tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80521511806022852702024-03-14T10:51:44.095+00:00From student to midwifeA blog following my three years of study as a student midwife. Looking at my time spent in University and also my time on placement. The highs and lows of it all.Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-51257435604235817902015-05-13T22:00:00.000+01:002015-05-13T22:00:04.080+01:00Who do you talk to?I have many good friends and am lucky to be blessed with a close family. I rely on them all to bolster me through the good times and the bad times in life, the same as most people. However who do you talk to when you've had a bad day or week at work?<br />
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It isn't so easy when you are a midwife to talk about your bad days. There is patient confidentiality to consider - you can't always share your great days let alone the bad ones. If you don't agree with your boss then most people have someone they can blow off steam at. When you are a midwife though, a bad day can be due to a variety of different reasons and not all are easy to discuss.<br />
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There can be the bad day where you started the day with a headache, had a bad nights sleep and then had care of a lady who was frightened and screamed through her labour and whilst you try your best to support her, it might be her way of getting through it. I want to be clear here that I'm not blaming the woman for screaming and neither am I saying the midwife doesn't care or want to help...just that it can be hard going.<br />
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Then there are the hard days where you don't stop...you don't get a break because it's just too busy. You left home at 7, barely had chance to have a wee or a drink and return home exhausted by 9. And potentially facing having to do the same again the very next day.<br />
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And then there are the days where you care for a lady where the pregnancy has not been successful - either due to still birth or an abnormality perhaps. You can walk away proud of being a part of someone's journey, supporting them in heartbreaking circumstances in the best way you can but it can be such an emotional roller coaster too. Now I can't talk for other midwives but I know that for me, the first time I dealt with this situation, it changed me. It came home with me, it interrupted my dreams, it made me hug my children closer and it almost made me wish for another baby of my own to hold and cherish. It's not something I can talk about with friends and family....and not just because of patient confidentiality but also because it's not really a part of midwifery that people generally want to hear about. I have friends who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, thinking of having their own children, have relatives or other friends having children and baby loss is not an easy topic to talk about. I want to be sensitive to them and their own fears about pregnancy and birth. For the same reason I don't really talk too much about obstetric emergencies, instrumental deliveries, unexpected admissions to special care or anything else that might frighten them.<br />
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I am often told what a lovely job I have and yes it is so true but there are also the days when I could almost scream that it isn't so lovely all the time. I don't sit cuddling babies all day....I deal with life and death. Having said that...I love my job and I find it a real honour to do what I do. The human body continues to amaze me with the miracle of life. The women in my care inspire me and put me in awe of their strength and courage.<br />
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I am lucky to have fantastic friends who are also midwives who I can talk to, as well as my supervisor and staff who were on shift with me. They help me to debrief and talk it through and share their experiences with. They help me to find ways to manage and cope. And my friends and family support me still...even though I can't always talk about it much, I know that they are there for me.<br />
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So one bit of advice to any student or newly qualified midwife out there, don't bottle up these experiences and think you are the only one finding them tough because you aren't. Talk to your fellow midwife friends, your supervisor or someone you can trust.Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-66039503350515485922013-05-05T21:45:00.000+01:002013-05-05T21:45:26.441+01:00No longer a student, not yet a midwifeSo here I am - stuck in that place in between being a student and being a midwife. I have a job but I can't start until my pin comes through, my CRB check is complete and my references are done. Yet I am also no longer a student. <div>
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It's an odd feeling to be truthful. Everything feels a little surreal - I am waiting for someone to tell me it's all a joke, of course I can't be a midwife, I don't know anywhere near enough yet. I know more than I think I do of course, and yet at the same time far less than I will need to know. I am aware that the coming months will be hard work...as hard as it was when I first started my training, if not harder. When I first commenced my training, I used to finish each day of placement with a horrendous headache because of the high level of concentration needed. As I will no longer have that safety net of a mentor, I will return to that high level of concentration, in an effort to ensure that I remember to do all that I need to do. I will probably check and check again, feel unsure and uncertain, unused to being able to make my own decisions despite the fact that I have been doing just that for months. I am predicting exhaustion, tears, headaches but at the same time I am expecting shifts where I come home and realise that I did a good job, that I got it right, that I was an advocate for women, that it's all starting to make sense. Gradually I hope that my confidence and experience will grow and the good shifts outweigh the bad. </div>
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I am naturally nervous. Being a midwife isn't like starting a new job somewhere else. You really do hold lives in your hands. You want to provide a good service to the families in your care, and ensure that their experience is a positive one whether it is on the labour ward, in clinic or on the ward. What a midwife does matters, it really matters. It matters to me anyway and I have no doubt it matters to the women and families. </div>
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I am now trying to enjoy this time out...spending time with family and friends; having a real break before the next step on my journey to truly becoming a midwife. I am almost able to say "I am a midwife"....and yet that still feels just round the corner.......</div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-35798583895327940842013-04-02T23:08:00.000+01:002013-04-02T23:08:38.202+01:00I did it!Last week I was given the classification for my degree and I am very proud to tell you that I achieved a 2:1. We're now into the final pieces of paperwork and sometime next month (hopefully) I'll get my pin and be a fully qualified midwife. This month I shall attend an interview for a job and I know I've got my fingers and toes crossed that I'll get it. <br />
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It's an odd feeling right now. I'm exhilarated and slightly scared. I am scared of no longer having that mentor looking over me and ensuring that I'm doing things correctly. Yet at the same time I am looking forward to working independently, taking all that I have learnt from my various mentors over the past three years and developing my own practice. <br />
<br />I am proud to be able to say that I've made it. I have managed the demands of academic life, placement and family life. Once a long time ago, I began a journey to be a teacher and over half way through the course, I failed a major assignment and dropped out. At that point I thought I had given up the chance of ever getting a degree. I had no idea what I'd do with my life and didn't really think I'd ever make anything of myself. However I feel that I have also never really given up. I have always forged forward with the belief that there is something better out there for me; that I could do more. <br />
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I am not the greatest student, I wouldn't consider myself particularly academic. When I was doing my teaching course, I averaged very low marks, scraping through each assignment. My assignments as a student midwife, have been varied....some I've got it right and others I've not done so well at. I have taken something from each experience. I have literally taken it one day at a time, one challenge at a time...never daring to think beyond being a student and simply doing my best. I also could not have done it without the amazing support of my husband who always believed in me and my family's never ending support. <br />
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At the moment I am making the most of a little time off.....spending time with my children, seeing friends that I've woefully neglected over the past three years, spending time with family, catching up on my knitting and spending time preparing for Twirling Nationals with my daughters' twirling group (if you are interested you can follow them here <a href="http://distinctiontwirlersofmedway.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/happy-easter.html">http://distinctiontwirlersofmedway.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/happy-easter.html</a> ). <br />
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It's been a long journey and in so many ways, this is just the first step on the next part of the trip. I shall aim to continue to tell you all what it is like to be a newly qualified midwife. I am looking forward to taking that step but for now I shall enjoy spending time being me. <br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-77153839869925710332013-02-03T10:30:00.000+00:002013-02-03T10:30:03.625+00:00TV programsAt the moment there are numerous tv programs, both reality and fictional, that are showing midwifery or birth stories. Many of them irritate me for their inability to get things right.<br />
<br />For example last week in Casualty, which I have watched since I was a teenager, one of the characters was supporting her husband in hospital when she felt a pain in her stomach and worried that there was something wrong with her baby. The nurse laid her hand on the woman's stomach and reassured her "there is nothing wrong with the baby, you are in labour". I mean seriously....one contraction....yes that's how we diagnose labour these days. I can accept that there are some inaccuracies that don't matter to the public but surely most people know that labour is not diagnosed after one contraction. Then, because it's Casualty, they kept her in A and E rather than send her to maternity and they didn't even call for a midwife. It was ridiculous from the word go and it didn't get any better. When the fetal heart was at 90bpm, they merely called for the A and E consultant to deliver her and then called for a Special Care Anaesthetist when the baby needed resus. Pfft.. A small bit of research and this could have been handled so much better.<br /><br />So then let me move onto Neighbours....now don't judge my choice of programs....I know it's rubbish but that's partly why I watch it! Like Casualty I have watched it for a long time and I'm not ready to stop yet. It's what I call my "no need to think about it" tv. Anyway they have had an ongoing storyline about two women who are pregnant, Sonia and Vanessa. Sonia has been planning a home birth, with the support of a doula. When her labour begins, her partner Toadie, panics constantly and tries to convince her to go to hospital constantly. When her waters break, she requires an urgent transfer to hospital and whilst it hasn't been aired yet, we know from the advert that following delivery Sonia is going to have some kind of collapse. When Vanessa goes into labour, she is declined the epidural at 8cms because it's too late to have one and then we see her being condescendingly praised whilst being encouraged to push her baby out a short while later. So now we know where the producers of Neighbours stand on the idea of home birth?<br />
