A Coventry mother has left teaching behind to train as a midwife after her own experiences during pregnancy motivated her to support others.
Following five years working in primary education, Clare Scruby chose to follow her mum, auntie and nan into healthcare.
The 28-year-old’s choice was influenced by a positive birth experience with her daughter Rose and a distressing ectopic pregnancy.
Currently in her second year studying midwifery at Coventry University, Clare, from Radford, has already assisted in delivering 20 babies while balancing her studies alongside caring for her seven year old daughter.
READ MORE: ‘What’s the point?’ The voters considering staying home for the local electionsREAD MORE: Warning to anyone visiting Coventry Hospital this bank holiday weekend
She said: “I’ve had both really positive and really difficult experiences in maternity care. If I can use those experiences – and say what I wish someone would have said to me – to make things easier for someone else, then that’s got to be worth it.
“I really want to help people in the moments they’ll remember forever.”
After experiencing an ectopic pregnancy – where a fertilised egg implants outside the womb – during the COVID-19 pandemic, Clare undertook additional bereavement training with baby loss charity Abigail’s Footsteps as part of her course and raises funds for Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity. She said: “I needed emergency surgery and was discharged the next day, with no-one allowed to be with me. It was a really frightening time and it made me realise how important the words you use are. Sometimes people don’t need fixing – they just need someone to be there and understand what they’re going through.
“I want to help people by being the person I needed – someone who listens, understands and is just there when it matters.”
Having stepped away from teaching, Clare took up a clinical support worker position in maternity while completing an access course, before embarking on her midwifery degree in 2024.
Join the FREE Coventry WhatsApp community to get the latest news straight to your phone. Find out more here .
She said: “I really enjoyed teaching but I got to a point where I knew I needed a better balance and a career that suited me long‐term. Working in maternity just felt right.”
Clare notes that many of the skills she honed as a teacher have translated seamlessly into midwifery.
She said: “Communication and organisation are huge transferable skills. Teaching gives you structure and confidence, and that’s helped me feel more secure as a student midwife.”
Alongside her studies, Clare has authored and self-published a hands-on guide aimed at supporting student midwives at the outset of their training, launched ahead of International Day of the Midwife on May 5.
She said: “I wrote the book to help student midwives feel more organised and confident, especially in the early stages of training, because I know how overwhelming it can feel at first.” She attributes her career transformation to the support of her parents and partner, and reveals that her daughter has also been motivated by her journey.
Clare said: “I genuinely couldn’t do this degree without my parents or my partner. They’ve been incredible and my daughter is my biggest inspiration – she now wants to be a midwife too, and I’m so proud of her.”
Clare, who is due to qualify in 2027, is hopeful her experience will inspire others contemplating a later-life career switch.
She said: “Do your research and make sure you understand your options. There is support out there – student finance and help for parents made a big difference for me.
“If it’s something you really want to do, and it’s going to make you happier in the long run, it’s absolutely worth going for.”
Get the latest Coventry headlines and breaking news straight to your inbox. Sign up to our free email newsletter here .
