Chasing Dreams and Catching Babies

Well! so so much has happened!
I thought I would use this page as kind of a personal diary of my time and journey buuuuuut that didn't happen!!

To think that the last time I posted was in July is madness!!

So much has happened.

I've started uni!!

I've got my uniform, I've been for my induction at my hospital that I'm going to be at, and I'm 1 week from finishing semester one! HOW???!!!!

Its been a complete whirlwind. I have met some lovely people. My lecturers are so so lovely. all of them. I sit listening to them in awe, they have so much to give and if i can gain half the knowledge and experience they have, I know I'm going to be an amazing midwife 😍
Makes me realise that, yes I'm coming into this later in life but by the time I retire I could have 25 years of being a midwife under my belt. that's insane.

aside from Martin and the kiddos, this is one of the best things I've done in my life. its taken a lot of hard work and sacrifices but I am so glad I am where I am right now, I'm so glad we are where we are xx 🫶

how exciting to have it published :)

https://www.fenews.co.uk/education/press-release-bracknell-student-wins-a-prestigious-scholarship-for-university/?fbclid=IwAR0w2oVMmR58FxrK5i0QwQwT2Dz6oZ4v7pj5uYiRGZMpjun4yzSGJtinT6M

Congratulations to Access to HE: Nursing and Health Professions student Lianne from who won a scholarship from the Ted Adams Trust to put towards her midwifery degree at the which she will start in September!

Read more: https://bit.ly/3PYiQVQ

So a lot has happened since I last played. Life just gets so busy!

I finally firmed my first choice university. I chose University of Surrey in the end as I just knew that was the one I needed to go to. I put Buckinghamshire new as my insurance. The insurance is a just incase I don't meet the grades for my first choice.

I have officially finished college and got a full distinction profile which I am beyond happy about. I worked so flippin hard and it paid off 💖

The same week I finished my last assignment, I finished all my exams. This s a tough few weeks, I'll tell you that much!

The week after that I received an email to say I was one of only 3 people to be awarded the prestigious Ted Adams Trust Scholarships to study at Surrey. Oh my goodness!! I was in pure disbelief for about a week! Still I can't quite believe it now!!

11 weeks to go now until I can officially say that I am a student midwife. I'm starting to get little bits for uni now which is very exciting. Love a bit of nice stationary!!

Ooh and I've got my academic time table through for September!!

I think this is incredible 😍

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠
For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.
Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.
Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.
The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.
How cool is that?
This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.
It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.
Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?
Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?”
If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.
I find this to be so very beautiful.

This research is belongs to Hina Chaudhry and her team. Here is the resent article about her and team:
1. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313246

2. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/new-science-motherhood-180977456/

I've just ordered my stethoscope 😍😍😍

Very excited that I've finally booked on to the applicant day of what I think it's my 1st choice university. 27th April. I will know after that where it is that I want to go 🥰🥰

I've not updated for a while so thought I'd post. There's not really been much to update to be honest.. universities are all so busy with the interviews still going on with the ucas application deadline being the 26th January.

I'm still undecided. I'm still waiting for my 5th choice to give me their decision but realistically, it's my 5th chioce so I was never going to go there. Not really, if I think about it.

I'm going to the Kingston applicant day tomorrow. Just to see what it's like as a student midwife. I've not been before so it'll be nice to see. Atm I think it's my 3rd choice but we'll see.. il post again after I've been to update 🥰

My dream to become a midwife is getting closer and its so exciting 🥰

I'm still so undecided about which uni I want to go to. I'm in such a fortunate position to be able to take my pick out of all my choices. But the only realistic choices are surrey and Buckinghamshire new. Surrey has always been my first choice until bucks put doubts in my mind!!
I've just been chatting to my son about which uni to go to, after picking him up from school, pull out of a junction and look up to notice that I was following this bus. Maybe its a sign 🥰

Eeek!! My first purchase for my student midwife life!!

I'm told we need lots of black pens!!

I've been sobbing on and off all afternoon... I've been offered a place at my first choice uni 🥰 I can't quite belive it.. now the hard part... deciding where to choose!!

How lovely and so very very true 🥰

I didn't have to worry... ucas was obviously sorting out my offer for bucks new!! I am beyond happy!! I even did a little squeak and a dance in the kitchen!!
I'm not sure if this is my 1st or 2nd choice but it feels bloody amazing!!

The constant checking ucas for updates is mentally exhausting. The anxiety it gives you is awful. Have they made a decision yet? Is there any news on a decision? Has ucas updated? Am I going to Surrey? am I going to bucks? Did I do enough? Surely they should have got back to be by now. It is literally on my mind ALL the time. After everything I do, I refresh. Made breakfast, refresh whilst eating. Made a cup of tea, refresh while drinking, done a paragraph on an assignment, refresh.. its constantly there and it's horrible.
As much as seeing this this morning saying that ucas is down is a nightmare.. in a strange way, its actually bringing me some relief.