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Why can these producers/directors or whoever is responsible, not just do some research into what is accurate and believable? It surely can't be that difficult. Anyone who has worked on a delivery suite knows how dramatic it can get. It already is a life and death situation and we don't need to make up details. There are also the beautiful labour and births that would make for wonderful viewing - we don't always need the drama! If all we ever see is things going wrong, then how can women believe it might just go right? Not every woman needs a hospital and doctors. Many many women could deliver their babies at home safely with the care of their midwife. Many women give birth in different positions to just lying on a bed. Many women never see a doctor throughout their pregnancy and labour. Most babies are born and require no resus at all.<br />
Of course some women will need an obstetrician to lead their care and some women will require a hospital but it's not all women and this should be recognised in dramas and soaps. And it should not be seen to be unusual or weird but just one of the possible choices that women make.<br />
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I'd be happy to voice my opinion to any producer considering a birth story in their programme! Make it realistic.....that's all I ask!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-37700011962367613082012-10-31T22:38:00.000+00:002012-10-31T22:38:57.768+00:00Do you have a mental health problem?This week at Uni we've been talking about post natal depression and mental health issues. It was unfortunate timing that the news about <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20136443" target="_blank">Felicia Boots</a> hit the headlines. Or was it? I do think that post natal depression is not talked about enough. Depression is a stigma and not discussed as much as it should be. Allegedly Felicia did not take the medication that she needed because she was so frightened that the medication would affect her babies through her breast milk. This is not an uncommon event, although fortunately most women do not kill their children. Do you know which drugs are safe in pregnancy or to breastfeed with? No? Neither do I. However I do know where I can access the information to find out and I also know that in some situations, whilst one drug may not be suitable, there may be an alternative. Simply stopping a drug is not the best course of action. <div>
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Felicia's case is truly tragic but there are so many others that need more support. Mental Health issues affect 1 in 4 people every year....so that could easily be you right? I know it was me. I've told you about when my brother died and naturally bereavement can be a large precursor to mental health problems. Personally I also was dealing with a variety of other difficulties in my personal life...as mentioned before, <a href="http://fromstudenttomidwife.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/family-matters.html" target="_blank">my sister's family life</a> wasn't easy, but at the same time my husband had lost his job, we were struggling financially and at the time, it just felt like everything was going wrong. Usually an optimistic person, I became consumed with the thought that some people were just unlucky and no matter how hard they tried, their lives would always be miserable, and who was to say that wasn't me. I had thoughts of leaving my family....not of suicide, just of driving away and living somewhere far away from them. I decided I was bad luck and I would bring nothing good to them. Luckily I have a wonderfully supportive family and friends, and I sought help from the GP. I was immediately referred for counselling and given regular appointments with my doctor. Initially my GP was reluctant to prescribe anti-depressants because I was breastfeeding and he was unsure if they were safe. Encouraged my friends, I returned to my GP armed with information from the Breastfeeding Network <a href="http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-in-breastmilk-information-and-factsheets.html">http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-in-breastmilk-information-and-factsheets.html</a> and I was given the medication that I needed. Fortunately for me, the medication and counselling I had, helped me. I recovered without any major side effects. I was lucky. I am no longer in counselling, and I am no longer on medication. However it's also not something I shout about.</div>
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If doctors are afraid to prescribe the medication that people need then it's really no surprise that women are afraid to take it, in pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding. But where does this leave the women that so desperately need help. What about those women who have serious mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, psychosis etc... The medication that they take can be essential to them being able to live a "normal" life. There are only 13 mother and baby units in the UK. This means that any mother requiring inpatient care for a mental health issue is more likely to be separated from her baby due to the lack of this vital resource. </div>
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The NHS offers this page as advice for anyone worried about postnatal depression.</div>
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<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/feeling-depressed-after-birth.aspx#close">http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/feeling-depressed-after-birth.aspx#close</a></div>
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I don't have the answers to the problem but I hope that I do remember to talk to women...to take that time and listen and ensure that they are getting the support they so desperately need. I will do my absolute best to ensure that women aren't stopping medication unnecessarily. I will encourage women to speak up if they are feeling down and I will encourage family members to watch out for the signs of postnatal depression. But this is something you can look out for too....with friends, family members, colleagues, neighbours. Not necessarily postnatal depression but any form of mental health issue. Let's break down this stigma and offer people the help they really need. </div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-74688094116873512432012-10-23T23:56:00.000+01:002012-10-23T23:56:55.774+01:00Thinking towards the futureYesterday the group ahead of ours graduated. Wow! Well done to all of them. However it does bring it home, that soon it will be us. Our lecturers are beginning to talk about job applications and portfolios and other paperwork that will need to be completed before we can qualify. In just a few weeks we will begin our final placement and we'll be aiming to get as much experience as we can whilst we are still students. I know I definitely feel like I still have so much to learn, and that there is no way I have enough time to learn it all. However I do feel that it is a bit like driving and passing your test. At first you know enough to pass...you've got the basics but you need experience to become more confident. You certainly can't know what you've never faced. I don't worry about it because I think it's far more dangerous to think you know it all. We are life long learners and it's important to remember that.<br />
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At times I still feel completely overwhelmed. If I think about my dissertation and assignment still to be written, my portfolio to complete, my genetics workbook to complete and everything else, I feel slightly ill. Therefore I try really hard to concentrate on one thing at a time. And that's just the academic side of things. This placement we also have to get all of our required deliveries and ensure we've got all our hours. I only need three more deliveries thankfully but I know that there are some of my cohort that need far more and they'll be pushing hard to get them now, so that they can qualify together with the rest of us.<br />
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In between studying and researching for my dissertation, I am spending quite a lot of time with my daughters Twirling group <a href="http://distinctiontwirlersofmedway.blogspot.co.uk/">http://distinctiontwirlersofmedway.blogspot.co.uk/</a>. I do think it is vital to have some time out from being a student midwife and for me, spending time with my family is essential. My eldest daughter has been twirling for just over a year now and my youngest joined her just a few months ago. Over the time they have been going, I have made some fantastic new friends and they too offer me support as a student. My eldest daughter used to be quite shy but her confidence has increased tenfold, through this hobby. This weekend, they both attended a competition and were both were fortunate enough to come home with trophies. A year ago I would never have thought it could be possible.<br />
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Recently I also helped at an open evening at my University. I really enjoyed seeing the potential students and their enthusiasm for midwifery. It reminded me of when I first started my journey to become a midwife and how excited I was. I am still excited about becoming a midwife and I look forward to my career and supporting women at such an important time of their lives. So when the amount of work to be done is getting me down, and overwhelmed, I just remind myself of why I set out on this journey and I battle on another day!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-2600437742333173932012-10-03T09:30:00.000+01:002012-10-03T09:30:02.288+01:00OSCE result is in!And I passed! Hooray!<br /><br />Sorry for the lack of posting but what with the OSCE and then we've an assignment due this week (which I've now finished)...there hasn't been a whole lot of time for blogging.<br /><br />I am now heading into the final part of my course and the end is in sight....this is something that many people keep saying to me.It's nice to think of a time when I won't have exams looming and assignments due but at the same time it's quite nerve wracking. I will no longer have a safety net of a mentor and I can't pretend to be a first year and not know what I'm doing. I will be working under my own pin....the reality is quite scary. I am going to try and make the most of my final placements and really work hard to gain my confidence and particularly try to work in areas where I am the least confident.<br /><br />Of course before I reach there I have a dissertation to write, a 4000 word assignment, another 12 weeks (I think) of placement and objectives to be signed off. I also need to complete my portfolio, my genetics workbook and start applying for jobs. Gosh there is still a lot to be done!<br /><br />Whilst the future is scary in many ways, it's also quite exciting. I remember what it felt like when I was offered my place on the course. That wait for the phone call felt like forever, even though in fact I was lucky and I only had to wait a week when I know some have to wait months for an answer. I had an inkling of what the job would entail, having had my own children but the reality of being a student midwife has at times been quite challenging. I have had times when I've thought I can't do this, I'm going to fail, I don't enjoy working liking this and so on... However one thing that has kept me going throughout it all is the fact that when I am with a woman, whether in labour, antenatally or postnatally, I love what I do. I feel that I am helping to make a difference to her, even if it is only something very tiny. I want to do that every day. I want to support women to the best of my ability and to keep making a difference,<br />
