Amy
BSc (Hons) Midwifery
Early aspirations
I’ve wanted to be a midwife since I was 13, I chose my GCSEs around it. There hadn’t been any births or pregnancies in my family that specifically interested me. I realised just how much of an impact midwives have on people. I like to see other people happy, and if I can help that, then even better.
Right for me
I wanted to come to Bradford before I’d even spoken to the midwifery department. The whole vibe of the entire University blew everywhere else out of the water.
The University itself is really diverse, you see so many different types of people, different groups of people, and I prefer that. Bradford don’t want to put you in a mould, they’d rather build a mould around you. They're not trying to mass produce us into the same type of midwife - you’re the midwife you want to be.
Staying organised
The first year was like work on top of work, and then a placement just after Christmas. When you break it down, it’s all in for different times and you can stagger what you do.
They like to give it to you in advance, so it is well planned out, and as long as you stay organised it’s enjoyable.
Real-world experience
I was quite new onto labour ward and a lady who I'd looked after for the whole shift ended going to a forceps delivery. She went at half past 7 and we finished at 8 o'clock. She was like “please don't leave me!” I was like right, that's it, I'm a soft touch, I am staying!
That’s definitely one of my favourite bits, you've got that little flutter in your belly and your heart’s going like mad because you've got that adrenaline as well. Me and the midwife went to the theatre with her and we didn't leave until quarter to nine. Baby was born, baby was fine. When I said bye, we were both in tears.
At the end of the day you're helping create that family, then you send them off in their new chapter…
Taking time out
Make sure that you take time out, it's so easy to forget that. Sometimes you need 15 minutes at the end of the day to think through what you've done and let it go because so many of us brew on it.
There are people at the University that will help. I struggled last year with the head space. You feel like you're going a bit midwifery mad. I feel insanely better than I did in going to just four counselling sessions. That lovely lady in counselling just listened to me ramble, but rambling is good.
Midwifery
Midwifery is a rewarding career which allows graduates to enter a unique position of providing care to women and their families from conception, antenatally, during labour to the postnatal period.
As a skilled and competent practitioner, you will support women to make decsions about their care, whilst working in a multidisciplinary team and using research and evidence-based knowledge to maintain safety and respect.
Our course will prepare you for the role by using a student-centred approach of problem based learning. Students will spend 20 weeks each year on quality placements across the district, gaining experience in a wide variety of areas and developing the competencies and skills required to be a midwife.
