HELP! i would like to study to be a midwife, anyone with any info on how?

[LoolaBear]

It has taken me 11 years to finally decide what i want to do with my life!

I'm 27 and want to become a midwife. I have 5 GCSE's at grade C (Maths, Art, Double Science (chemisty and biology) and Drama) and i have a NVQ level one in hairdressing and an NVQ level 2 in Beauty. - none of which are relevant unfortunately

What courses do i need to be able to train to be a Midwife? preferably distance learning with 3 LO's to look after and full time work (until Mar2014) to contend with!

I have read that you need an access to higher education diploma but can't find anywhere that does a relevant one for midwifery at a distance learning level (unless im just not looking properly) my local college do it part time but even then its 4 days a week 9:30-3:00 - when i'm at work

please can anyone help me?

please can anyone help me?

 

[FayDanielle]

I'm in Hull, and I also want to be a midwife.

Just yesterday I was accepted onto the Access to Health course at my college which is a 13 hour per week course, as of yet I don't have my timetable, but I know it'll be 3/4 days a week.
The guy I spoke to yesterday told me, i'll complete this course and get my UCAS points for Uni, where I will go on to do adult nursing and I think from there its an 18 month midwifery course once qualified as a adult nurse.

Your best bet is to go into your local college to discuss it. I had no idea what I was looking for on the website, but they helped me right away when I went in x

ETA: I think you need an english GSCE C or above to get onto the Access to Health course, but it may differ from college to college x

 

[LoolaBear]

thank you. will have a look at my local college website again then give them a ring. its so frustrating.
i have two friends who i did hairdressing with starting the access to HE for nursing in sept and i don't think either of them had good GSCE's either so fingers crossed!

 

[FayDanielle]

thank you. will have a look at my local college website again then give them a ring. its so frustrating.
i have two friends who i did hairdressing with starting the access to HE for nursing in sept and i don't think either of them had good GSCE's either so fingers crossed!

I know my college offer a course alongside the access to health which gets you a GCSE in english.
One second, i'll get my paperwork out, see if it says anything about the GCSE's you need. Its either english and maths, science and maths or maths and english xx

 

[FayDanielle]

Just had a look, its definitely the english and maths GCSE I needed to get onto the course - but your college may offer the add on subject if you don't have it, i'm pretty sure my college do.

Give them a call, they'll offer clearer information than the website will. Good luck xx

 

[Tasha]

The distance learning centre is the only credited distance learning course, here is the link to the midwifery one. It costs though but one you've factored in childcare, travel etc it may work out cheaper than going to college

https://www.accesstomidwifery.co.uk/

 

[LoolaBear]

just had a look online and where it says entry qualifications it says none are required but are desirable.

 

[LoolaBear]

The distance learning centre is the only credited distance learning course, here is the link to the midwifery one. It costs though but one you've factored in childcare, travel etc it may work out cheaper than going to college

https://www.accesstomidwifery.co.uk/

i had a look at that thank you and at the moment money is tight so would have to look at applying for a student loan and i think i read somewhere that its very hard to get a student loan to study with teh distance learning centre

 

[FayDanielle]

The distance learning centre is the only credited distance learning course, here is the link to the midwifery one. It costs though but one you've factored in childcare, travel etc it may work out cheaper than going to college

https://www.accesstomidwifery.co.uk/

I've just had a look at this website, at the fees (https://www.distancelearningcentre.com/fees.php) and it is cheaper than college. It would have cost me £1590 plus £115 for the exam, but because I'm 22 and don't have a level 2 NVQ already, my fee was waivered.
My college also offer funding for over 24's its called something like learner support loan?! The course would cost £3384.64 for over 24's if not applicable for the learner support loan, so you're best bet is to contact your college and also ask about the finance side, are you elegible for the loan/fee waiver? If not, that link Tasha posted above is likely to be your cheapest option xx

 

[LoolaBear]

yes i have look at the loan/fee waiver student loan financial aspect of it and i am eligible for it.
i get made redundant in march so next sept could look into doing it full time as they have an on site nursery who could look after my youngest for me until she went to pre-school but preferable i would like to look into starting the ball rolling now.

 

[FayDanielle]

yes i have look at the loan/fee waiver student loan financial aspect of it and i am eligible for it.
i get made redundant in march so next sept could look into doing it full time as they have an on site nursery who could look after my youngest for me until she went to pre-school but preferable i would like to look into starting the ball rolling now.

Its great that you're eligible! It's a hell of a lot of money, isn't it! Although its worth it, I couldn't have done it without a fee waiver.

Do your college offer a January start? If so, go in ASAP and apply, you could be starting as soon as then. Its obviously a lot more work to fit in between then and July, but it saves waiting around for at least another year xx

 

[LoolaBear]

from what i have read they only allow admissions for a september start. i can't ring them right now as the phone lines are down at work and i forgot to charge my phone last night so earliest i can ring is tomorrow.

I have also been looking at the open university but can't find anything relevant there. from the looks of things it doesnt describe it as an access to HE diploma more just an Access Course its all so confusing on only three hours sleep lol.

it is brilliant to be eligible to have the waiver as it does help take a huge weight of stress off your shoulders!

 

[whistle]

Moderator edited

is a forum with lots of advice for people who want to do midwifery.

 

[LoolaBear]

i have made a descision. When my redundancy finally comes through next march i am going to take a lump out of it and pay in full for the course with the distance learning centre. EEK! exciting.

I have decided against actually going to the college locally to me, after ringing the college as soon as they opened this morning they couldn't really do anything to help me. so i have worked out travelling costs, childcare costs (£3 a day at the college nursery for my youngest) and for the full term i would end up paying more than the cost of the distance course.

If my calculations are correct i should be able to take a lump out of my redundancy pay and still have a decent amount to live off for about 6 months!

FayDanielle - thank you so much for your help, you have really spurred me on.

so excited and roll on 31st March 2014! (this is the projected end date for my position)

 

[FayDanielle]

i have made a descision. When my redundancy finally comes through next march i am going to take a lump out of it and pay in full for the course with the distance learning centre. EEK! exciting.

I have decided against actually going to the college locally to me, after ringing the college as soon as they opened this morning they couldn't really do anything to help me. so i have worked out travelling costs, childcare costs (£3 a day at the college nursery for my youngest) and for the full term i would end up paying more than the cost of the distance course.

If my calculations are correct i should be able to take a lump out of my redundancy pay and still have a decent amount to live off for about 6 months!

FayDanielle - thank you so much for your help, you have really spurred me on.

so excited and roll on 31st March 2014! (this is the projected end date for my position)

You're welcome, good luck
I start next month, so if you ever wanna talk, or need any help/advice, PM me, i'll try my hardest to help I know we're taking different routes, but we'll have the same outcome, hopefully. Excited for you, well done for taking the plunge, it's a big, scary but extremely exciting step! xx

 

[Blah11]

Id look into getting voluntary hours in a care environment. Midwifery is a really hard course so any care experience will be really good. I'm going to train as a mw when my mum retires as I'll need help with childcare. I'm not goingyto do an access course but I will get my a level (higher here) in human biology. I already have a gcse maths and an advanced higher English.
Good luck on your journey !

 

[Tasha]

Whistle I edited your post because it breaks the forum rules to link to other forums.

Loola, your plan sounds like a really good one. The hospital, NT breast feeding clinics, sure start they are all good places to try and volunteer

 

[LoolaBear]

My mums a manager of a nursing home and she has said that once i start in march/april next year then she will see about trying to fit me in to do some volunteer work there.