r/Midwives

I am a CNM. Is my user flair not showing?

Can someone help me understand if this job is crazy or not? The benefits, pay and schedule are great, so no concern there. It's also a laborist model, so no clinic. Which I prefer.

I am an out of hospital midwife in the u.s. at a high volume practice. I work an absolutely insane amount of hours and want something more sustainable. I have only worked out of hospital since passing my boards a year ago, but was in the hospital as a student plenty. I've been interviewing for a position that basically manages private patient inductions, does triage and occasional delivery if the private docs don't get in in time. As far as midwifery goes, it is definitely a medical midwife model, which is very different from what I currently do but I'm not against it.

I asked the doc what my orientation period would be like and he said he'll give me a couple shifts and then if I'm comfortable just cut me loose 🫪 I made it clear than I need actual orientation, and he said that's fine and whenever I'm comfortable then I can be independent. I brought up the idea of having at least four weeks, and he said "I'll run it by the other providers but I don't think you'll need four weeks" and the midwife I met also was like "I think you'll be surprised at how fast you catch on".

And I agree, I think I can and would catch on quickly. But I've been working out of hospital in a rural location for a year, I definitely would need an adjustment period. I feel like my request for orientation may have put them off, but they didn't show it. But it's not something I felt comfortable not mentioning. There is no CNM in the hiring process, and only physicians. The CNM I met today made it clear to me that I'm allowed to have and hold boundaries with the private docs too, which was reassuring. They also told me I would have opportunity to be trained on first assist and third degrees lacs-two skills I really want to have.

I'm interviewing for another position that is full scope, less work life balance, pays more and has good established orientation. There is a CNM in the hiring process who facilitates the process and knows what work midwives want and need. But call would be from home instead of in house. The CNM told me that there would be a place for me within that organization, so obviously it's not 100% but seems like I have a good shot.

If I were offered the job with seemingly minimal orientation, would it be crazy to take it? Or should I hold out for the other one? The schedule flexibility, work life balance and lack of clinic seems so enticing to me 😵‍💫

What do y'all think?

Hey everyone, I was looking for a bit of advice. I'm currently doing a Computing degree, but I've realised I really don't enjoy it. I've always wanted to become a midwife, but when I was choosing a degree I didn't have the confidence to pursue it because I'm a man.

My boyfriend has encouraged me to go for it if it's what I really want, which has given me a lot more confidence. I just wanted to ask if there's still much stigma around male midwives in the UK, and whether anyone has any advice or experience they could share.

Is there any expectance over male midwifes?

Ive done research, but wanted to find out of people who actually work in the field.

Thanks everyone! 😊

I have been interviewing midwives for my upcoming birth. I had an appt scheduled and the midwife ended up no-showing and contacted me about 30mins to let me know she was at a birth and that her assistant was supposed to reach out me. I had just gotten back from a 10 hour drive and rushed to be able to make to this appt. But we ended up rescheduling for the following day. She is the most qualified in my area and the closet distance wise, but something was off. Like she was super nice, but idk I just wasn’t 100% feeling it. But I feel like my option are slim and I would want the safest option. I messaged her today. I had another interview 2 days later; and the she advised me not to go with the other lady. She said she didn’t want to bad mouth anyone, but she strongly recommended me not to go to her due to unsafe practices. And this scared me and I canceled the interview.

See convo on picture attached. Do you think I was wrong for asking. I’m going to be a first time mom and am kinda anxious. I’m an only child and didn’t grow around babies. And I will be doing this pregnancy alone due to my husband being on deployment and I’m in state with our family due to a military move and me staying to finish nursing.

So that being said I want to be sure my midwife is reliable and able to have solid communication in the event something happens and I really need her.

Text Conversation; I didn’t realize I couldn’t post pictures 😅

Me:

Can you please provide your informed consent packet, financial contract, and a timeline/calendar sheet.

⸻

Midwife:

Please send me your email. I will send this over to my office assistant so she can get it done at her earliest convenience. I will tell you she’s currently driving across the country so it might be a couple days.

⸻

Me:

Thank you for the update. I completely understand that births are unpredictable and that attending your clients comes first.

I did want to ask about communication moving forward. As a first-time mom considering a home birth, this is a significant financial investment for me, and reliability and communication are very important. Between the missed appointment and the delay in receiving the information packet, I’ve become a little concerned about what communication and availability typically look like within your practice.

If you are attending a birth or otherwise unavailable, what systems are in place to ensure clients can still reach someone in a timely manner?

Thank you for taking the time to clarify.

❤️

⸻

Midwife:

I apologize for my delayed response. I’ve been tied up in appointments all day related to my trip to Afghanistan and am just now getting a chance to reply.

After giving this a lot of thought, I don’t feel it would be fair to accept you into my practice. As of right now, there’s a possibility I’ll be returning to Afghanistan around your due date.

I truly enjoyed meeting you and appreciate the time we spent together. You deserve a provider who can confidently commit to being present for your birth, and I wish you all the best as you continue your search.

Okay this one is a bit oddly specific but I figured it's worth a try! How have you managed getting a puppy as a midwife? My partner and I are getting a puppy at the end of this summer and we are just trying to set ourselves up for success. What worked for you with long hours away?

Considering dog walkers, kennels, dog sitters, etc. Give me all the tips!

It's a Bernese mountain dog puppy

Hello!

I am a 30 F who has considered becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife since…the dawn of time.

Due to financial and personal situations, I spent my early 20s in Early Childhood and now I work in an office setting, so no medical experience at all.

Barring advice regarding actual midwifery, it would take me into almost my 40s to break into this career. And while I know the time will pass anyways, and you’re never too old to learn a new thing, etc- I’m wondering if anyone else did or bore witness to someone becoming a midwife later in life.

Is it worth it, is it something that won’t age well? I’m worried about the financial implications with no avail.

Hey midwives of the UK,
Firstly, you lot are incredible!

My wife gave birth to our first born last week and due to the birth we’ve had to stay on the postnatal ward for the last week as my wife recovers.

It’s been incredibly hard for both my wife and myself but we’ve been made so much more at ease, informed and genuinely cared for by the midwifery team here.

We would really like to gift something/things to the midwives on the ward, other than a hamper of goodies (coffee, teas, cakes, chocolates, etc), is there anything that midwives would really appreciate?

Thanks in advance and keep being awesome ❤️