Emma Willis: Delivering Babies (2018) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
1
Really hard, really hard.
With everything you've got.
From the moment her first daughter
was born, television presenter and
mother-of-three Emma Willis has been
in awe of midwives.
Another deep breath in.
You can, you can.
You just kind of sit back and go,
"What incredible women, what an
incredible job."
Push, now, push, come on.
That was when my mission to deliver
babies began.
Emma's been given a unique
opportunity to find out just what it
takes to work on the front line of
a busy maternity unit.
If you're going to do something like
this, you have to do it properly.
Hi!
At a time when there is a national
shortage of midwives, Emma
will immerse herself on the ward for
ten weeks, supporting the team.
I just wanted to see if I could get
some contractions going.
She will share the pressures
Pull the emergency button.
I need some help here. Where is it?
..the fears
Your heart is going. It's coming
out, it's coming out.
..and the joys
I've even been written up on the
board!
You're a dad! It's a girl.
..of delivering babies.
Well done, you.
Television presenter Emma Willis is
making her way to the
hospital on the morning of her first
shift.
I don't know how people are going to
react to me.
F I was giving birth to a baby and
somebody from the telly walked
in, they might be,
like, "Who's this joker,
"rocking up, thinking that they can
do this job?
"I want the most capable
hands, not hers."
My biggest fear, I suppose,
is that I will fail.
I want to be able to do it justice
and, I suppose, I'm scared that,
that, I've got all these ideas,
that, "Yeah, I can do it,
"I can go in there," and I'll get
there and I'll just go,
"What was I thinking?
I can't do this.
"I'm, like, way out of my depth."
I just don't want to be rubbish.
Over the next ten weeks, Emma will
support the midwife team at
the Princess Alexandra Hospital
in Essex,
who are responsible for delivering
4,000 babies a year.
Going right into your bottom,
well done.
She'll work as a maternity care
assistant
Oh, you're crying now!
..an increasingly vital position
at a time when there is a shortage
of midwives.
It is a really important role,
they're integral to the whole unit.
She'll be doing all the jobs they
do, all the cleaning,
all the making of beds, running in
theatre,
and looking after the women on
a day-to-day basis.
I feel like it's never going to
come out.
You're on your feet for 12 hours,
and you are running
sometimes from one end of the ward
to the other, and it's tiring.
She will be expected to do exactly
what everybody else is doing
and will be part of the team to look
after these women.
So no special treatment? No special
treatment. No.
Hello!
You OK?
Yes, I'm good, thanks,
how about you?
Um, I'm, er, nervous.
Yeah. Apprehensive.
Uh-huh. A bit scared. Well, it's all
new! It's a whole new world.
Well, today you'll be just
observational,
I'm going to take you round,
show you round the unit,
so you've got an idea of where
everything is Yep.
..who everybody is Yep and how
it all flows
and how it all works together. OK.
So, do you want to go through the
uniform first or shall I give you
your uniform, and you can go and try
on whichever one you feel you would
like to put on? Yeah, I think maybe
I should get my uniform on and look
like I fit in
Right. Let's do that.
..rather than standing out like
a sore thumb.
All ready? I think so, I feel
crinkled. Well, that'll go.
I remember what you said about
looking, like, pristine and
I've just got it out the packet.
You'll be OK today, probably as
you're walking around,
some of it'll drop out.
Oh, OK good. Have you got your
access card in case you need it?
And your name badge? No, I don't.
OK, this is my test.
OK, this one. This one? That one.
That one.
That one. That one, and that one,
then anticlockwise. Wonderful.
What else, Mandy? Just this?
Yeah, your name badge and that one.
Anything like that, just so we can
identify you. Yeah, OK.
It's Mandy's role to give Emma
a tour of the maternity unit,
before handing her over to the
midwife team.
So everything that happening for all
the women is on that board,
everything that's happening with the
antenatal ward is on that board
OK and the midwives all sitting
working here.
OK, so labour ward is for high risk.
Yep. Chamberlain is pre. Yep.
And the birthing centre is for low
risk. That's right. You've got it.
So, this is our theatre. For
emergency Caesarean sections, and
you will work with somebody in
theatre,
so you won't be left on your own,
OK?
Good! That is the most relief I've
had all day.
The emergency number for the whole
trust is 22-22. Yep.
Health and safety, how to document
telephone
conversations with women, and that's
about it, really.
OK, so.. OK.
The whole thing feels overwhelming,
and I'm starting to doubt myself.
Oh, God.
I swear that I'm capable.
I am capable! I can do this.
I can do this.
Who is everyone? Oh, I'm like the
new girl at school!
I'm Samantha. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
I'm Lynne, the ward clerk.
Hi, Lynne, nice to meet you.
Hello, I'm Luke. Hi, Luke.
And I'm Val, the MCA.
Oh, so are we together today?
We are today! OK!
Like all maternity care assistants,
Emma will work around 40 hours
a week.
It's easier to just grab a box. Yep.
Today, she's on a 13-hour shift,
shadowing Val.
Oh. A strainer.
Now I know what it's for!
I've been working as a maternity
care assistant for 21 years.
It was my dream job.
Sometimes, if they vomit, these ones
are actually better Yeah.
..because there wider.
If things have to be done, then they
should be done correctly.
Everything has to be in its place.
I'm a very
got a little bit of OCD.
I'm very particular about my towels.
They all have to be folded in
a certain way.
There we go, one coffee. Thank you!
And I also like my pillows always to
be facing away from the door.
Other way, Emma. Lovely.
Now your mum would tell you that.
And woe betide anyone that doesn't
do it correctly.
First one! First one! Done! Done!
You'll make a lovely MCA.
At any one time, there could be 46
newborn babies on the ward, who are
all closely monitored by the
midwives and MCAs.