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So fingers crossed for the remainder of my work and my results!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-88097264492349794402012-09-19T21:32:00.000+01:002012-09-19T21:32:50.470+01:00OSCE timeFor anyone that doesn't know an OSCE is an Objective Structured Clinical Exam...make sense? No...no it didn't to me the first time I heard it either. Our first OSCE was in our first year. We had to demonstrate how we'd perform an antenatal examination, and give out medication. So it's basically a role play but with added explanation of what we are doing and why. This year our OSCE is an Obstetric Emergency and we don't know yet which one it will be. I've been revising for ages and my head is spinning but the exam is tomorrow. The topic could be one of five - shoulder dystocia, breech, cord prolapse, post partum hemorrhage or malpresentation. During my time in placement I have seen all of these except breech.<br />
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So we've spent time learning various different manoeuvres and emergency protocols and mnemonics and asking lots of questions. Oh and of course trying our best to second guess what the topic will be tomorrow. No-one likes exams I am sure and we all have our favourite topic that we are hoping it will be. However we also all have our least favourite topic and I think we are all in agreement as to which one we don't want it to be. We don't want it to be malpresentations because we don't really feel that it is an obstetric emergency. There is very little that we do and as a result it will be all questions and talking and very little doing.<br />
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Personally I think I'd like it to be a shoulder dystocia. There is a variety of manoeuvres and there is also a lot to talk about. Alternatively I think I'd be ok with post partum hemorrhage as again I think there is lots to talk about. I would hate to finish too early because I'd run out of things to say. I am sure nerves will add to me forgetting loads though. I don't know whether or not it's a good thing that I am not until the end of the day either. I've got all day for last minute revision but also all day to get more and more nervous. I think I will try and avoid anyone leaving as I don't want to see how they feel it went.<br />
<br />Anyway please send me some nice good luck vibes tomorrow! And fingers crossed I won't have to wait too long for the result!!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-32624700625947695532012-07-17T14:20:00.002+01:002012-07-17T14:20:31.234+01:00So here it comes....final yearTomorrow will be the first day of third year and I feel a little bit strange about the whole idea. It doesn't seem 5 minutes ago that I was just starting and I don't feel like I know enough to be in my final year; although I also can barely remember what it was like to not be a student if that makes sense? As a first year meeting a third year, I assumed that they were confident and knew what they were doing and it worries me that I don't feel confident at all and often feel that I don't know what I'm doing. However the rational part of me does recognise that I do know far more than I did two years ago and there are some things that I can now do easily.<br />
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I continue to meet with the women on my caseload and it's an odd experience in many ways. It's really lovely to see them and I am enjoying seeing their bodies change in pregnancy and share their excitement but at the same time it's a bit of an odd experience. When I go to an appointment with them, I am often coming from home, having been enjoying some time out and it then feels completely out of context unlike when I am on placement. I have to take a moment to put my professional hat on and to just think about what needs to be done.<br />
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Suddenly here I am 2 months later and suddenly realised that I didn't finish this blog post.....sorry! Anyway I am already back on placement and have faced a number of new challenges. I have spent two weeks with the Special Care Baby Unit and whilst I respect the work that they do, it's not the job for me. I did enjoy chatting with the parents there and it was very interesting to see the differences between the parents that had been to and fro the unit for some time and the parents of newly admitted babies. It must be such a frightening experience for them and not one any parent plans for when they start their pregnancy journey. I have also just read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saul-Between-Two-Eternities-ebook/dp/B006UFTDX4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342530180&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Saul: Between Two Eternities by Rosemary Kay</a> which I found an addictive read. It's the story of a baby in a neonatal intensive care unit, told from the baby's perspective and a story I would recommend.<br />
<br />Since my time there I've been back in Delivery Suite and appear to be on a medicalised birth run at the moment. I'm getting good experience of theatre and emergencies but I am craving some normality....something which I expect happens to most students and maybe even qualified midwives at times. It has been a relief to see my case loading women and touch base with normality but I can't deny a normal birth would be very much welcomed right now. Still I can't complain too much because of the 40 deliveries that I have to facilitate before qualifying, I'm already up to 35.<br /><br />In the midst of placement I am also starting work on my dissertation and so I am surrounded by articles, web pages, books etc. I am in the stage of reading as much as possible and trying not to get too confused by it all. I also have another assignment that I am trying to complete so that I can completely focus on my dissertation. It's all work work work at the moment. Soon we'll be on our Summer holidays and I will take some time out but also working as much as I can to get it all done as far as possible. Do I feel like a third year now? Yes I think I actually do...being back on delivery suite has helped me to recognise how much I do know. And yes I do still have a lot to learn but learning won't finish with qualifying and I certainly know who I can go to for answers or where to look information up. I won't worry about what I don't know, I'll just focus on learning as much as I can from the opportunities presented to me. It won't be long and I'll be starting the process of applying for jobs but lets just take it one step at a time...just like I tell all new mums to do!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-24289878294027338852012-03-20T09:28:00.000+00:002012-03-20T09:28:21.756+00:00A matter of confidenceWhen I completed the Community part of my placement, I was feeling quite confident of my abilities as a student midwife, felt that I was doing well with my training. Fast forward to now and my Delivery Suite placement and that confidence is gone. I was told at the beginning of my training that there would be times that I would question whether or not this career was for me, that my confidence could sink and rise relatively easily and whilst I'd believed them, this is the first time it's affected me.<br />
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So what happened to cause this dip in confidence? I think in part, it is due to me facing situations I haven't dealt with before, combined with working with people I haven't worked with before. One thing that really helps with training is continuity, particularly with regards to your mentor. Whilst it is also good to work with different people so that you can see how different people work and choose your own way of working, it's hard because you have to learn how they prefer to work and adapt quickly. I find it quite hard to adapt quickly. I take my time to settle into a new situation, and to settle to working with someone new. I like to observe initially and get an idea of how someone works, what they are like and then I settle and start showing what I am capable of. This is not always a good thing to do as when you are on a short placement, it means that you aren't showcasing your talents, then when it comes to being graded, you might be marked as not being confident. I'm hoping that when I'm on my next placement I can return to working with someone I already know.<br />
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Another reason my confidence has been knocked slightly is because of the new situations I have been facing. Prior to this placement I think I had been to theatre only 3 times and yet during this placement I spent most of my time in theatre - it happens! However it is definitely an area I wasn't so confident in, as I hadn't built up my skills yet. The first time I went to theatre, I scrubbed to take the baby so didn't really get to witness what happens. By the end of this placement I am now more confident - I can now scrub quickly, I know what needs to be done, although I've not been doing it all yet, I feel I have a better understanding of what happens.<br />
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I don't think I cared for someone having a normal, low risk labour either....women with blood pressure problems, epidurals, inductions etc... I certainly haven't looked after anyone who didn't need continuous monitoring and I am hoping to return to the midwife led unit in my 3rd year to remind myself what a low risk labour can be like! I have, however, improved some of my other skills - such as inserting a catheter, performing more vaginal examinations and beginning to feel like some of it makes sense. However this semester I received some of my lowest marks and that has definitely knocked my confidence. Grading is always a nerve wracking experience and we all hope for a good mark. I'm ok at assignments - not brilliant - but I do ok. I always hope for my placement grades to bring up my overall average though. When I started my course I had high hopes of achieving a 2:1 or possibly even a 1:1 but these days I just want a degree - that's not putting myself down, it's just that this course is blooming hard and it's so subjective to who is grading you. I want to do well, for myself but ultimately as long as I can be a midwife then that is all that matters!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-88590838803134997182012-01-02T23:14:00.000+00:002012-01-02T23:14:48.939+00:00Working in the communityBefore Christmas I was working in Community which I do love. I particularly like it when I see women before and after the birth of their baby, or to see women on their first day home and then to see them when they are being discharged. In both situations, I have witnessed many changes in the women. I have witnessed the nervous woman become a confident mother, and I have witnessed the confident professional become very unsure and lost when faced with a tiny helpless baby. Babies are certainly unpredictable and it doesn't matter how many books you read before they are born, you simply can't be fully prepared.<br />
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One of the most common questions to be asked as a Midwife is "is this normal?" - this might be during pregnancy or after the birth but it gets asked a lot. 99% of the time (a guess, I haven't sat and worked out a statistic) I would say yes, that it is perfectly normal. Babies are born with their own personalities and all we can do is respond to their needs to the best of our abilities. In the early days this often means trying to guess at what they need...mentally going through the checklist - hungry? nappy needs changing? too hot or too cold? tired? It's all guess work really until you can begin to learn your baby's cues.<br />
