This photo was sent to me today and is a lovely reminder of my previous life as a midwife. The little chap was born at home three years ago.
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
So have you definitely decided you are no longer a midwife? I see how your career is taking you, and has for a while been taking you, away from practising midwifery, but it seems like quite a momentous thing to bracket it as a previous - finished - stage of your life. Do you feel sad or relieved or just excited about the new interests that are taking midwifery's place?
Ultimately, I don't really know, Dot. Probably the title 'previous life' is a bit extreme. If I can't get work at the end of this current 6 month contract, I will have no option but to return to clinical midwifery. I'm not too keen about being on call again but I must admit, I do miss working with women and students on a one-to-one basis.
I just wish I was able to access a primary birthing unit where I could just concentrate on normal birth. But instead, my local unit is a tertiary unit where the c-section rate is way over 30% (over 60%) some months and that brings a number of pressures when working there as a midwife. I do not enjoy working in that environment which is one of the reasons I stopped working as a clinical midwife.
My other major concern is my back - I badly damaged it about 4 years ago when looking after a woman in labour. I don't want to put it under that sort of pressure again.
I should have answered the other half of your question: I am extremely excited about the way my career is developing, and the directions I am traveling. I have worked in midwifery for nearly 25 years so I feel I have done my dash. Having said that, I'll always be a midwife at heart.
I have many generic skills that I have developed as a midwife that are transferable to the generic health field, so I am looking forward to that challenge. I am extremely grateful for all I have learned from midwives, students and the families I have worked with over the years, but I am having a ball exploring social media, networked learning etc and hope I will be able to continue to work in this area.
This photo was sent to me today and is a lovely reminder of my previous life as a midwife. The little chap was born at home three years ago.
3 comments:
So have you definitely decided you are no longer a midwife? I see how your career is taking you, and has for a while been taking you, away from practising midwifery, but it seems like quite a momentous thing to bracket it as a previous - finished - stage of your life. Do you feel sad or relieved or just excited about the new interests that are taking midwifery's place?
Ultimately, I don't really know, Dot. Probably the title 'previous life' is a bit extreme. If I can't get work at the end of this current 6 month contract, I will have no option but to return to clinical midwifery. I'm not too keen about being on call again but I must admit, I do miss working with women and students on a one-to-one basis.
I just wish I was able to access a primary birthing unit where I could just concentrate on normal birth. But instead, my local unit is a tertiary unit where the c-section rate is way over 30% (over 60%) some months and that brings a number of pressures when working there as a midwife. I do not enjoy working in that environment which is one of the reasons I stopped working as a clinical midwife.
My other major concern is my back - I badly damaged it about 4 years ago when looking after a woman in labour. I don't want to put it under that sort of pressure again.
So..in answer to your question...who knows?
I should have answered the other half of your question: I am extremely excited about the way my career is developing, and the directions I am traveling. I have worked in midwifery for nearly 25 years so I feel I have done my dash. Having said that, I'll always be a midwife at heart.
I have many generic skills that I have developed as a midwife that are transferable to the generic health field, so I am looking forward to that challenge. I am extremely grateful for all I have learned from midwives, students and the families I have worked with over the years, but I am having a ball exploring social media, networked learning etc and hope I will be able to continue to work in this area.
Post a Comment