During the last eleven years I have been working as a professional driver for a national bus company. Although driving for the public can be a very testing career, it has given me the opportunity to engage with the public daily, to face the challenges of working various shift lengths and to become a more organised person to balance time with family, work, and to meet deadlines, along with completing necessary legal paperwork. Not forgetting the stress associated with the job. Which includes the commitments of looking after my family. I enjoyed my job immensely, meeting new people and experiencing the challenges that are put in place – an open mind is essential, but I believe this is now the correct time in my life to focus on a career change and address the things that matter most to me. My family is complete, and I now can follow my calling of becoming a midwife.
My curiosity into this profession started when I was pregnant with my son 16 years ago. I had studied Child Development and Health and Social Care. But I acquired thirst for knowledge regarding this new ‘lived experience’. I began reading many books and articles including writings by Rabia Ali, Ume Habiba and Hazir Ullah on Women’s Lived Experience of Pregnancy and Child Birth: Narratives from Pakistan, researching stillbirths, infertility, molar pregnancies and chromosome disorders, as well as investigating the history of midwifery and their practices, I have had the opportunity to sit and speak to midwives, and my personal health visitor asking them a wide variety of questions and listening to them explaining how they loved their jobs and the fulfilment they feel. I was so fascinated that my research did not stop there.
Over the next sixteen years and four lived experiences, including a mixture of miscarriages, straight forward and not so straightforward pregnancies and births, it was clear to see the dedication of the midwife teams, working together, to support the women in hospital, at home and in the community. My desire to become one of the midwife team has not diminished. I now wish to study a subject for which I have a great passion and experience. Helping other mums and mums to be, and of course the outcome at the end of a life changing road. The support I can give and advice they ask for, antenatally, intrapartum and postnatally about themselves or their new or unborn child. Making bonds with new people, helping mums’ bond with their new-born, whether it be joyous, emotional or heart-breaking, it will provide great satisfaction at all levels. I feel that this would not just be a job but an honour to look after and be part of the paths taken by these women not forgetting husbands, partners or even if they had decided to do this journey alone.
As published in The Independent (Sunday 25th March 2018) by David Hughes, it was announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, that there would be a 25% boost in more training places offered to maternity and maternity staff. The largest ever increase that there has ever been. Which in turn could save the lives of 700 babies a year, reducing the number born with what could have been avoidable conditions. As I personally experienced this in my last pregnancy and, after talking to my midwife, a trainee, and the Head of the Community Department, it became very apparent that this was affecting their working day, and the inability to give full support. This made me realise that I am one of these people that can stand the pace and have the kindness, compassion, and non-judgmental nature to be able to follow my career change. I am also a believer of giving mums the best experience they can have, whatever they choose to do, be it pain relief, elective, or emergency caesarean section.
I am returning to collage to highlight that I am ready to succeed in midwifery with the hope in the future, to specialise in neonatal and high-risk pregnancies.