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Frequently new mothers ask about how to get their baby to sleep in the moses basket/crib/cot...anywhere rather than lying on Mum. Don't worry I did the same myself, in fact I think I spent the first 2 years of my eldest's life wondering and worrying about how to get her to sleep anywhere but near or on me - she had to be in contact in some way, whether lying on me or just having a hand on me. Generally I advise new mothers to cuddle their babies...shocking I know...but the baby has spent 9 months inside Mum, able to hear her heart beating as a constant sound, and never before having experienced hunger, temperature, gravity and yet we expect babies to suddenly sleep by themselves. Birth is a shock to them and they need reassurance and comfort. I also advise trying putting something that smells of Mum in the crib, warming the crib with a hot water bottle (ensuring to remove it before baby goes in) so it's not suddenly cold on their back, giving baby to Dad to settle for sleep, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000L3ISWI/ref=asc_df_B000L3ISWI5897901?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B000L3ISWI" target="_blank">a slumber bear</a> if they can afford one but what works for one baby won't work for another, and sometimes what works one night won't work the next, and sometimes it feels that nothing works at all. It can simply be a case of give it time...it certainly was the case with my eldest daughter. My younger daughter was far easier - she'd sleep anywhere! I certainly don't believe it was anything I did that made her more likely to sleep, just that she was born with that kind of personality. So give it time, cuddle your baby, try these things by all means but I promise that at some point, your baby will be able to go to sleep by themselves. I have been on the receiving end of such advice and at the time it felt like useless advice, the tiredness was relentless, and that even one more night was one night too many but I hope it brings comfort to know that yes this is normal for many babies.<br />
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I seem to have wandered into the realms of sleepless nights and generic advice but it is something that new mums ask about so often that I feel it's worth discussion. Certainly I feel that the lack of sleep I endured when my children were younger has prepared me well for night shifts as a midwife. As a breastfeeding mother helper, helping to run the group, the women that came along would frequently ask for help with sleep and their babies. We live in a society where "sleeping through the night" appears to be main focus, the ultimate goal, particularly in the early days and then with some desperation as time goes by. However if were simply to accept that babies wake in the night for an indefinite period of time, is it not easier to cope with? That actually the norm is not for babies to sleep through the night, but for them to wake regularly to feed and that at times they will sleep for longer and other times they will wake more frequently, such as during growth spurts which again are normal. I know that I found it far easier to deal with my second child's nightly wakings because I was prepared for it. I was still exhausted at times, and I still complained about it but I didn't waste energy trying to fight it or find an answer to it. I tried things to see if it helped but I didn't worry if it didn't, I just recognised that she wasn't ready yet. However I did have the advantage of not working at that time, I wasn't yet a student either. My eldest spent mornings at nursery so I used that time to catch up a bit and rest. I think we have a tendancy in this country to try and push ourselves back to normal as soon as possible and actually we'd do well to stop and learn about our babies, spend time with them, allow time to recover from the birth properly...focus on what's important...not on having a show home, or getting out and about as quickly as possible, make use of friends and family to help out if you can. This is of course all very idealistic and I do realise that but I can dream, at least when I'm allowed to sleep that is. At the very least I think this is useful advice for those very early days....stop, rest, recover and cuddle your baby.<br />
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Photos courtesy of <a href="http://mariedonnphotography.com/" target="_blank">Marie Donn Photography</a></div>
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<br />Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-5904575084879774982011-11-18T10:00:00.000+00:002011-11-18T10:00:11.272+00:00Passion and InspirationSometimes I find myself bogged down in the workload. For example, at the moment we are working on two assignments, about to return to placement and in January we have a presentation and a biology exam. In the midst of this, I am also attending meetings in my capacity as set rep and trying to plan for Christmas, spend time with my family and friends and there just isn't enough hours in the week. Consequently I'm a little rundown at the moment, with cold after cold and a constant feeling of tiredness. So it's easy to wonder how I maintain my passion for midwifery, and to keep that light at the end of the tunnel to aim for.<br />
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I try to maintain my passion for midwifery through reading - I'm always interested in the use of techniques I've never seen in practice and that we're unlikely to be taught. For example, the use of <a href="http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10187" target="_blank">water blisters</a> to help with the pain in a back to back labour. If you've not heard of them before then have a read, it's really interesting. Something else I was reading about recently was a technique for dealing with shoulder dystocia where the mother is aided into a running start position which is explained <a href="http://www.spinningbabies.com/spinning-babies-and/resolving-shoulder-dystocia" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I also recently attended a water birth study day which re-ignited my passion for water birth and home birth. Prior to beginning the course, it was of course my own home water birth that inspired me to become a midwife and yet I am still to attend one myself. The study day reminded me of how to trust in women to be able to birth their babies without any intervention. It also highlighted to me the amount of fear there is surrounding home birth - from the health professionals as well as the women. Fortunately this isn't true of everyone but clearly a significant enough number for the percentage of women having a home birth to be extremely low. According to <a href="http://www.birthchoiceuk.com/BirthChoiceUKFrame.htm?http://www.birthchoiceuk.com/HomeBirthRates.htm" target="_blank">Birth Choice UK</a>, just 2.39% of births in the UK were home births and in the area where I work just 2.2%, a figure which hasn't changed much in the past 10 years.<br />
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This week I was fortunate to be able to attend the <a href="http://www.rcm.org.uk/college/campaigns-events/events/rcm-conference-2011/" target="_blank">RCM</a> student midwives conference in Brighton. As well as the superb amount of freebies from all the stands that were there, I also had the opportunity to listen to some inspirational speakers. I was able to hear from other students, newly qualified midwives and midwives who had been working in the profession for a long time. If you ever get the chance to attend then I thoroughly recommend it. It's hard for me to sum up exactly how much you can gain from the experience. I'd also recommend any other conferences you can attend, such as the <a href="http://www.armconference.co.uk/" target="_blank">ARM</a> conference or any other event where you might have the opportunity to hear such inspirational speakers.<br />
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So when I'm feeling the pressure of my workload and all I'm really doing is worrying about how I am going to get it all done, to the best of my ability, sometimes I just take some time out to remind myself why I am doing it and I then find I can focus better on my work. Alternatively I also have times when I just have to push on, push past the point where I feel everything I am writing is rubbish, to the point where it begins to make sense. Trust me, it does happen sometimes.<br />
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If you haven't done so already, can you please sign the petition for more midwives!<br />
<a href="http://www.rcm.org.uk/college/campaigns-events/protect-maternity-services/">http://www.rcm.org.uk/college/campaigns-events/protect-maternity-services/</a><br />
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<br />Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-65612462839911031012011-10-15T09:00:00.000+01:002011-10-15T09:00:03.612+01:00Baby Loss Awareness Week<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"></span><br />
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Today is the beginning of Baby Loss Awareness Week and tonight many women all over the world will be lighting candles to join in the Wave of Light, myself included. Will you join in?</div>
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Some time ago my friend Marie offered to write a guest post for me about baby loss and I didn't hesitate to accept. As often happens, life got busy and in the way, so it took some time to organise. However, both of us agreed that this week was the perfect timing and I think you'll agree that Marie offers some valuable advice to both students and qualified midwives alike. Thank you Marie x</div>
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How has this past week been for you? Has it been a normal week? Perhaps you were working long shifts in your local hospital, or you were on placement in the community. Maybe you were studying, or if you’re lucky you’ve been having a well-earned break.</div>
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I don’t know what <u style="line-height: 19px;">all</u> of you were doing, but I do know that about 120 of you last week were supporting someone who had lost a child to stillbirth or neonatal loss. And I know that 120 of you will be faced with doing this next week.</div>
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And then the same the week after.</div>
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And then the one after that.</div>
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Because as you may or may not already know, on average 17 babies older than 24 weeks’ gestation die every day in the UK, before or shortly after birth. As a midwife you absolutely will be dealing with these situations one day, repeatedly in most cases.</div>
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This week wasn’t a particularly out of the ordinary week, although you may well have seen more publicity about baby loss awareness recently. The campaign, for which I’m not a spokesperson may I say, brings together four UK charities that if you’re not aware of you could do worse than to have a read about: The Miscarriage Association, The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, Antenatal Results and Choices, and Sands, the Stillbirth and neonatal death association.</div>
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Each of them publish guidelines and leaflets for health professionals as well as for those who are affected directly and indirectly by pregnancy and neonatal loss. Each of them offer support both for those affected and for you as healthcare professionals. I’ll even make it easy for you and link to some <a href="http://www.uk-sands.org/Improving-Care/News-and-Information-for-health-professionals.html" saprocessedanchor="true" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/for-health-professionals/" saprocessedanchor="true" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.arc-uk.org/health-professionals/" saprocessedanchor="true" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Why do I care? Why should you care? And who am I anyway?</div>
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I’m Marie. I’m a 30-something mum from Essex, who wears either a personnel or photographer job hat depending on what day you find me – I’m certainly not in healthcare. I like cats and chocolate, but I try not to mix the two. I drive a little too fast sometimes, I bite my nails when I’m tired or bored, and I wish that Gok Wan made clothes for the shorter fatter people in society. My son died two years ago, before birth. I’m one of the women you might have met, or will meet one day.</div>
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So, when it’s ‘your’ week, what kind of midwife will you be for any of those 120 women, just like me?</div>