2nd offer in the bag!!

Phone rings.. private number..I never normally answer but I did today.

Hello, is that Lianne?
Hi yes it is.
Hi, it's Jane from Kingston University. Florence and ona really liked you in interview yesterday and wanted me to personally phone you to say that we would be delighted if you would come to study with us here at Kingston. 🥰🥰🥰

Isn't this just amazing?! Imagine just how many babies she's delivered 🥰

5 interviews across 7 weeks,
Months of prep,
64 pages of notes,
2 books read,
Hours of research and
Countless you tube videos

And all my interviews are DONE! That's it now... I've had 1 offer but now I've got to sit and wait for the other 4 decisions. I've done my best and I just hope that's enough 🥰

I'm going to be a student midwife this year and I can't bloody wait!! 🥰

Final night of interview prep them my fate is sealed tomorrow! I've worked bloody hard to get to where I've got so far. Interviews are hard! It's emotionally and mentally draining. I'll be glad when tomorrow is done then I just have to sit back and wait for the results. Oh and complete the other 5874270 assignments I've got to do at college!!

So I had my 2nd choice interview yesterday and I really don't think it could have gone any better! It was such a lovely experience and it's really starting to make me doubt my first choice. It's Buckinghamshire New University so it's about the same distance as Surrey which is nice. Got to sit tight now and wait for decisions from the universities... oh apart from 1 interview left!!

Sitting doing interview prep for interview 4/5 in the morning. This one is at Buckinghamshire New University its my 2nd choice uni so fingers crossed.

The nerves don't get any easier. Its such a daunting time. When you want something so badly and have been waiting over 20 years to be able to actually follow your dreams, its hard going mentally and emotionally. But it's just another 1 step closer to chasing dreams and baby catching 🥰🥰

Can't wait to start buying stuff to start uni in September... when I accept my place I'm going to buy this for myself a a huge bloody well done for achieving everything I have so far 🥰🥰

Waiting to hear back from your first choice uni is a very difficult wait indeed. I interviewed for university of surrey on Sunday. Hopefully they'll get back to be soon xx

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠

For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.

Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.

Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.

The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.

How cool is that?

This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.

It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.

Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?

Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?”

If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.

I find this to be so very beautiful.

Post credit: Heart Strings

Feed those babies 💗

“people tell us not to feed for comfort while they sip their sleepy-time tea.
⠀
people tell us to not cuddle our children to sleep while they spoon their partner.
⠀
people tell us our child is too old to breastfeed while they sip their cow's milk.
⠀
people tell us not to nurse or rock our babies to sleep while they sell us the latest gadget that’s supposed to do the exact same thing.
⠀
people tell us to let them cry, while they go comfort a friend.
⠀
people tell us responding to our child is creating bad habits, while they smoke and drink.
⠀
man, do they tell us! but i’m not them and neither are you. because we hear our instincts loud and clear and they will not be silenced. because even though we are exhausted, we know our baby’s cry is not a protest, but a communication. because we know their need for us at 3am is not a manipulation. because even though our backs and hips ache from sleeping in that dang c position, we know that little indent on the right side of our bed will soon fade away - and we would welcome that pain in our body just to feel them latch on more time.
⠀
people tell us, but we know. we know this is important, we know that this is right for us and our baby, and we know this is just how it’s supposed to be.
⠀
we know mama, they may tell us, but let’s rest in our know.”

Credits:
words: 👸🏼
📷: .photography
📸: Tamika Sadler

🤣🤣

Chasing Dreams and Catching Babies updated their business hours.

So to be accepted on to the extremely competitive midwifery degree course there are many requirements. One of which I'd to have recently studied within the past 5 years. So in order to tick the box in doing an Access to Nursing and Midwifery course at Bracknell and Wokingham College. It's full on. But great.
I've met some super super people and the lecturers are amazing.
I unofficially got my first distinction for my assignment the other day... so chuffed!!

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to be a midwife. For one reason or another, my life took a different path. A path to which I have throughly enjoyed and I believe that working with so many wonderful children with additional needs for so many years is the reason why I'm doing this now. If it wasn't for them I wouldnt have grown so much as a person. My ability to be able to finally chase those dreams takes a courage like I've never needed before. 4 years of study is ahead of me and I'm right at the beginning 🥰

So this is just a little blog to document my journey to becoming a midwife. It feels amazing to be chasing my dreams 🥰

This is incredible 🥰

Gosh it seems like so long ago

https://m.facebook.com/groups/793240957972735/permalink/801155413847956/