Do I have to pick MW or second babe?

[IrelandsMama]

Hi I have posted about doula training recently and have another question. Heres my situation. I was offered a midwifes assistant position starting in Oct of next year. I really really want to do this, and in my area there are not many opportunities to work with a midwife. In fact, I don't think there are that many anywhere. I have a 14 month old son as of now.

My problem is this. I didn't expect to get into midwifery this early in the child bearing game, but I feel like I should go for it. I guess that means putting babies on hold for a while. How long I don't know really. A couple years so I can get a little experience with the midwife? Any suggestions? That pretty much means I won't have my next baby until my son is almost 4 if I work with her for a year before getting pregnant again. This seems like so long, and I really want to have a HBAC. I guess it all comes down to what do I want more another baby and HBAC sooner or the assistants position and baby/HBAC a couple years later. This is tough.

Sav

[BirthWithFaith]

There are always opportunites in any business at anytime. It may seem like a once in a lifetime opportunity but I assure you it isn't.

There's nothing more important than following your heart when your heart is ready for another child. You don't want to resent your job because you aren't growing your family. Also, you don't want to regret down the road not being able to have a 2nd or 4th child because you delayed so long something like infertility starts to play a role. That's something to consider but it doesn't mean it will happen since we can be well into our 40s and have children. Some even older!

You can do other things like become a birth doula and attend births once a month or be a "temp" labor asst that backs-up other labor assts in the practice when they need to be with their family or are sick. You can do so much to be involved with birth but set it so you can still grow your family.

Good luck and hope this helps!

[JunipersMom]

You could always start out apprenticing and be so indespensible that a pregnancy wouldnt alter your apprenticship at all... or you could really not like being a midwife after a little bit and decide on helping out birthing moms in another way.... or you could put off the midwifery only to find that you have problems conceiving this time and try for much longer than anticipated... or you could start an apprenticeship, become pregnant and take a year off... There are just so many things to take into consideration - I would go for it and just believe that everything will work out exactly as it was meant to.