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Will you be the midwife who told me to ‘know my place’ in my first lost pregnancy, when I sat on the bed before she’d asked me to? Will you be the midwife who, in an open reception full of other pregnant women, asked me what SANDs did and what had happened, and didn’t know what the SANDs sticker on my notes meant? Will you be the midwife who assured me I would not be placed next to a labouring woman after my son died, but then couldn’t understand why I was traumatised when they did exactly that? Will you be the midwife who drew the curtains around my bed in HDU rather than have to watch me cry? Will you be the midwife who, after the scan to confirm my son had died, told me all about her children and large family? Will you be the midwife who dismissed my tears and told me off for raising my blood pressure without offering support to me?</div>
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And if you’re not a midwife, but you’re another healthcare professional, will you be the one who ignored my requests for pain medication and told me to keep the noise down so I didn’t upset others when I was labouring with my late miscarriage? Will you be the one who chatted about Christmas at the end of my bed instead of getting me the bedpan I had asked for? Will you be the one who refused to admit me, bleeding heavily and screaming, to ER until my husband had filled out forms?</div>
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Will you be the amazing midwife sonographer who supported me through multiple pregnancy losses and successful pregnancies, made time to talk in the waiting room, minimised the delay and wait for scans, and provided tissues when it was all too much? Will you be the comforting midwife who always made time to listen and explain when I didn’t understand the printout from the DAU during my exhausting last pregnancy and just COULDN’T leave the hospital before I knew whether my son was okay? Will you be the caring midwife who understood why I was distraught that I had been assigned to be seen by a junior instead of my consultant at a key stage in my subsequent pregnancy, and arranged a better appointment for me? Will you be the home-visit midwife who held me while I cried when she visited me to check my blood pressure after my son died, and made special trips to come and see me, taking her time to sign me off until she was sure that I could get through a day? Will you be the labour midwife who stayed by my side during my entire 7 hour labour with the boy who would never cry, open his eyes, or smile, helped my husband dress him, and took his precious pictures and handprints? Will you be one of the midwives who visited my other son in NICU when he arrived early and I was in recovery, taking personal delight in sharing a happy end to my story?</div>
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This week, as a midwife or a healthcare professional looking after pregnant women you cannot choose not to deal with these situations, in the same way that I and my fellow women have no choice but to endure them. You can, however, choose how to deal with them, and how you are remembered afterwards. What will you choose?</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;">For some stats on Baby Loss watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11n4a2FAZ2o" saprocessedanchor="true" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">this</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;">For more information click <a href="http://www.babyloss.com/" saprocessedanchor="true" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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</div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-64260337596841672011-10-04T21:34:00.000+01:002011-10-04T21:34:32.835+01:00Another placement finishedTwo more assignments submitted and suddenly I'm halfway through the course. Everyone told me that the time would fly past and they were right, it really has flown. I'm looking back at all I've done and learnt and feeling quite proud of myself and yet I can still look at all there is to learn and feel overwhelmed by it all. Over the past 18 months I have seen a variety of women with very different needs,and a variety of different midwives with different ways of working. I've seen normal births and I've seen births that needed high levels of expertise in order for mother and baby to survive - all of which I have learnt from. Sometimes it can feel like what we do at Uni, is a distant cry from what we do on placement. After all our first 18 months of training has been focused on normality but of course what we see on placement can be very different. One thing I have learnt is that remaining focused on what is normal, helps to identify when something isn't within the realms of normality.<br />
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A simple example of this is when we first palpate the uterus to see what position the baby is in, in a woman who is 40 weeks pregnant. Focusing on normality, we would expect the baby to be in a head down position so if the baby is not in that position, we can identify this and then act appropriately. At the beginning of my training I didn't really have a clue what position the baby was in but with practice I soon began to be able to tell. I even managed to identify a baby in the breech position. As I've continued in my training, I've become more and more confident and even at an earlier stage of pregnancy, can often identify the position. That said, I am not afraid to say when I'm not sure and to ask the midwife I am working with to have a feel and see what she thinks. It's essential to be comfortable enough to say "I don't know". There is no shame in not knowing something, there is shame in pretending that you do.<br />
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It's not unknown for a doctor to request a second opinion and I've witnessed qualified midwives ask for another midwife's opinion. Yet I know it can be difficult to say 'I don't know'. I'd say it's probably more difficult at the beginning of your training because you don't know yet whether or not you should know the answer and whether you'll look foolish if you don't know. I still maintain that you look far more foolish if you pretend to know the answer....you will get caught out. These days when I come across a term I don't know - usually when booking someone, they mention a medical condition I've never heard of - I'll ask the midwife I'm working with, or I'll look it up. We can't know everything after all.<br />
<br />So if you are about to start your first placement then there is your first bit of advice - don't be afraid to say you don't know something. BUT don't wait for someone else to find out for you - look it up - google is your friend!<br />
<br />Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-78125188894092488932011-09-05T22:52:00.002+01:002011-09-05T22:54:43.896+01:00A weighty family matterTonight I shall continue the story of my sister and her life - my last post finished with the birth of her son and a mention of her depression. <div>
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In the months following the birth of my nephew, my brother was diagnosed with a second brain tumour and began further treatment, Christmas came and went, I gave birth to my first child, my brother's tumour stopped responding to treatment and shortly after the birth of his son, he lost his fight for life. My sister, sister-in-law and I used to meet up weekly with our babies. We'd have lunch, chat and try to be a comfort to each other. We were all grieving in very different ways. I don't really remember much of that time, lost in that haze of bereavement but I know there were times when we laughed and times that we cried.</div>
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During this time my sister's depression was increasing and her dependency on others was also increasing. She was drowning in grief and it wasn't just grief for my brother but also for the life she once had, the life that she thought she'd had, the happy daughter that had been stolen from her, the security that she'd once known. My parents went away and my sister's dependence switched heavily to me and my sister in law and lost in our own grief, and trying to deal with being parents, we didn't handle it very well. We argued, over something ridiculous really, but that afternoon my sister attempted to take her own life. I will be forever grateful that she didn't succeed that day, and forever grateful to those that helped me and her. It took me a long time to forgive my sister for what she'd tried to do and for me to gain more understanding of depression and helplessness that she must have felt. I can remember the relief that I felt when I collected my parents from the airport, that it wasn't my responsibility anymore. I'm not very proud of how I handled things back then. Over the coming months my sister had counselling and she got better. It wasn't a sudden thing, it was a gradual process and sometimes she'd have backward steps along the way. The good days eventually outweighed the bad. Time passed, we healed but we continue to grieve and that will never change. My sister has a new partner now and life has changed a lot from that dark time. </div>
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Whilst my sister was battling the dark cloud of depression, my eldest niece was fighting battles of her own. She'd fought her father in court and "won" but the scars left behind were far deeper. It wasn't a simple case of getting him behind bars and that was that. She was entitled to counselling from the NSPCC because of her father but she wasn't able to have it until after the court case. It took a year for it to get to court so by the time she went to counselling, she'd reached a stage of locking everything deep inside her. She was too old for a child counsellor and too much of a teenager to really open up to anyone new. When she turned 18, we discovered she had an eating disorder. She's now 21 and has just recently been admitted as an inpatient into a unit for people with eating disorders. My sister is documenting her experiences in a blog of her own <a href="http://psychomum-todaystheday.blogspot.com/">http://psychomum-todaystheday.blogspot.com/</a> so I'm not going to do the same. Life with someone with an eating disorder puts more pressure on a family than I ever imagined.</div>
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I mentioned in my first post that my sister fell off her pedestal for me when I was 12 years old. And I am sure I have raised some memories for my sister that have been difficult, she may well be wondering what I think of her now. She has faced a parent's worst nightmare and she has always been there for her children even when they have pushed her to the absolute limit. I have only touched on some of the things that she has faced. She doesn't consider herself a strong person but she is one of the strongest people I know. When I was 12, the sister I held on my pedestal was not really my sister but just who I imagined her to be. My sister is not perfect, who is? She still on occasion battles depression but she's winning the fight. I am proud to call her my sister. I am proud of how she has handled things, especially the last few years. Life has dealt her a difficult hand but she remains big hearted, generous, kind, and steadfastly loyal to her family and friends. She is an amazing person and I am honoured to be a part of her life. So sis, chin up and lets take on the next battle together, hand in hand. </div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-63530656805288949922011-09-04T22:04:00.001+01:002011-09-05T22:54:43.888+01:00Part 2It's possible I may have concerned my sister with which direction this series about her and her family might take but she need not worry, all will become clear. However in order to alleviate her worry, I have decided to continue the tale this evening. <div>
