What should a midwife keep in their bag?

Louisa shares tips about what a midwife should keep in their bag so that they're prepared for a day at work.

0.26 Keep a pad in your bag

I'm so excited to do this. You can probably see in my mirror, it's pitch black outside because it's 4:00 PM.

Well, I've had a headache all day so I tried... I even tried to put makeup on for you guys. We're trying. But, anyways, so let's start.

Now, my bag is actually the bag I use for university as well. So, I might have some things in my bag that's a bit strange, but for the most part, it's everything I use on placements since I'm on placement right now. In this fast little zip is actually, and [inaudible 00:00:57] pull it out.

Well, we're all women here [except the male midwives - Ed...]. Joking, Well, I'm not going to lie to you. I actually just have a pad in a bag because, just in case someone might need a pad. You never know. So I always carry this extra one in my bag just in case.

And then, in my side, I have side pockets? Okay, now. So in my side pockets, usually in this one, is my work ID. And then, obviously, I'm not going to show you since privacy, and all that stuff. And then, this one is usually my house keys once I've left, some chap-stick, and then my travel sickness bands, because even though I'm so used to traveling long distance since I actually commute to university and I commute to placement, so I'm used to it, but my motion sickness is not and it's gotten so much worse.

So I carry these around with me. Now, time for the big part. Let's see. Oh, my gosh. I'm that person that will carry basically the whole kitchen sink in their bag. But there's useful things the majority of the time.

2.04 Practice Assessment Document (PAD)

So let's start with this part, the laptop section part. In there, we have, it's one of the uni things that I carry in my bag. It's usually whatever what I'm reading.

So this one is one of the [inaudible 00:02:15] part of emergencies I have to learn about. So it's a print out of a book and this is basically for uterine inversion.

And then, we also have... I'm not really going to show you that. But my PAD. So my practice... What? Okay.

This one actually says my...

This one is actually my ongoing achievement record, but right behind it is actually my PADs, my Practice Assessment Document is right behind it.

And then, this is my Ongoing Achievement Record, which is my OAR, which has all three years basically in that one.

So I get my hours signed off in my PAD, I get my competencies signed off in my PAD.

2.50 Midwifery Clark's shoes

Next up are my placement shoes. Actually, I have a pair of socks in there. As midwifery with, I'm a person that need to change my socks.

So I wear what I wear down to placement and then I get changed whilst I'm at placement and I even change my socks. It may sound really weird, but I'm just like that. Just how my feet are.

But yes, these are my Clarks un-loop. They're a little bit scuffed here, because where I washed them really badly. But otherwise they're doing me really, really well. These are probably my longest ever shoes that have stayed so intact and so good.

I will actually link these in the description below. I actually got them off of Amazon, they're from Clarks. And the reason why I've got them off of Amazon is because they were on sale when I got them off of Amazon, whereas when they're at Clarks they're not really on sale, but these are the Clarks un-loop. If you couldn't tell by the [inaudible 00:03:33] sign.

3.34 My stethoscope

Next up in the big part is, this is my stethoscope. Now a lot of people ask me what stethoscope do you have? What stethoscope should I get? And I'm always, well it's a personal preference and it's how much you can afford.

This was my treat for getting into university to myself.

So I do actually have a Littmann, and I love my stethoscope. I got a Littmann because I am really, sometimes I'm not good at hearing things or people. I'm semi basically hard of hearing.

So I got to Littmann, because I wanted something that was going to have good quality audio. Otherwise, most maternity units have a stethoscope there if you need to use a stethoscope for anything.

The only time I use it is literally when I'm on post natal ward doing baby ops, that's it.

And if you don't even do baby ops then you don't need it.

So I literally don't bring it in most of the time. That's why I say to people just wait until you got onto placement and see all what they have there and what's happening.

4.44 Vocational books

And so next up is usually whatever book I'm reading at the time. Right now, this is so bad. I've got this book a year ago, almost exactly a year ago, and I haven't read it. But to be fair, I got it, a lot had happened at that time so I don't really have time to read it, but I'm trying to read it now.

It is called Real Food For Pregnancy. She is a dietician in America and so it's been really interesting just reading up on what she thinks is on the evidence and stuff like that.

Because I am, even though I did take supplements and stuff like that, it's just because I have a bad diet, which is why I do it.

And she's really into black women eating the nutrients instead of taking supplements for the nutrients, which is actually quite smart. So yeah, that's my book I usually have. And then sometimes whatever area I have, I also have one of these midwifery essential books. So mine's on postnatal and yes, it's the old one. They actually do have new ones. Read more about the midwife experience.

6.31 Tape, plasters, hair band, wipes

I've got some more pens, also I've got this compression glove, because I've been getting really weird stiff hands in the mornings, or whenever I wake up from a nap. So I put that in there just in case when I wake up from my nap on my night shift. My hands are doing that. I've got that.

And then my favorite thing ever, which is my organizer. Oh that's why I have all my pens out. So my pens have come from my organizer.

So this is my pocket organizer.

I have my tape, I have some plasters. I have a spare hairband.

I have some wipes for my stethoscope, because if anyone wants to use it. Usually I'm, "Oh no," because that's one of reasons why I boast, because I didn't want to share [inaudible 00:07:11] but I just now carry around those wipes. So it's fine.

I usually have like my card in here as well. Oh, I've got some money in there. Cool. Got some change.

Yeah, so I might as well actually that folks, I don't have that much in here. I also have one of these bottle openers or one of the vial openers, which I haven't really, I've used a couple times but I don't, I haven't been caught yet.

So that's why I'm not I need to use this. But yeah. So that's everything I take with me to placement obviously I also have a little lunchbox and I have my food in there and I take my water bottle as well, but it's not in my bag.

I carry those things in my hand if I remember to grab them before I leave. Yeah, so that's everything I take to placement with me, I hope you guys have enjoyed this video and saw an insight of what I have in my bag now that I'm a third year.

Yeah, I might do an updated one [inaudible 00:08:02] at the end of the year, but we'll see.

As the end of the uni year, not the end of the year because it is almost the end of the year. But yeah.

So let me know if you guys would want to see any more updated one when I'd come closer to becoming a qualified midwife.

So I know exactly what I will need or if you want to see when I am a qualified midwife and I have a job. That'd be fun too. But yeah. So I hope you enjoyed this video and until next time, keep on being you.

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