Wanting to pursue Midwifery at such a young age???

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Jun 20, 2011

Just go for it ! Your age won't matter, just be mature and competent and you will do great. :)

NurseB_, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2011

Sounds great!! Thanks for the words of encouragement!

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2011

I don't see anything wrong with your goals either. I thought when I was a nursing student I would start a CNM program after a year or so of nursing experience, then found out in nursing school that I was not as interested in OB as I thought I was (thank God for clinicals!). Now, after three years of RN experience, I'm starting an FNP program in 2 months. I'll be 23 when I start the program.

llbCCRN · Jun 20, 2011

Work it, girl! There's no reason you can't succeed at a young age. When I met my OB/GYN for the first time, my jaw dropped at how young she looked. She looked just a few years older than me and I'm in my mid-twenties. My gut was questioning her every move, but she quickly proved herself with her knowledge and professionalism. You WILL have people that will suggest you wait until you're older, but if you have the drive, knowledge and maturity, you will do GREAT! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

emajine · Jun 20, 2011

Sounds like your calling to me :)

butterfly134 · Jun 20, 2011

Hey :) In Ireland the majority of nurses and midwives start their training at 18, generally straight after secondary school(of course there are mature students but in the number is quite limited) . Also, there is now a midwifery 4 years BS degree program. Every year many students start out as actual fully qualified midwives at the age of 22!! Once you act mature and you are competant and well educated, everything should be fine!! :) :)

NurseB_, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2011

Thanks everyone for your positive thoughts!! I understand fully about the maturity thing and honestly even though I'm only 21 I believe I'm very mature for my age. Nursing school has made me grow up A LOT. Things that my friends are doing I'm not able to do because I'm always having to study. But I always remember my goals and pout for a few seconds and then open my pharmacology or whatever nursing book I need to study. lol Nursing is so much fun in my eyes and thanks to people like you I feel so much better about my decisions!!!:heartbeat

@ChristineN what made you change your mind about OB?? I'm currently going through my OB/Peds rotation, but I'm getting more peds then ob because the OB clinical site doesn't have that many births so we end up just studying for 12 hours! Which is a good thing but since I'm interested in L&D I'm kind of upset about it. I'm going to be applying for an externship in the next month or so and hopefully I will get a chance to be in the L&D department so I can make 10000% sure this is what I want to do. Oh and good luck on your future FNP plans!!! :up:

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2011

@ChristineN what made you change your mind about OB?? I'm currently going through my OB/Peds rotation, but I'm getting more peds then ob because the OB clinical site doesn't have that many births so we end up just studying for 12 hours! Which is a good thing but since I'm interested in L&D I'm kind of upset about it. I'm going to be applying for an externship in the next month or so and hopefully I will get a chance to be in the L&D department so I can make 10000% sure this is what I want to do. Oh and good luck on your future FNP plans!!!

@SN_2012 I did my OB rotation in nursing school in the largest OB ward in the area (easily one of the largest in the state, high risk mamas were flown in for their care), which was known as the "baby factory. While I got to see lots of births during my rotation, I did not like all the unnecessary medical interventions on healthy births that I saw. The mom who "decided" they could schedule her baby to be born on x day, the discouraging moms from walking, etc. The nurses on the unit also had a very sour attitude toward the CNM's. I knew as a CNM I wanted to treat birth not as an emergency but as something expected, not requiring a million interventions (at least in the low risk birth). I think if I would have had a smaller OB unit near me I may have liked that better. :)

NurseB_, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2011

@SN_2012 I did my OB rotation in nursing school in the largest OB ward in the area (easily one of the largest in the state, high risk mamas were flown in for their care), which was known as the "baby factory. While I got to see lots of births during my rotation, I did not like all the unnecessary medical interventions on healthy births that I saw. The mom who "decided" they could schedule her baby to be born on x day, the discouraging moms from walking, etc. The nurses on the unit also had a very sour attitude toward the CNM's. I knew as a CNM I wanted to treat birth not as an emergency but as something expected, not requiring a million interventions (at least in the low risk birth). I think if I would have had a smaller OB unit near me I may have liked that better. :)

Gotcha!! Yeah I'm not to fond of the unnecessary interventions either. I guess going to CNM school can really help that issue that we might have. Why do you think the nurses didn't like the CNM's?? I've heard a lot of people saying they can have their baby when they want and by what route they want. It's kind of ridiculous!! :uhoh3:

chicookie, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2011

I'm doing the same. I turned 24 and am enrolling hopefully this upcoming fall term to a CNM program. I don't have much in the way of OB experience but I have found a couple CNMs that did not have it and are doing fine. I'm hoping to get this knocked out before 2015. My only word of advice: don't get attached to dates. I was supposed to have started last year but life has gotten in the way and I was very depressed and upset but I think as long as we get there that is all that matters. We will get there. And you know what people who don't want to listen to us because we are "young" pooh pooh them! they are just jealous!

NurseB_, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2011

I'm doing the same. I turned 24 and am enrolling hopefully this upcoming fall term to a CNM program. I don't have much in the way of OB experience but I have found a couple CNMs that did not have it and are doing fine. I'm hoping to get this knocked out before 2015. My only word of advice: don't get attached to dates. I was supposed to have started last year but life has gotten in the way and I was very depressed and upset but I think as long as we get there that is all that matters. We will get there. And you know what people who don't want to listen to us because we are "young" pooh pooh them! they are just jealous!

Haha I love your way of thinking!!!:yeah:I'm not going to get caught up on dates, but like you said I do want to get started before 2015. I'm really set on starting a year or so after I get that hospital experience. I know things happen in life and I will look out for those things but hopefully everything will go as planned. :up: Plus I want to get started earlier because of the changes they are making in 2015 to the master's programs in nursing but that's a whole other thread. Thanks for your comments and good luck on your future plans!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!