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Yesterday I told you how we found out that my niece had been abused by her father and our lives changed forever. Naturally the police and social services were involved, however it took over a year to get her father behind bars. During that year, we rallied together as a family but it was almost too big for us to handle. During that time we first discovered that my brother was ill, and I was planning my wedding. My sister made the arrangements to sell the house that they had once shared as there was no way she could afford it on her own and started the wheels in motion for divorce.Now I get a little hazy as to the order in which things happened but during that year my sister sold the house she had once shared and her ex-husband halted the sale at the last moment, despite being in prison at the time. The result instead was that the house was repossessed but even that was not the process it should have been. As you might imagine with all this going on at the same time as my brother being desperately ill, my niece struggling with everything that had happened to her and the court case at which she testified, life for my sister was incredibly stressful and quite frankly awful. I was really quite worried about her at this time - she had some friends that I just wasn't sure about and she was going out a lot, drinking a lot. Frankly though it was nothing to do with me, there was nothing specific to worry about and goodness knows she needed the break. Everything just felt a little bit crazy. And then she discovered she was pregnant and it was as if the baby was sent to bring her life back on track. It might seem crazy to some but I truly believe that this baby came for a reason, despite all the odds. He came to give her hope again and to remind her of the future still there waiting. That it wasn't all hopeless as it all must have seemed. </div>
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Life that had been so crazy seemed to settle back down. She still had the repossession to deal with and as I said that didn't happen as it should have done. Everything took a long time to happen, longer than it should have done. There were no guarantees that she would be housed, that she could be initially placed in a bed and breakfast with her three children, whilst pregnant. Thankfully when the day finally came, she was housed and by some miracle she was housed directly opposite my house. That evening her waters broke and the next day her second son was born. I was her birth partner and that day is very precious in my memory. I was already pregnant with my first daughter at this time, and my sister in law was also pregnant and I was looking forward to us all having babies so close in age to each other. </div>
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<br />At this time it felt to me like life was on the up, or at the very least was settling to a new kind of normal. My sister was beginning a new life which seemed more hopeful than it had just a week earlier, my brother was doing well, I was excited about my new baby...life was full of hope. The truth was very different - my sister was battling severe depression and my brother was shortly to be diagnosed with a second tumour. </div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-49522262841041475312011-09-03T15:46:00.003+01:002011-09-03T15:46:59.805+01:00Family matters...This post is not so much about me as a student midwife but about me as a person, about my family. I've already told you all about losing my brother after all. I know I've mentioned my sister but I don't expect I've told you much about her and her family. This is all heading somewhere but I just feel that the background is vital....there is no point me telling you the ending without you knowing what came first and I believe that the whole story plays a part in where we are today. It's a part of what makes me who I am. It's a part of what makes up the relationship that my sister and I have today.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBVrezy__k3hL7ctgfsHGP0EGlBeBBIk3AZw3D4MUOMjRZE9PZdkzpIzc71yQcbfwKWeXvx9hJZElMTPzv8h3s43BwWjI-QjlA1wPi3VNahtM2DH2DMdNyfFqL-RbFzZ0aS0GLUT4ZzM/s1600/img146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBVrezy__k3hL7ctgfsHGP0EGlBeBBIk3AZw3D4MUOMjRZE9PZdkzpIzc71yQcbfwKWeXvx9hJZElMTPzv8h3s43BwWjI-QjlA1wPi3VNahtM2DH2DMdNyfFqL-RbFzZ0aS0GLUT4ZzM/s320/img146.jpg" width="320" /></a>My sister is 5 years older than me. As a child I idolised her, I wanted to be just like her. I don't really know why...she wasn't very nice to me - I was her nuisance baby sister. Our mum used to occasionally dress us the same - not a problem for me but I am sure it was pretty embarrassing for her. She wasn't really mean to me but she'd want to sit and read her books and I wanted her to play with me so she'd often tell me to go away and leave her alone. If she wanted to play however, she'd make out she was doing me a big favour and sit and play with my flower fairies and my little ponies with me. We used to share a room until I was 10 and she was 15, and we moved house. We had bunk beds and we both wanted to sleep on the top bunk so she'd tell me to stay awake and maybe she'd let me sleep on the top bunk. I am sure I was often asleep when she came up but I can certainly remember the occasions when I managed to stay awake and she wouldn't swap.<br />
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However for me, her halo slipped when she was 17. She had a new boyfriend and we didn't see much of her. When she was at home she'd be in her room, when she wasn't in her room, she was a typical teen and all you'd get was hormones. Then all of a sudden she left home. My parents were out one day and my sister was "in charge" of me and my brother. She left a note for my mum with me and she left. As it turned out, the note was to tell my parents that she was off to live with her boyfriend and she wasn't coming back. My parents were devastated as you can imagine. I was only 12 but I can remember a lot of hushed conversations at home. One day at school, one of the girls asked me if my sister was pregnant which I denied. When I told my mum however, it turned out to be true. There followed discussions with my sister and her boyfriend and his parents and eventually it was decided that they were going to get married, and they were both going to move back in with us. My sister's halo didn't slip because she left home, it didn't slip because she was pregnant, it slipped because she upset my parents so badly.<br />
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I recall it being around this time that I was allowed to get my ears pierced whereas my sister wasn't allowed until she was 16. My sister moaned for years about this fact - she didn't realise that in part it was because of her I was allowed mine done early. I don't know what I did, but my mum told me I was a big help to her at that time. Anyway my sister married her boyfriend and shortly before she turned 18 she became a mum. I have loved being an Auntie ever since and I was honoured to become her baby girls godmother. My sister and her husband moved into their own place and a couple of years later had a little boy. Life got better and they managed to buy their own house and 5 years later had another baby girl. I was so proud of them. They hadn't made the best choices but they'd pulled their socks up, worked hard and made a life and a home for themselves. I used to visit my sister weekly at that time, her youngest daughter just a baby. We used to go shopping a lot. Life went on....there were ups and downs but generally life was good, life was "normal", life was uneventful - oh wasn't that nice! Then followed a catalogue of events that sometimes blurs in which order it all happened. It's the part of our lives that we sometimes think people wouldn't believe. However I am going to focus on the events directly involving my sister and her family, although it was around the same time as my brother falling ill and me getting married.<br />
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My eldest niece was 13. My sister and her husband had separated and although we were all initially shocked, it certainly seemed to be the best decision. Then came the bombshell. My niece confided in a friend at school. Her father had been sexually abusing her. Our lives changed in an instant, although of course, hers had changed some time before when it had all begun.<br />
<br />There is so much more to say that it is simply too much for one post alone so I shall tell the next part of the tale next time....<br />
<br />Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-21654167815459204702011-08-28T22:00:00.001+01:002011-08-29T21:34:14.042+01:00FearBecoming a parent can, for some, be the most frightening experience in the world. You can ask about others experiences, you can read all the books, you can look on the internet but nothing can really tell you what it's going to be like. It is quite normal for first time mums to focus on the labour that is ahead of them and read all you can on the subject or alternatively, completely stick their heads in the sand and not think about it at all. I was someone who had to read everything I could. For me, as a future midwife, as someone who has been through labour twice, as a mum who wonders what parenthood will bring that day, I wonder if I can help alleviate some fear? I certainly hope that I can, for women that I work with and with friends who are to become parents in the future.<br />
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</div><div>Labour is certainly something that holds a lot of fear and it's understandable that it does because anything that involves pain, is something to worry about. Instinctively, as humans, if there is pain then there is something wrong. However labour is unique in that, it is the only time that pain is actually a good thing. If you are someone that has had a tough pregnancy, or you go overdue, or you've just had enough of waiting, you may even find yourself wishing for the pains to start. The one time in your life, you will wish for pain?</div><div><br />
Television doesn't help of course...it gives the impression that when you go into labour your waters will break and you are instantly in agony. I'd hope that most people realise that labour generally takes longer than how it is usually portrayed on the tele. For most women, labour begins with mild, irregular pains. Many women liken them to period pains. You can breathe through them, you can walk through them, you can easily talk through them...not like they'd have you believe in Albert Square. They can be 10-15 minutes apart, they can stop for a few hours and then start up again. This is the main reason women are recommended to wait before rushing up to the hospital. Yes they hurt, some are stronger than others but as it's not a constant pain it's something women can cope easily with. The fear that can accompany those pains however, is what some women find difficult to handle. The not knowing how long it will last for, can be difficult to handle. And sometimes whilst the pain isn't that strong yet, it can still prevent women from sleeping or getting comfortable, and this can have an impact on how well women cope.<br />
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I believe that fear surrounding labour and birth should be handled at the antenatal stage, or perhaps pre-conception would ideal. I wholeheartedly believe, that in the delivery suite is not the place though. It's much more difficult to maintain normality when someone is terrified. It's not impossible and I have witnessed some amazing midwives who can calm the most frightened of women, and ground them, manage their fear, soothe them and make them feel safe. I hope to be this kind of midwife. I believe that the overwhelming fear that some women experience does sometimes lead them to choosing an epidural for pain relief. They don't know what to expect and how long it might take. Providing women with accurate information, and helping them to make an informed decision is vital. Being able to alleviate their fear is also vital. I have witnessed frightened women "choosing" an epidural and as someone pointed out to me, how can it be an informed choice when it is a fear based decision. Women should not reach this level of fear.<br />
