What if I wanted to become a Labor & Delivery nurse?

I'm 28 years old and I currently work as a receptionist. I just had my daughter 8 months ago and I really enjoyed being pregnant. Heck, I even enjoyed the delivery! I'm here on Answers all the time in the Pregnancy category because I genuinely like helping people. I'm already fairly knowledgeable about pregnancy, so much so, that the nurse who was attending me after I had my baby asked me if I was in the medical profession.

I guess what I'm asking is, what if I wanted to be an L & D nurse? How many years of schooling does that take? I'm sure it's not just sunshine and rainbows and babies, but is it a rewarding career?

I see quite a few nurses on here answering questions for people, so if you are an L & D nurse, tell me what you like and dislike about your job.

I doubt I actually go through with this, but it's something I've been thinking about lately.

It takes 3 HARD years. I love everything about my job, my only dislike is the abuse that some times we get from people that have nothing to do with the baby or mother (ex, family members, friends & enemies!!). It is a job that makes you cry, laugh, question yourself and others etc.. but in all it has got to be one of the most rewarding carers, I'd recommend it. Good luck.
P.s. Yes the hours are long, but nowadays there is a lot of flexibility

just look into it. if its something you have a passion for then why not?
I was like you. I had such a great experience at the hospital with my babies and loved learning about pregnancy, so I thought I would like to become an L&D nurse. I started researching it online and got spooked though. There were horror stories about how nurses are overworked and abused by the patients and staff ( I'm sure not physically, but who knows sometimes). Then I started wondering if a job that requires you to work 12 hour shifts would be good for me since I want to be home with my babies. I dunno. I am going to check back to see if any of those nurses you talked about answer and see what they say. I think its a great idea, I just wonder about the reality of it. Good luck!
I say go for it. I am in a similar situation - I dream of becoming a nurse midwife. As far as becoming a nurse goes, I know you'll have to get your RN, which is usually a two year process, assuming you have your prereqs done. After that, I'm not sure what the process is but I'm sure someone out there will be able to tell you!
http://nursing.about.com/od/becomeanurse...
http://www.studentdoc.com/become-a-nurse...
You would need to do your pre-recs and either sign up for the lpn/rn program It would a good 2-3 years to complete,its would be very rewarding for you and you would not just be limited to l&d with a nursing degree you can find work almost any where.