and planning to start taking a Chemistry class for my RN pre-reqs. at a local community college in the Fall. It feels a little crazy to me, but I know so many moms who go back to full time work with such tiny ones, and two mornings of class a week (plus the all night studying I can do while I'm all night nursing!) with my kids being with a loving babysitter doesn't seem like a horrible situation. I'll just have to learn to pump this time around! 

My hope is to take this pre-req. in the Fall, apply to RN program in the Winter/Spring, and begin it the next Fall 2012. I may also apply to Yale's MSN next winter, though that full time program (and commute) does seem a little more intimidating with two littles. If I do the RN first I'll apply to both Yale and Frontier, but leaning toward Frontier because the distance learning may serve us best in case we move to another state in the next 3-4 years, which is a possibility. 

I am going the CNM route for a lot of the same reasons mentioned--in the states I'm most likely to be working in (where I live now in CT and my hometown in FL) most women choose CNM and hospital/birth center births as opposed to home. Where I'm from in Florida there are very few CNMs and a plethora of male OBs who seem to run the roost and I would love to go in and change that with a holistic and woman-centered practice. I am the biggest supporter of homebirth but I know that women who choose to birth in a hospital (as I did with my first) need support and humanized care just as much as those who choose alternative settings. My hope one day is to open a free-standing birth center. 

Anyway, great to see other mamas who are on this path, and I'm looking forward to taking the next steps together! 

[hram]

Thats one of the reasons Im thinking the ADN plus the Bridge program with Frontier. I can take prerec's online and if not then they campus is 15-20 min away. My older ones will be in school, and my little one can be with a family member or trusted babysitter for jsut a few hours. Plus she will be around 6 months anyway by then, thats not that small to be away for a few hours a few days a week. But the first two semesters will be like that. She will be a year and a half before full time on campus and clinicals start.  The BSN program will require me to drive over an hour (without traffic) one way . Then Frontier is online for the book work. Of course Ill be doing clinicals too, but to be able to be home as much as possible will be a great advantage.

I think a HUGE part of my worry is the guilt. I have been a sahm for seven years! I purposely choose to not work or go to school becuase I felt it was best for my kids. Now I dont want to stay home, I want to start school and get my career going. I feel like I should feel the same way with this baby, stay at home, be there with her 24/7. But DH will be home more, he was in the Navy and could be gone for weeks or months at a time. I couldnt depend on having anyone else help me with the kids, and I wasnt going to put them in daycare; it just isnt right for us. So maybe I just need to get used to the idea of having help from him and from family memebers for once in a decade:)

I used to live in CT! My second daughter was born there:) I really hope they get all the legal stuff under control there. They are giving those midwives such a hard time. I know having any license doenst mean you will never have any troubles, but it woudl be nice to not be seen as a criminal or as practicing unsafe just because of your credentials or lack there of.

I keep trying to gather friends and other student midwives to join togehter and kind of make a new age Farm:) Even though The Farm is just a few hours away, I would love to create a place where women can come and get great care and feel liek they are really safe, supported and empowered. One BC close to me is the most horrific place I have ever been to. its a rule they have to say "dead baby" X amount of times during each prenatal. The other wont allow VBAC......not much of a choice for women to get good care.

[Kaydove]

Originally Posted by BarefootinBrooklyn 
 I am the biggest supporter of homebirth but I know that women who choose to birth in a hospital (as I did with my first) need support and humanized care just as much as those who choose alternative settings. My hope one day is to open a free-standing birth center. 

Exactly why I'm choosing the CNM route! I also am interested in medical science and research, so I think I would appreciated the more scientific aspect of the CNM program. I'm going to go to school local vs. online. I'm dyslexic and online class are rough for me.

"its a rule they have to say "dead baby" X amount of times during each prenatal." hram

That's BIZARRE! Any idea why?