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When I was pregnant with my second daughter, I attended an antenatal group, as previously mentioned in my <a href="http://fromstudenttomidwife.blogspot.com/2010/11/inspirational-midwives.html">Inspirational Midwives</a> post last year, where I was given all the information I could possibly need to make an informed choice about where I wanted to give birth, my pain relief options and what to expect if things didn't go to plan. I always wished I'd attended the group when I was pregnant for the first time. What I find incredibly sad, is that group had to stop running due to a lack of funding. Those midwives inspired a number of women to have a home birth, who in turn inspired others to also have home births, and that cycle is still continuing, their inspiration still continues on. They gave women a voice, because they provided the information, they probably saved the NHS a lot of money because a women who knows what to expect, needs far less interventions, would decline unnecessary interventions. In an ideal world, the community midwife would be able to handle all fears about labour and birth during an antenatal appointment. Sadly there just isn't time - too many women and not enough midwives. Midwives constantly thinking about the next woman they have to see....it's not that they don't want to, it's more that it's just not possible.<br />
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Fear is the biggest barrier for a woman facing labour and birth. Time is one the biggest barriers facing the midwife. My biggest fear about becoming a midwife, is not having the time to be able to give women the care that they need, that they deserve and becoming frustrated with time constraints. I hope to remember the midwives who managed to give the time without neglecting others, somehow found a way to manage it. </div><div><br />
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</div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-80770602483273232722011-06-25T08:47:00.000+01:002011-06-25T08:47:35.305+01:00Into delivery suite I go...So here I am, a second year student and I've just started placement on Delivery Suite. On Sunday night I had butterflies in my tummy, and I was really nervous about starting placement this time. In part I think it's because wearing my second year badge, means I am meant to know stuff. Of course I do know a lot more than I did this time last year but there is still that feeling that you are faking it and soon someone will discover you don't know anything. It's a bit like the feeling that you are playing at being a grown up when you have children...I am sure some of you know what I mean.<br />
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</div><div>Anyway I had my first shift on Monday and I felt like my head was full of cotton wool at the beginning of the day. It's been quite a while since we were last on placement and I had to get myself back into mindset and remember how things were done....mainly the documentation. Also this is the first time I've worked on Delivery Suite, having worked in the Midwife Led Unit before so I'm learning how things are different. The main difference is that there are far more high risk women being cared for which means that the CTG machines are used for monitoring, in some cases continuously throughout labour. Then there are the women who are on drips for inducing labour, women with epidurals, women with pre-existing conditions that need to be monitored, women carrying twins (or more), women who have had bleeding during pregnancy, women with high blood pressure, and anything else you can think of really.<br />
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In comparison with the midwifery led unit, delivery suite is more fast paced, and busier. There is always something going on. The doctors are also far more involved with care and decision making. One of the things I have learnt this week, is how quickly things can change, and how quickly the staff can move when they need to. For low risk women, the constant monitoring is not needed, but once you begin to intervene and various drugs are used, there can be a reaction to that drug, and it can be very sudden. However with the monitoring that is used, the response to any reaction is swift.<br />
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I've watched One Born Every Minute and how the midwives are portrayed - sat in the office drinking tea and eating cake whilst women labour on their own. I have to say this is definitely not my experience. Where I am the midwives spend the majority of the time in with their women. They may grab a cup of tea at some point, but often they don't get the chance, and I don't like to think how many midwives miss getting a lunch break because it's just too busy. Would you not agree that it would be a safer and happier environment for all if there were enough staff to ensure they got a break? It's not that I think it's unsafe where I am fortunately but I can definitely see that there would be a huge benefit to all, if there were more staff. You can't predict who will walk the door, with what "problems" so you always have to be prepared for anything. Delivery suite needs midwives who work as a team, supporting each other, alongside the doctors, anaesthetists, maternity support workers, cleaners etc... Everyone has a vital role in delivery suite and communication is essential.</div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-32560230682574644172011-05-13T20:33:00.000+01:002011-05-13T20:33:36.975+01:00Self esteem and confidenceFollowing a conversation with a friend of mine today I have been pondering self-esteem and confidence. This particular friend is someone whom if you don't know very well comes across as a confident self-assured person, but once you get to know her, you discover that inside she has low self-esteem and hardly any self-confidence at all. This pondering led to me to wondering about other people that I know and judgements I have made about them and their confidence levels. Also at what point does it become vain to talk about what you are good at?<div><br />
</div><div>As a child I was very shy and I didn't have a lot of confidence in myself - I was bullied for my weight from a very young age and it certainly had an impact. As a young adult, I was still shy but I began the process of bullying myself out of it. Amongst friends I was completely confident but place in a new situation and I was a blushing mess. Friends, family and boyfriends could compliment me but I'd think they were only saying it to be nice, and I didn't really believe them. These days I'd imagine most people would be surprised to hear me describe myself as shy as I probably come across as quite confident. I guess the truth is I am far more confident than I have ever been before. I do have good days and bad days the same as anyone else but on the whole I am more confident in myself. </div><div><br />
</div><div>It's not that I just woke up one day and discovered self-belief but gradually I came to realise that I was more confident in myself. In part I think it's down to my family and friends and the belief that they have in me - eventually it has to rub off right? However mainly I think it's because I finally found the one thing I believe I can be good at. I think I will be a good midwife....if I didn't think I could be good at it then I wouldn't be doing it. I also think I am a good Mum...I'm not a perfect Mum but who could be? I'm not afraid to say where I made my mistakes. I'm a good Mum because I learn from my mistakes. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm not the best but I don't need to be. It took me a long time to find my niche and now that I have found it, I am determined to make it work the best way it can for me. It's made me feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin and a lot less worried about what others think of me. I know my weaknesses, so when they are knocking at the door, I can't always make them go away but I no longer invite them in for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Love me or loathe me, that's up to you. Loving myself makes me a stronger person, and a more confident person.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I also believe that confidence is going to be a vital component of being a good midwife. I need to confident in the decisions I make. I also need to be confident enough to be able to say when I don't know the answer to something. Confidence doesn't mean knowing all the answers...confidence means you know it's ok not to know the answer. </div><div><br />
</div><div>So if you aren't confident, if you don't believe in yourself....then I just think it's a case of finding your niche....and sadly for some it takes longer to find. </div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-77347571750901369052011-05-08T08:07:00.000+01:002011-05-08T08:07:38.400+01:005 years - a sensitive post!Today it's been 5 years since my brother lost his fight against the brain tumour in his head. The night before I had been so happy, his son had been born on the Saturday and whilst he hadn't been well enough to be there, we were hoping that his wife and son would be home on the Monday and he'd meet his son. However in the early hours of Monday 8th May 2006, he slipped away peacefully in his sleep. Whilst he never did get to hold his son, he did at least know that he had been born and that had made him happy. Losing my brother changed me - in ways I can't really explain, all I know is, I am different to the person I was before he died.<br />
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This week a friend of mine had her life changed forever in one of the cruelest possible ways. Her son William, who was soon to be 3, didn't wake up. He hadn't been ill, though he'd been under investigations as it was thought he had epilepsy. They'd been on holiday and the day before they'd spent the day at the beach and he had thoroughly enjoyed playing in the sand, and chasing a beach ball. It is wonderful that his last day was so happy and carefree with his parents and older sister, and I am sure that those memories will bring comfort as well as pain in the days, weeks and years ahead.<br />
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I know William's mum, through an online community. Some people might fight it strange that I keep sobbing for William...after all I never met him. I have met his Mum but never his Dad or older sister. However the nature of the online community means it felt like I knew him, like I knew him almost as well as I knew my "real life" friends. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this - the whole community has been shocked. Many of us have children of similar ages, we've debated the SIDS guidelines, the appropriate weaning foods, breastfeeding, co-sleeping etc. It's seems trite to say it, but things like this don't happen to people you know but unfortunately that's just not true. Many members of the online community are buying and planting Sweet William, in his memory. A memory that should always be kept alive.<br />
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This week I have had times where I got cross with one of the girls for leaning on me, for not leaving me alone, for not going to sleep when they should, for not getting dressed quickly enough. I have worried about money and stressed over housework. When I read the news from my friend on Friday, all I wanted to do was gather the girls in my arms. I know I am not alone, in checking more frequently on the girls when they are sleeping. Life was thrown into perspective in a very harsh way.<br />
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I can't help William's Mum and family, I can't ease their pain. I can't begin to understand how they feel at the moment, though some feelings might be familiar to me, grief is different for everyone. Today I shall be spending time with my parents and my sister, and with our children. We will be lighting a candle for David, my brother and I shall light a candle for William. Take a moment today, to appreciate what you have - give someone a hug, tell someone you love them, smile.<br />
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RIP William, you will be missed x<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/5694533372_c22ba7c41b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/5694533372_c22ba7c41b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-39264916601022231942011-05-04T22:06:00.000+01:002011-05-04T22:06:05.875+01:00And so begins 2nd YearWe are no longer shiny and new. We've all had different experiences on placement, good and not so good. We've all already started to think about the kind of midwife we want to be - learning from those we've been working with. We've even already become a little cynical about the changes we thought we could make because we've seen how restrictive working for the NHS can be.<br />
