Midwife wannabe

[sanctasapientia]

I wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions for a seventeen year-old who wants to become a midwife. I have a few books, but I'm not sure where to start, and I've had trouble finding a certified school. Any help would be appreciated.

[Stephanie L.]

How wonderful!! To hear your calling so early on is such a BEAUTIFUL thing!

How about giving her a list of books? If her local library doesn't have them she can probably have the library order them for her.

There is a sticky here in this forum up at the top with TONS of book suggestions.


How about Ina May's Guide to Childbirth to start? (I heart her sooo much!!)

[mothercat]

where in OK?

[sanctasapientia]

I live in OKC. And yeah, I've actually gone through that entire book list and copied and pasted the titles into a word document. I was just wondering if there was anything else I could do to help to prepare, I've been looking into different colleges, and also trying to find a good midwifery school. I want to do direct-entry.

[Reha]

Just so you know, there are many excellent non-MEAC accredited schools.

Good luck!

[mwherbs]

a younger gal locally did a bit of job shadowing -- this gives the person a bird'seye view of what a midwife does- then she also went to the bigger teaching hospital and they let her see if that is what she wanted to do there as well-- they said she was a prospective student and got permission for her to attend some births in the hospital--she actually has been doing both things she ended up apprenticing and she went to nursing school- so now she has a nursing job with good pay and she is finishing up her apprenticeship.

[feebeeglee]

[durafemina]

Hi there!
I also wanted to be a midwife when I was 17, and now I'm 23 and almost halfway through a direct-entry degree program in New Zealand which I absolutely love.
In the interim 5 or so years, I read everything I could get my hands on, did a degree in Psychology and researched every possible avenue to becoming a midwife.
My advice is just to breath deeply, go slow and really truly find the path that speaks to your midwifery heart. It will be totally worth it in the end.
And remember, there's no rush! I used to be very "but I want to be a midwife NOW" and I've really mellowed and realized that wisdom and the kind of 'knowing' a midwife needs cannot be crammed in, but has to grow within you.
Welcome to your calling! I can't imagine a more challenging and special one and I'm so glad it's mine!

[MsBlack]

Second Durafemina--and the others--

Read read read...on pregnancy, birth, women's health and psychology, nutrition, all kinds of related topics. Get all the health science courses you can, whether in HS or college (anatomy and physiology, biology, human sexuality...). If you don't see yourself taking courses at institutions, get some books and start teaching yourself. Consider EMT/paramedic training (it's offered here at local comm colleges)--and whether or not you end up working as EMT, you will at least in training have to do some ride-along and witnessing--can't help but give you a taste for dealing with emergencies. Look into local orgs that provide crisis counselling, to take basic comm skills courses and do some volunteering...another good way to begin learning how to work with urgent situations and different kinds of people in various emotional circumstances.

And definitely, see if you can get in some shadowing, in hospital/birth ctr and at home, so you can get a good taste of this work and what it takes to do it well. I've known many people ever since my own college days who really thought they wanted to do a thing, and spent time and money studying it only to find that they really weren't happy w/the work. I've known several who got teaching degrees, for instance, who were astounded to discover at the end, when student-teaching was finally req'd, that they hated classroom work with so many kids! They'd figured earlier that since they liked kids and the idea of teaching, they would make good teachers...but the actual work in the school setting was not appealing to them at all. So find some/create some opportunities to witness this work in its realities.

Start on any/all of this...and to repeat Durafemina, know that it takes time to develop the wisdom and insight to do it well. Also takes time to find your own best approach--each mw takes the knowledge and guidance of books and teachers, but has to learn how she, as a unique individual, can best apply it with what gifts, limitations and personal philosophies are her own. This part, I think, is so important. I've known wannabes who'd done a lot of reading, taken some courses, and then, without any (or much) experience w/birth at all, got into apprenticeships where they felt they already knew it all--and were resistant to the process of learning by witnessing actual births and assisting actual midwives. Becoming a mw involves a lot of humility and personal growth--be ready to be changed in the process...confidence and book-learning has to be tempered with humility and reality, so your heart and mind have to be open.

Finally, I know a mw who has a 14yr old apprentice--a homeschooled teen who is able to attend prenatals and births on a limited basis. It's never too early to start, if you want to--so best wishes on finding and creating your opportunities to begin!

[Maggi315]

My 17yo daughter has been coming to births with me. Really out of necessity. I need someone to help with the cleanup, cooking, etc. She has done an excellent job, I have been pleasantly surprised.

I have suggested to her that she take a course like midwife to be or AAMI to learn more.

I would also suggest investing in BirthingSong workbook or helping hands workbook to have something to study and work through.

Watch birthing/CBE/doula videos. Attend a doula workshop/training. volunteer at local crisis pregnancy center to be a free doula to other teens who need support.

Attend a series of childbirth classes. Breastfeeding/prenatal exercise/baby care classes. Take cpr, first aid, and other community health courses. Attend some breast cancer hands on classes.

Attend LLL meetings and conferences. volunteer to babysit the kids at the meetings for the leaders. Volunteer to help with snacks, library, etc. leaders always need help and you will meet/hear so many stories, you'll be learning without knowing it.

Attend conferences if you can. Buy conference tapes at Midwifery today (cheap at 9.00 each) check out ebay for great deals on books, tapes, videos, and more. I get lots of my stuff there.

Find a local midwife who will let you do some interning with her. Maybe helping her with handouts, office work, stocking supplies, etc. (hey, that's why I want ). Maybe after you have "proved" yourself, she would let you attend some prenatals/postpartums and work up to coming to see a birth.

I worked with another apprentice who started at 18. When I heard she was coming, i had serious reservations about the maturity of someone that age. I was so wrong. She was and is an excellent midwife (she attended my last birth and was wonderful!). She is mature, makes good decisions, is eager to learn, heck, i want to adopt her and make her my partner! So I learned through experience not to judge age. Some of the women were apprehensive about her too, but quickly learned to feel at ease and comfortable with her. Her first birth alone (not intentional) was a surprise breech! Talk about jumping into the fire!

Good luck! Maybe you and my daughter can hook up on the internet and talk! PM me if you want her email addy.