I want to become a midwife

Question

i am only 20 and have 2 young children i would like to become a midwife. what quilifications do i need? is there a part time course i can do to start until my child is older/ will it cost for tuition? im on benefiets can i get help with tuition fees?how long will it take to quuilify im very serious about this and would like answers asap person experiances aswel please how long did it take u

Answer 1

I too want to be a midwife. Most schools around here require you to have a nursing degree to even enter into the program. They want you to have a bachelors and work experience in labor and delivery. I live in central Illinois and the closest school is in Chicago. In all to become a midwife it will take me 6 years. It's actually a really standard rate for Certified Nurse Midwives.  

http://www.acnm.org/index.cfm

That site is really informative in schools that are qualified and what pre-reqs you need!

Answer 2

I start an access to midwifery course in september, which is for 12 months but you can also do it part time over 2 years.You dont need any specific qualifications but i had to sit a english and maths paper to assess what level i was at.My course is £250 but if your on income support/working tax credit etc your costs are covered.I think the price is also greatly reduced if your not on benefits but have no qualifications at all.

Good luck

Answer 3

I have been interested in midwifery for a long time, but have decided to wait until my children are older to commit to it.  It's a profession that requires you to be on call 24/7 I personally find that very difficult due to child care issues.  I discovered this after a 3 month "trial apprenticeship" with a local midwife.

In the US, there are two main routes to becoming a midwife.  Direct-entry midwives may attend a school for midwifery which is generally around 3 years long, and/or they may apprentice under an established midwife.  They usually attend home births, though some work in birth centers.  Legalities vary per state.  Certified Nurse-Midwives are RN's first, then they specialize in midwifery.  They usually work in hospitals, and occasionally in birth centers or at home births.

I attended a weekend course toward becoming a doula a few months ago, and I'm still working on certification.  For me, becoming a professional childbirth assistant is a good way to get my foot in the door as a childbirth professional without committing more time than what I am capable of right now.  It also provides valuable experience which can help later in applying for midwifery schools.

Most schools for direct-entry (and many individual midwives who take apprentices) require some level of experience to prove that you have a serious interest.  This is often in the form of doula work, becoming a childbirth educator, leading La Leche League meetings, or some similar avenue.  Taking this step first also allows you part time work in the field before you are ready to jump in with both feet.  Good luck, we certainly need more midwives. :)

Answer 4

If you would like more information on this after you have read all of the responses, go to yahoo!'s search engine and type in occupational outlook handbook, then search for midwife. This website is exellent in information regarding to many careers, this includes salary, work hours, and job outlook information.

Answer 5

depends on which country you are in- i can give you info on how to do it in scotland??

Answer 6

These is an access course which can help on your way to becoming a midwife. I too want to be a midwife, the access course is one year then it is 3 years at university. I don't think you need any qualifications to get on the access course, just pass their entry tests.

Look around at some local colleges.

Good luck