I'm going back to school!

[loveslabor]

I've decided to go back to school to be an RN, then transfer to finish a bachelor's in nursing on my way to getting my masters in nurse midwifery.

I've been studying to be a CPM, but I have found myself amazingly comfortable in the hospital atmosphere, which I never expected.

I think that being a CNM, I could really make a huge difference in women's hospital birth experiences, plus I could still attend homebirths. After finishing the CNM program, I would also be a nurse practitioner.

I will be years of education, but I signed up for classes and I'm starting on the road on May 30th.

[DL]

I know what you're talking about. I think that homebirth is wonderful, but I also am very comfortable and quite fascinated by the hospital environment. I'm glad to hear that you've found your niche!! I just found out that my younger sister (3 years younger) is starting nursing school. Her dream is to work in L&D. She's not educated at all in the benefits of midwifery and natural childbirth. She, in fact, had a Perinatologist attend her last uncomplicated, low-risk birth (way OVERKILL). She used to do reception work in their office, and so asked this Dr. if she would be her physician. So....If she's going into the childbirth field in nursing, then I plan to talk her into first reading a lot of the same birth books that we doulas! If nothing else, maybe I can at least assist her in respecting the choice of natural birth and become a great nurse for doulas to work with!

Congrats to you!!! Doulas make great CNMs! I think we sometimes have a different perspective than those who learn everything from scratch in nursing/medical school (what type of care-giver they end up being can sometimes highly depend upon what type of instuctors they get). You, however, already have a great foundation to build upon!

[neworleansdoula]

Congratulations! Like you, I'm taking the plunge as an RN also. However, I'm not certain if I'll go on to the CNM or just a CM. But, I'm looking forward to changing lives in the *birth* room as an RN. I start in June!

[jkapheim]

Congratulations and very exciting.
I recently worked with an RN who had never experienced a birth with a midwife (which I felt was a very medical birth) but to her the subtle differences were really nice.

Good luck to both of you I hope we can make a difference one birth at a time, one mom at a time.

God bless you in all your endeavors

[Kalamazoo Doula]

OMG Amanda, this is sooooo spooky! I have been fighting the same personal battle the past few months! I have been taking a course that takes care of one of the requirements to become a CPM since the start of the year. I have been going back and forth about CPM or CNM. Since my dream is to one day open a free standing birth center in this area, and since my area is the mid west, and very conservative, the birth center would do better with a CNM running it rather than a CPM, plus it is easier to get the Medicaid patients. The two midwives that are running the midwifery classes asked me why I had chosen the path that I have chosen, and I can only say that I want to fight the system, in the system! Everything that I have learned from the direct entry midwifery classes will be invaluable, and I'm learning everything that I can! Good luck to you, and I hope to hear about your experiences!

[Luv2bemommy]

Awesome news! Congratulations!! You will make an awesome midwife/RN!