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I've been back in Uni for two days and already I feel revitalised and hopeful about my future. During one of courses we will be looking at hypnobirthing and complementary therapies and I am so excited...this is exactly the kind of midwife I want to be. I want to embrace normality and encourage women to believe in their bodies to give them the best possible chance of a normal birth. Did you know that it is a well known phenomenon that women's labours halt or slow down when they enter a hospital? Did you know that it was only once the doctors got involved that babies began to be born in hospitals instead of at home?<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I 100% believe that hospitals have their place and women and babies lives have been saved as a result. However I do believe that for the majority of women, home would be a perfectly safe place to give birth. I may well be biased having had personal experience of a home birth and loved it but it is something I am passionate about. Sadly I also believe that we are a long way off turning things around again. Women have different expectations now - they expect pain relief, they expect doctors or midwives to tell them what will happen and when, and so on. It's not that women are wrong but perhaps we are wrong in how we guide women's expectations if that makes sense?<br />
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It's not often that I hear people say that they loved their antenatal classes...at least not once they've had the baby. The most common statement I hear is that the classes didn't prepare them in any way? So is this where we are going wrong? Is this where we can make a huge difference to how birth and labour is viewed? I do believe that no-one can be fully prepared for just how much parenthood changes your life but I also believe we could prepare women better for birth, and increase the chances of a normal delivery. I've been on the receiving end of wonderful, inspirational antenatal discussion that led me to my home birth. However I was also fully prepared for if things hadn't gone to plan, and I still had plans in place to maintain control of MY birth. Shouldn't all women be given that opportunity?<br />
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I would also like to make the disclaimer that I am not saying that anyone who hasn't had a normal delivery, had unrealistic expectations. There is many factors to consider and I am certainly not in a position to judge whether or not someone was given the opportunity to have a normal delivery. Do you think you were well prepared for the birth of your baby?Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-32333063256896242222011-04-19T21:11:00.000+01:002011-04-19T21:11:49.480+01:00Time off and Paris!Firstly apologies for the lack of posts recently but well I've been enjoying my time off from Uni and studying. I'm now preparing for 2nd year and expecting the coming year to be a lot tougher. During my time off I've enjoyed seeing friends who I've not seen for a while and just catching up. I've been to visit a school friend, whom I hadn't seen since before the birth of my three year old and who now has a baby of her own. And I spent a weekend in Paris with some of my photography group friends.<br />
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I am lucky because I have amazing friends who not only 100% believe in me and support me but also appreciate that sometimes they might not see me for ages - partly due to the course but also sometimes the family things that I have going on. It never really seems to matter, whenever we meet up it's like we only saw each other the week before. Isn't that the beauty of true friendship though!<br />
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Anyway my weekend in Paris....well first I ought to explain our group I guess. Some time ago a member of a forum I belong to, decided to begin a Photo A Day project and invited anyone who wanted to join her to a group on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a>. The aim was to have a record of their year by taking a photo, of whatever they wanted, every day and uploading it to the group to share. Every year new members join, from all around the world, and the level of ability doesn't matter because it's a record for you not for anyone else. That said, most people find they just get better at taking photos because we learn from each other. There are various photo a day groups on Flickr but none so supportive as ours I think.<br />
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Two years ago some of us took a trip to London, stayed up all night to take pictures of our capital at night time. I learnt a lot about my camera that night and quite a lot about London too. I now have a framed photo of London Bridge at night on my wall and I would never have thought I could have taken that good a photo before.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I repeated the experience with some different members the following year and it was following this trip that the idea of Paris was first suggested, by a fellow member of the group, <a href="http://mariedonnphotography.com/">Marie</a>, that we organise a trip to Paris to take photos and get together. Along the way the idea was also suggested that we not only get together in Paris but that we also Rock The Frock...if this is a phrase you are not familiar with then let me explain. Have you ever had a gorgeous dress that you would just love to have some photos of you in? Perhaps a wedding or prom dress that you don't think you'll get the chance to wear again....and now imagine having those photos taken on the steps of the Montmartre! Some of the girls on the trip to Paris well and truly rocked their frocks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Of course you don't have to go all the way to Paris but it was definitely an amazing experience and one I would love to repeat somewhere else, perhaps Rome, perhaps Glasgow, perhaps Australia...oh how I dream. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I am fully aware that this post is nothing to do with Midwifery and being a student....but one thing I will say, you need to have time out. Something you can dip in and out of, that doesn't add any extra pressure to your already burdened shoulders...find a nice balance. </div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-16143223158422692312011-03-16T22:02:00.000+00:002011-03-16T22:02:01.150+00:00Tagged!I've been tagged on Twitter by @naomiwinters_ to answer a few questions! I do like a challenge so here we go! I have been tagged to complete the sentences below and to tag 5 fellow bloggers who I would like to see do the same.<br />
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I am.....thinking about my brother today. Today should be his birthday....he would have been 37 and that feels very strange. In case you haven't read some of my other posts but I lost my brother almost 5 years ago to a brain tumour. When I meet new people and they ask if I have brothers or sisters, I hesitate. I don't want to not mention him, but I know the reaction I'll get when I say I have a brother that died. Anyway today I spent the day with my Mum, Dad and sister - we had lunch and enjoyed spending the time together. We certainly didn't sit around and cry or get sad, he wouldn't have wanted that, he didn't like a fuss.<br />
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The bravest thing I have ever done is.... taken antidepressants. Or potentially I guess it was the first trip to the doctors to admit I was struggling with life. Depression is a very lonely experience and for me it felt ridiculous that I could be depressed. I was a coper, I was an optimist, things didn't get me down so how could it be that I was depressed. However the reality was that I thought my family would be better off without me - not that I was suicidal, but that I shouldn't be in their lives as I was clearly bad luck and they'd be better off with someone else. Looking back I can see how ridiculous that was, but at the time I completely believed it. I was lucky that I had good friends who helped me to see that I needed some help; they encouraged me to approach my doctors for advice which thankfully I did. It takes a far braver person to admit they need help, than to do something on your own, in my humble opinion.<br />
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I feel prettiest when.... well now I don't have great self confidence in my looks. I don't think I'm pretty. However I guess I felt at my prettiest on my wedding day and my husband always tells me I look beautiful; whilst I don't believe him, I appreciate he believes it and that means far more than anything to me.<br />
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Something that keeps me up at night is.....well it doesn't take much to keep me up at night because I am a night owl and a bit of an insomniac. It's far harder to get me up in the morning. Whenever I am worried I do tend to suffer more with the insomnia.<br />
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My favourite meal is.....my Mum's roast lamb with all the trimmings followed by rhubarb or apple crumble with custard....and that has to be runny custard not the thick stuff you can stand a spoon up in.<br />
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The way to my heart is....through being a genuine, honest, kind and big hearted person.<br />
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I would like to be.....a Midwife but I guess you knew that.<br />
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So five bloggers I'd like to see join in are<br />
<a href="https://copperhobnob.wordpress.com/">https://copperhobnob.wordpress.com/</a><br />
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<a href="http://generationwhynot-stupidgirl.blogspot.com/">http://generationwhynot-stupidgirl.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.totallylaurasummers.com/">http://www.totallylaurasummers.com/</a><br />
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<a href="http://snipsnaphappy.blogspot.com/">http://snipsnaphappy.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.bushbb.com/">http://www.bushbb.com/</a><br />
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I look forward to reading yours!<br />
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Oh and here is a link to Naomi's<br />
<a href="http://www.naomiwinters.com/?p=34">http://www.naomiwinters.com/?p=34</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052151180602285270.post-10073130866350936742011-03-16T16:38:00.001+00:002011-03-16T16:39:13.150+00:001st year completeI have now finished my first year placements and received all of my assignment results for the year which I am happy to report were all passes. Actually I'm more than happy - I am thrilled...when I got my last result I walked around with a huge smile on my face because I knew it meant I'd passed year 1 and was moving comfortably onto 2nd year. Not that 2nd year will be comfortable of course....it's going to be even harder work and I am sure there will be times when I will be pulling my hair out!<br />
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In the weeks ahead we have a period of three weeks called transition.During Transition we organise our own time and the idea is that we visit an area that might be useful for our training. So sometimes people go abroad to see how Midwifery services differ from the UK, others might go into breastfeeding support groups to see the work that they do, or spend time with an Independent Midwife etc.. There are many many choices and the only difficulty is choosing what to do. I have chosen to look more closely at the work of the MSLC (midwifery services liaison committee) and the impact that they have had on Midwifery services.<br />
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In between I shall be catching up with friends, having an overnight photography trip to Paris and taking some time to relax and prepare for the hard work to come. And of course the other thing I will be doing is enjoying some time with my family.<br />
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Short post today but hey - I've got my feet up!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04991172908179287487noreply@blogger.com1