What’s better than working with pregnant women and their newborn babies? You’ll experience first-hand the wonders and fragility of life, and help expectant parents out of the woods at some of the most exciting and joyful times in their lives – and for some, the most stressful.
When you decide to enter the field of obstetrics, of course choose specific jobs, and there are many jobs to choose from. Now, if you think of medical professionals working with pregnant women, you probably first think of obstetricians, doctors who monitor women’s health throughout pregnancy, and deliver babies. But they are far from the only ones working with expectant mothers. You can be a nurse specializing in obstetrics. You can also work as a consultant, psychologist or psychiatrist at a pregnancy center or clinic. After all, there are many mental and emotional issues associated with pregnancy. Sometimes a new mom or dad just needs someone to talk to to find out the mechanisms for coping with stress and the effects of sleepless nights on the body. Sometimes a teenage girl can get pregnant and she doesn’t know where to go. And, of course, the tragedy of miscarriage. Many women need treatment to deal with the heartbreak of this condition.
When you choose to become a childbirth specialist, you can also choose where you want to work. You can work in a bustling city hospital or a quiet country doctor’s office. You can also work at a pregnancy center that specializes in crisis pregnancies. There are also non-profit pregnancy centers that help young or at-risk women. Many of these women are struggling with poverty and unsure how they will make ends meet and support their newborns.
If you’re going into this type of work, make sure you know what you’re doing. Many pregnancy centers, especially those serving underserved populations, are understaffed and those working there are expected to work long hours. Salaries are not always high either. Even if you work in a hospital, you may have to start late at night — after all, babies are born at all times of the day. Of course, the rewards of this kind of work are also great. You can make sure your new baby enters the world smoothly, and you can track your baby’s progress. Many birthing professionals develop strong bonds with new mothers. You never know, in a few years, someone might come up to you somewhere and say, “You helped me have a baby!” or even “You helped me save me!” None of those words feel exactly like those words. will give you the feeling.