teebrown

Always wanted to do it so now I am, you never know maybe I can make a change later on!

Am Loolah

Good on you teebrown. Midwifery is something I'd always wanted to do - but I couldn't even get on the nursing course as I didn't have the required maths and science o levels/GCSE.

Perhaps when you get a minute you could PM me the details of the course you are doing. I also have another friend here who might be interested. I won't be doing it now as doing something else - but would be keen to hear what you need to get on.

Thanks.

teebrown

Just PM'd you

dubstar

buying "cheese" in kilo blocks, got a degree, couldnt get in our local uni due to lack of places,

Working full time, not worrying if I have a new car, having to put an extra layer of clothes on, cooking every meal from scratch, letting the boy's catch a bus,

ps teebrown the bach of midwifery is now extended to 4 years in line with european standards, so it should be a worthwhile and safe practice

Genesis

Isn't that a reason TO DO it??? Get into something where you can make a difference??????????

Genesis

Going to day time pictures with Kate whilst the kids are at school.

Sitting in the spa outside when its really cold at 7am in the morning.

Eating home kill beef.

Enrolling in a course all about maori culture.

Doing a course in lead lighting.

Going on a better parents course.

Have an incredibly varied social life...mix with people from a very wide social/work strata..in the UK it was pretty much peers only.

NEVER ever buying ready made meals!!!!!!!!!!

pixi-dust

Ooo Genesis - you reminded me of the spa! Good lord I thought they were only for really really rich people in the uk!! and now we have one. I love it in the winter when it's cold outside and the sky is totally clear and you can just lay there looking at shooting stars, satellites, the milky way! Bliss.

Got Sky!

Owning what feels like an awful lot of land and having cows and chickens and donkeys and stuff.

Baking

Pretty much living outside in the garden and growing veggies. In fact by the time homekill beef is taken into account we're pretty much self sufficient in food over the summer months ~ well we would be if DH didn't love chocolate!

Having a very varied bunch of really good friends

Swimming with dolphins most times we go out in the boat...having a boat!

scrubbedexpat094

There are lots of reasons why I have given it up but every British-trained midwife I have talked to in NZ, especially those that have been here for less than 6 years despairs at the maternity system here. We have all tried to make a difference but the powers that be don't want to hear it

They think the system is great & on paper it looks great, in practice it isn't. I overheard an Obs telling another midwife "We can't afford to lose midwives like her" when she found out I was leaving. The students I have met frighten me (& others) with their lack of knowledge & over-confidence. A frightening combination. I could go on & on but it just depresses me. If I was still in the UK then I would still be practising.

I had 2 ex-colleagues from English hospitals that went to work in ChCh, both have left because they found it so frustrating to practice in NZ. One has returned to the UK & the other has left midwifery too.

I say good luck with training to be a midwife but do it in the UK.

scrubbedexpat094

Sorry to be so negative Teebrown. I really do wish you well with it. It is a very rewarding career. I guess I'm angry that I am unable to practice as I did in the UK. I used to work autonomously there but have too many limitations in NZ. Autonomy was one of the important aspects for choosing to be a midwife & not a nurse.

I hope you can make changes later on. However fighting the system gets very tiring & you become burned out. It's happening alot with midwives in NZ, despite where they trained. It's very sad.

Margaret Parkinson

My husband had ACL in the UK in 1965.


"ACL reconstruction knee surgery has evolved beyond recognition since the first ACL repair in 1963. Development has continued since then and the latest surgical technique uses a strip of the patella tendon from the patient's knee as a graft to replace the ACL. In addition to advances in the surgical procedure, there have been advances in post-operative rehabilitation that have seen a return to sports activity, in most cases, in less than six months."

crap coffee

I wish "vice versa"

doing things in UK ... I would never of dreamed of ...in NZ.....

now wheres Beer

theduke

Cool picture but do you realise that is the United Kingdoms flag and not the England, common mistake!

crap coffee

I like union jack.

I prefer to be in the U.K than in NZ. make sense to you?

theduke

To be honest doesn't bother me, but I am sure a few people on here would not be happy if I said the Oz flag was the NZ flag the Euro flag was the British flag etc etc.

PS. for the record I prefer NZ because there is so much more opportunities here, but I am sure some people think the other way round also.

If it is money and material things people are after NZ is not the place to be, for ease of life and enjoyment easier upbringing for kids etc NZ wins hands down, in my opinion obviously, each to there own.

Persephone

Main one is actually living in a country other than the UK, something I'd never even considered until I met Mr Sue. Still have the occasional moment where I wonder how I had the nerve to do it

On a more everyday level:
I'm getting into mowing the lawn every week-though not so much at the moment since it seems to resemble a swimming pool most days

Staying in more and enjoying it Not going to gigs, I miss having that opportunity though

Considering building a house at some vague point in the future

Working part time why didn't I do this earlier??? So much more time to do more exciting things [like mowing the lawn and staying in]

Seriously thinking of doing a course in something but haven't decided on what yet...