Career change

mrsgetz4000

So I've worked in kitchens for 15 years. I just don't want to anymore for a lot of reasons. Its taken me a long time to admit it but it's liberating!
Anyway. I want to work with babies or people having babies. I don't want to go back to school for an extended amount of time. So i did some research and i think a child birth educator might be the ticket. My research leads me to believe that it's what it sounds like. Someone who teaches child birth classes. I can't seem to find out what the demand is for that though. Does anyone know where i can find out? I don't want to jump into a career and not be able to find a job

Becky012016

The nurses put those classes on around here so I have no advice for job outlook if you go to that field. Have you looked into being a doula? I think they're more common in larger cities but as far as I understand it's only a few classes until you can certified. Plus, you could make your own hours and charge whatever you want, within reason of course. 

mrsgetz4000

I'm opened to being a doula! Anything within the field of babies or people having babies! I live in the country but I'm not far from harrisburg or hershey pa

Cricket99

I've considered becoming a doula and eventually a lactation consultant! It would allow me to be home a lot more than being a teacher and I would still be working with kids! 

mrsgetz4000

@Cricket99 that was my thought process. Being in a kitchen I'm gone 12 hours some days. Holidays and weekends. I'm hot sweaty snd exhausted when i come home. I'm so sick of the poor attitudes. It's hard work and at 29 I'm already having knee problems. It's a field that makes raising a family extremely challenging. I've lost my love for the professional kitchen. I still love to cook. But I'd rather cook a meal for my family every night. And i feel very deeply that i want to help women have the birth experience they desire and cope if things don't go that way

mrsgetz4000

I would really love to be a lactation consultant. It's heart breaking how it doesn't work out for so many women. But I'd have to go back to school and I'm just not prepared for that at this stage in my life. Maybe after I'm done having babies and they're in school themselves

ChrissyD1203

At the hospital where I delivered the childbirth educators were not nurses.   The one I really liked was a doula though. My nanny is also a doula and a certified lactation consultant - she is trying to drum up some business but is bring a nanny in the meantime. 

fishee333

That's so awesome! How exciting you're figuring out a new career that you are passionate about.
Most of the childbirth educators in my city worked at hospitals, but weren't necessarily nurses. Maybe check the job openings at local hospitals and see the job requirements. 

l4rk

I think one of the toughest things about being a doula though is that you will always be on call. Which means you need someone who could watch LO with no notice for a day or two at literally any time. Also my doula was new and it became quickly apparent to both of us that she wanted to be more involved/ give more advice and should train to be a midwife instead. Haha.

There isn't much demand in my area for birth classes and my city is 180,000 people. I think you could only do that part-time and would need to find a second source of income.

I always thought that running camps would be fun. Like art camps and sports and all that. In my area, all the camps are during the day when people work. It would be amazing to be able to sign kids up for an art class at 6 pm, or a sport camp on the weekend.

2winterbabies

mrsgetz4000 said:

@Cricket99 that was my thought process. Being in a kitchen I'm gone 12 hours some days. Holidays and weekends. I'm hot sweaty snd exhausted when i come home. I'm so sick of the poor attitudes. It's hard work and at 29 I'm already having knee problems. It's a field that makes raising a family extremely challenging. I've lost my love for the professional kitchen. I still love to cook. But I'd rather cook a meal for my family every night. And i feel very deeply that i want to help women have the birth experience they desire and cope if things don't go that way

Totally understand where you are coming from. My DH is an executive chef and I work front of house in management. We both have hospitality degrees and I am also looking for a way to get out of restaurants. DH loves it, but it is long hours for me as well and a whole lot of responsibility. When you have both parents working in hospitality with little kids, it is extremely hard. You want to spend time with them while they are young. You want to have those weekends off with them when they go to school and start doing those extracurricular activities. Although I complain, I say that other people work holidays and weekends to such as nurses and police officers. So I tell myself that working holidays and 12 hours shifts is no excuse for that simple reason. I don't know if I am right or wrong, would being a doula require some long hours too ?? I love how you have a desire you help women during their birth experience!! That's a good motivator. 

mrsgetz4000

My husband is a bartender and is currently transitioning into being the manager for thr golf course. Being a doula would absolutely require long hours. But they would be a different kind of long hours. The long hours aren't my concern. My heart is just in another place now

Ljohn43

Not sure about being a doula or childbirth class instructor, but what ab being a nanny or running an in-home daycare? That way you could spend the day with your baby and get paid for taking care of a few other ones? If I had more patience for baby stuff, I think that's what I would want to do so I could hang out with my kid during the day and make money! 

mrsgetz4000

I don't have the patience for multiple children that don't belong to me. I also have 3 dogs