So I’ve done a few posts along these lines in the past, but as it is now September, I’ve started getting the last minute messages from people about to start on the course, wondering whether they really need a stethoscope or what placement shoes to get. So, I thought it was an opportunity to put another post out with the real necessities.
We all know that money is a bit tight for everyone at the moment and there are a lot of places where you can find a list as long as your arm of the things you “definitely” need for the course – but actually, most of those things you can either get a little further along the course, or you will only use a few times and don’t actually “need”.
So, here is my student midwife shopping list – the things that you really need (you can find links to most of the necessities in my “Student Midwife Shop” if that helps too!)
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! (click here to view a link in my Student Midwife Shop)
- 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! (Click here to view a link in my Student Midwife Shop)
- 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! (Click here to view a link in my Student Midwife Shop)
- Skills For Midwifery Practise – Midwifery skills, gone through step-by-step – perfect to have a flick through before the course too! (Click here to view a link in my Student Midwife Shop)
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 four years later they are still sturdy and hardly showing any signs of wear! (Click here to view a link in my Student Midwife Shop)
- 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! (Click here to view a link in my Student Midwife Shop)
- Water Bottle – Buy one, write your name on it and take it to every shift. It is really easy to get out of the habit of drinking water on shift and you only remember when you start feeling pants, so take your water bottle everywhere you go with you at work! If it’s there, you’ll drink it. (Click here to view a link in my Student Midwife Shop)
- 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!
Featured Image by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
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