The First Year as a Student Midwife

What does it really feel like to step onto the ward as a first-year student midwife? From overcoming academic insecurity and juggling family life as a mature student, to mastering clinical skills and finding your tribe, the first year of midwifery training is an emotional and unforgettable journey.

I had a chat with my lovely customer Rosie - a mum of six from Scotland and former doula - to hear about how she answered the calling to midwifery in her late 30s, how she navigated her very first placement, and what it felt like to officially cross the finish line into Year 2!

Answering the Calling: The Journey to Midwifery

Q. When did you decide that you wanted to be a midwife? And what led to your decision?

It’s such a cliché, but I have literally wanted to be a midwife since I was a little girl. I remember getting a Doctor Barbie and having her listen to my nephew in my auntie’s belly when I was just 4 years old. But academic insecurity meant I left school early and didn’t even try to pursue midwifery in my teens.

Birth work was always in my heart though, and I enjoyed an amazing 12-year career as a doula and an antenatal teacher with the Daisy Foundation before COVID hit and made the birth world much smaller.

At this point, I was heading into my late 30s and thought the opportunity had passed me by - until a friend told me of a newly-qualified midwife locally who was in her 50s. That made me pause and wonder… could I still do it? Then I saw an advert on Facebook for an applicant evening at my closest university, and I thought: I’ll buy a ticket, just to go and see if it still speaks to me.

I told myself if I went that night and still felt the calling, I would answer it - and I did! Art was a part of this journey too… at a conference in 2016, I took part in a collective piece of art for midwives that I knew was intended to be on display at the university. I told myself if I saw it that night, it was a sign. And I did!

"Stay on top of everything and don’t let it get on top of you. Future you will thank you for working hard and staying organised." 

Overcoming Barriers & Getting Accepted

Q. What is the process like to get accepted to study midwifery? I see lots of students celebrating that they got accepted so it seems like it's not an easy thing even to start?

Making the decision to pursue midwifery really was the easy part - getting myself academically ready to apply was a different matter!

I needed English, Maths, and an HNC in Healthcare (a college course here in Scotland that’s equivalent to first-year nursing) in order to apply, and it took me 2 years to achieve all of those things. It was a long road, and you’re not even guaranteed to get in at the end of it, but I told myself I’d rather try and fail than live with regrets.

Thankfully, I was offered an interview a month after applying. In a weird way, that was THE big moment for me. I sobbed when I opened that email because I was being given a chance, and that in and of itself meant the world to me!

Q. What was it like when you got accepted? How did you feel?

I spent hours preparing for the interview, reading everything I could. It is such a competitive course, and it’s not unusual for applicants to apply several years in a row. Being older, I felt time really wasn’t on my side. I’d already been a student for 2 years at this point, and as a mother with six children at home, I felt the pressure to get in the first time.

Luckily for me, just 24 hours after I interviewed, I received my offer! It was SUCH a surreal moment. I can’t really put into words how it feels to see a 24-year dream start to become a very real reality right before your eyes!

This all took place in February, so I had months to go before I started in September and an HNC to finish first, which added to that surreal feeling.

Cohort Life & Finding Your "Wee Tribe"

"As a (very) mature student, I didn’t really expect to make friends... but I underestimated just how much love there is in midwifery!"

Q. When is the first time you meet the others in your cohort? Do you know pretty quickly who will be your study besties? Do you get to see lots of each other or might you not see that much of each other because you go on different placements?

There was an offer holders' day at uni where I met some of my cohort for the first time ("cohort" just means everyone in your year group!). But really, it’s not until the first day that you’re all in a room together. Honestly, I still haven’t properly met some of the girls! There were over 100 of us when we started, and naturally, you find your wee tribe and tend to stick with them, though we do have an amazing whole-cohort chat where everyone is so helpful and supportive. 🥰

Q. Do student midwives in the same cohort also usually end up spending lots of time together socially? 

I don’t even know how our little tribe gravitated towards one another, but I’m so glad that we did because genuinely they have been one of the biggest gifts of this whole journey!

As a (very) mature student, I didn’t really expect to make friends. I expected I’d be like the cohort mammy, but I underestimated just how much love there is in midwifery! It’s truly overwhelmed me in the most wonderful way, and I’m so grateful for the connections I’ve made via my cohort and the midwifery society.

Our first theory block was a long one, lasting from September until January. We were in regularly during that time, which gave us the opportunity to connect and bond. When it came time for placements, we were mostly separated out, but that gave us lovely opportunities to spend time with and bond with other members of our cohort too!

Q. Do people tend to live in dorms at uni or do people travelling from their homes? Does it depend on whether they are a mature student or not?

Most everyone I know travels into uni from home. Some of us travel quite a distance - I’m 1.5 hours each way, and one of the girls in my group travels 2.5 hours each way! It’s a lot, but I downloaded Audible and make the most of my journeys. 🙂

Placement Prep, Night Shifts & Clinical Skills

Q. Is your first day as a student midwife at uni? What did you do on your first day?

I was a bundle of nerves and excitement on my first day (nervacited as my kids say). Driving up to uni just felt so unreal and honestly, after waiting such a long time to do this part of me kept thinking “this can’t be real! Someone will tell me this has all been a big mistake and I’m not meant to be here!” 

The first day was very relaxed though and we played a get to know each other game (which was actually a lot of fun!) and heard all about the flow of the programme and what to expect. We met a lot of the lecturers and the Midwifery Society came in to tell us about what they did and they showed us what was in their placement bags. It was just such a fun and exciting day!

