So, it’s that time of year again – people starting the course in September are asking what they need to buy before they start; I remember the feeling so well – it’s exciting, but where the hell do you start when it comes to buying the right things?!
Many of you will have seen my “Ultimate Student Midwife Shopping List” Post from last year – and some of you may have even seen my Student Midwife Shop section on this site.
But up until now this has been very much based on the things that you really “need”. And don’t get me wrong – that’s all very important and I will cover all of that in this post too, but what about the other things? The things that you don’t 100% need, but that are so gorgeous and special that you just have to have them?
Well guys, never fear – because here is my updated Student Midwife Shopping List, equipped with not just the necessities, but also the ultimate Lust-List too.
To visit the full student midwife shop, click here:
The Necessities
Books
Obviously, this is a university degree, so there are definitely going to be books that you need. Each university has books that it recommends to students to get, but the golden set seem to be:
- Myles or Mayes – Pretty much the midwifery bible; you need to work out which suits (they are set out in slightly different ways so it depends how you learn) you best but you will definitely need one or the other!
- Anatomy & Physiology – You will need an Anatomy & Physiology textbook. I use the Coad & Dunstable “Anatomy & Physiology for Midwives” – I actually bought this before I started the course and it really helped those first few weeks having read through it!
- Bailliere’s Midwives Dictionary – All the terminology in a tiny little book; perfect to keep in your pocket on shifts to look up something quickly when someone says a word you don’t understand!
- Skills For Midwifery Practise – Midwifery skills, gone through step-by-step – perfect to have a flick through before the course too!
- A Research Book – Every course will have a research based module in it, ours was in our first year, but I know other unis put it in 2nd year. I wouldn’t have survived that module without “An Introduction To Research For Midwives” – made it so much easier to understand!
Other Necessities
- Black Pens – You will lose more of these than you can ever imagine – buy them in bulk and keep them close to your heart. On more than one occasion I’ve started a shift with 4 or 5 and ended up needing to borrow one – they just VANISH!
- Hair Ties – Particularly if your hair is as mad and unruly as mine – as many as possible, in your uniform pockets, in your bag, in your car, wherever you can put them!
- Placement Shoes – you will need some Black, wipe clean, closed toe shoes. Trusts have different policies but if you adhere to that you will be safe. The most popular for student midwives is, without a doubt, the Clarks Unloops – I bought these before I started and I’ve never ended a shift with my feet hurting, and 18 months in they are still sturdy and not showing any signs of wear!
- Fob Watch – you will need one of these – again trusts have different policies, but most seem to be quite flexible, as long as it isn’t too elaborate or have stones or parts that can fall out etc, you should be ok. The silicone ones are great for delivery areas, purely because of the “goop” that you can sometimes get splattered with!
- Water Bottle – Buy one, write your name on it and take it to every shift. I got out of the habit of doing this recently and went three 13 hour shifts with only half a glass of water in each…not good. If it’s there, you’ll drink it.
- Backpack – for uni days and for placement days; get a sturdy one, maybe waterproof, with lots of room for changes of clothes, pads of paper, hospital shoes and your packed lunch – an absolute must!
The Lust List!
I have known for a while that I wanted to put together a bit of a Student Midwife Lust List, so I’ve been scouring the internet for the best deals and items made specifically for Student Midwives – and I’ve put together this selection for you guys.
The majority of these items are from independent sellers on Etsy, who make their items by hand, which just makes them extra special! I have spoken to each of these sellers and they have given their permission to have their products shared with you guys on here – they are all such lovely creators and work incredibly hard on their amazing products!
I’ve added their items to the student midwife shop – everything from Birth counters to colourful lanyards and “shift worker sleeping” signs, so do check it out!
Hope you like my choices – I personally am lusting over each and every one of them!
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