Q. What was your first placement like? What did you actually pack or prepare for your very first week?

My first placement was an inpatient ward and as you can imagine I was beyond myself with excitement! I packed everything but the kitchen sink I think 😅

I took with me my MPAD (the MASSIVE folder we have to carry for tracking our progress) pens, a notepad, a small hand cream, a lip balm (the wards are HOT and very drying) my badges, fob watch, water bottle, food and a little bag with mini products that I might need to freshen up. I found all of this useful 🙂

Q. What was your favourite thing you learnt this year?

My favourite thing I’ve learned this year has been venipuncture. It’s my first real clinical skill that I feel I’ve done really well with. It feels so lovely to take blood, especially when someone’s nervous and to get feedback like “I barely even felt that!” and “you made me feel so at ease”. It’s something I do feel very proud of doing well.

Q. What's the workload like in terms of studying and exams? Is it pretty full on 24/7 with birthy stuff?

The workload this year has been manageable. The way the year was organised meant that practice and assessments rarely overlapped so you could be in the moment and focus on what you were doing at the time which worked out so well for me personally.

I found the workload manageable but I was very strict with myself and pushed myself to start projects as soon as they were issued and get then submitted well before the deadlines. This meant I felt on top of everything throughout the year and I feel my work ethic paid off as I didn’t at any time feel overwhelmed by the workload.

My advice to future students would be stay on top of everything and don’t let it get on top of you. Future you will thank you for working hard and staying organised.

Q. Can I ask you about shifts? What was your first night shift like? How do you feel about them now? Are they hard or do you like working overnight?

I’m a HCA (Health care assistant) so my first nightshift as a student wasn’t my first nightshift ever however…. Being a student has totally shifted my perspective on nightshifts! They were something I actively avoided before but I actually LOVE them now. There I just a peace and calm that’s present at night that feels so magical 🥰

Q. Have you found ways to celebrate yourself and to motivate yourself through hard times?

Being a student midwife is wonderful but also SO overwhelming at times. There is SO much to learn and as you progress through the year it’s very easy to feel like you aren’t making any progress at all. Your milestone cards are a brilliant way to mark real progress and to be able to look back and see that while you have a long way still to go, you also have made some real achievements along the way already.

Q. Were there things that surprised you about your first year of study? Things that you thought would be different/better/worse? 

I don’t think anything really surprised me or was different/better/worse than I expected but then I wonder if that’s because I went into this with an entirely open mind. I’m just so grateful that I get to do this 🙂

Q. Have you had the opportunity to provide continuity of care?

So we don’t case load until 3rd year so any time we get to see a woman more than once at this stage it is just luck but I have had a few occasions where I have been lucky and seen families more than once which was really lovely. It’s amazing how quickly you build up relationships in this sphere of work. On my community placement we ran antenatal clinics and went to visit families at home postnatally 🙂 I haven’t attended a homebirth as a student midwife yet. The opportunity didn’t present itself while I was on community.

Q. If you were going to have to do your first year again, was there anything you'd change about the way you approached it? 

Looking back I don’t think I’d change a single thing about my first year. It’s been such an overwhelmingly positive experience (even though there has definitely been very challenging moments along the way) I’ve been so lucky to have been paired with the most amazing practice supervisors who really went above and beyond to share their knowledge and experience with me and help develop me as a student midwife - and I’ve had the absolute privilege of caring for the most amazing families. I’m truly truly grateful for it all.

Student Funding & Financial Reality

Q. As student midwives don't get paid to study or to work, is it difficult to manage? Are student loans sufficient to live on? It's mad that student midwives essentially work for free for 3 years AND pay for the privilege!

Regarding funding I really am in such a privileged position where my husband can support us as a family while I learn. Without him I truly don’t know how we could make it work and we are fortunate that we live in Scotland where education is free and midwifery, nursing and paramedics bursaries don’t need to be paid back. Even still, it’s a challenge financially.

Q. Have you had wonderful teachers and supportive mentors? I know that there can be tension and politics in any workspace, and I know that it can be difficult for student midwives to feel useful and capable - and sometimes treated like they are ‘’in the way’. Have you had positive experiences that you'd like to share about mentors and supervisor relationships that you've experienced?

Like you I’ve heard horror stories about awful mentors being horrible to students. The night before every new placement I couldn’t sleep for nerves that I’d end up spending 6 weeks with someone like that but honestly I was absolutely blessed with the most incredible mentors and I didn’t witness any of the challenges you hear of. I’ve been incredibly lucky and I genuinely can’t thank my mentors enough for the support they’ve given me throughout the last year. 

Similarly our lecturers really have been exceptional. We really are very lucky here 🙂

Crossing the Year 1 Finish Line

Q. What was your last day of the year like?

My last day felt surreal. As someone who has very little faith in herself I was a bundle of nerves convinced that I would have forgotten something key and would fail at the very last second. Genuinely I felt ill travelling up for my end of year meeting this morning! BUT it was a wonderfully positive meeting that left me feeling teary for all the right reasons! Walking out of that meeting with my piece of paper signed to say I was through to second year and snapping that picture with my womb to world card felt so surreal! I did it! I passed first year! 🥳

Image: my last day of the academic year!

Q. What are you looking forward to in your second year?

I’m trying not to think too far ahead to second year yet. I hear (regularly) that second year is the most challenging so for now, I’m just enjoying this wee moment of achievement and getting ready to go on holiday next week and rest up before we get started 🥰

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Thank you so much to Rosie for sharing her amazing first year and helping me learn more about student midwife life! I'd love to highlight more student midwife stories so if you would like to share your story please let me know! And I'll gift you a voucher as a thank you so you can treat yourself to a little something from my student midwife shop.

If you're looking ahead to starting your studies or know a student midwife who is, then you can find lots of student midwife starter essentials in my shop to treat them to celebrate.