Going to do a daily baby check.
We'll take all baby's clothes off,
and we'll go through all the
different things that there is
to check OK.
..on a daily basis. Right.
She's a sweet little thing. When was
she born? Yesterday morning.
Yesterday. And how are you feeling?
Like I've been hit by a train.
That's a pretty standard, I think.
We're going to just look at her,
and we're going to look at all her
colour of her skin.
And are you just looking for, like,
blemishes and rashes?
Anything you would think that's not
the norm.
I know, baby, it's cold, isn't it?
Look at her little legs.
She's so cute.
Hello. Oh, now you're awake! Now
she's opening her eyes! Aren't you?
You're just looking to see if
they've got any jaundice, if they
look yellow in their eyes
and things like that.
Oh, no, she's had enough now.
You're such a good girl.
All right, then.
Everything was fine, my dear.
What I'll do is,
I'll put all my findings in her
notes and, er, that's it Lovely.
Thank you until tomorrow,
until someone else comes and does it
all again tomorrow.
Thanks very much. Thanks.
She's gorgeous.
She is gorgeous.
As she begins to settle into
her new role,
Emma checks in with Jacqui
the head of midwifery.
I just been round and everybody's
said that it's been lovely,
and that she's normal so.. Yay!
..I don't know what they were
expecting, I think you're going to
be, I know you're used to really
hard work but this is going to be,
it's being on your feet. No it's
different hard work, this is like,
you know, I put in hours, but this
is grafting in hours.
The girls have just gone through
everything with me,
told me all the names,
told me what they all do
ALARM RINGS
I just need to see what, um
Where is it?
RUNNING FOOTSTEPS
Sorry, I can't just stand there when
that's going off. No, it's fine.
That's the emergency buzzer,
everybody goes to where the
emergency is, and it's just to make
sure everything's OK.
As soon as we get there and assess
the situation, the emergency
buzzer will go off so that's what
that is, so, don't worry, you
will always be attached to someone,
you will not be on your own. OK,
I was, like, what You won't be on
your own, somebody will be with you.
But life goes on, women come in,
they have their babies,
we look after them. You'll be part
of that and it will be lovely.
We'll see you again tomorrow!
Cheers. Thanks. OK! Bye!
We just need you just out of the way
while she gets her knickers off
Yes! ..if that's all right!
I've told them I make really good
tea, so it can't be rubbish now!
I've never cleaned
a yoga ball before.
Three days in to life as an MCA and
Emma has yet to see a birth
That is the neatest little bump,
so nice.
You can actually feel the baby
in it.
But that could all be about
to change.
Can she have a feel?
Yeah, if you want to.
It's, like, poking out and
everything.
How do you know what bit's what?
Company director Laura
and engineer Rob
are expecting their second child,
with Laura 12 days overdue.
BABY'S HEART BEATS
It's moving around, I think you have
found it.
The midwives have decided to induce
labour by breaking her waters.
I've done one today
and she's had her baby. Really?
Do you want me to get out the way
or..? No, you're fine.
OK. You're not moving!
Come on
Are you going to laugh like this
when the baby's out? No!
At this point,
are they normally as jolly?
No.
Right. OK. Right.
That was definitely a first.
I've never seen them have to be
broken before.
Breathe. You're creeping up the bed.
It looked pretty uncomfortable.
Stop! Stop! Do you want me to stop?
Yes!
Oh, my word. I'm sorry it was
uncomfortable. It's got to be done,
it's got to come out. It's got to
come out. I know. Are you all right?
Do you want some water? I've got
some somewhere.
It's the only thing I can offer you.
No, it's fine. I think that's what
happens, isn't it? You start kind of
making a joke out of it, and
Yeah.
I think because you were saying,
"Stop," but laughing,
it was kind of a contradiction,
like,
do you actually want us to stop?
I think it's the knuckle bit,
the midwife's knuckles that were
hurting me.
I was literally like that
SHE INHALES SHARPLY
It's not the most pleasant feeling.
No. But it's worth it.
It will be worth it, yeah,
I understand.
And hopefully I'll go home tomorrow.
Come on, my shift's over soon!
Get that baby out.
It can't stay in there forever!
Busy bouncing.
As the day draws to a close, Laura
is in the early stages of labour
It feels like there's
a lot more pressure,
I'm having trouble walking.
..while Emma's 13-hour shift
is coming to an end.
I can't believe I'm going
to miss it!
You might not. You might not.
We'll see how it goes.
The midwife was quietly confident
that she'd be in, in the morning,
and the baby would be out.
Let's hope she's right.
Did you hear her say, "It's going
to be a very large baby"?
You'll sneeze and it'll be out.
If it does come and I'm not here,
congratulations.
Thank you very much. Thank you. To
being new mummies and daddies.
Try and get some sleep. Yeah. Yeah.
Have a nice night.
I was so hoping that I could be with
Laura when she had her baby
but, I mean
..who knows when she'll deliver?
Open your legs up,
give baby lots of room.
Oh, it's all fallen off.
It's been 22 hours since Laura
first went in to labour.
Well done. Brilliant.
As well as having an epidural, she's
been given gas and air for the pain.
The focus isn't going to be on me
any more, is it?
It's going to be on the baby!
Emma's shift pattern means it's
a birth she's missing out on.
In my fluffy world of unicorns and
candyfloss before I started
this I thought, "Oh, if my shift
finishes, and someone's
"and their baby's not been born
yet, I'll just stay."
And then you realise
that after 13 hours,
you should finish your shift.
Oh, God.
I really thought she would be
my first.
And I kind of really hoped she was
as well,
because we'd hit it off so much,
and we'd got on really well.
So I was literally praying to the
gods to get that baby moving.
Turns out that doesn't work.
And babies want to come in their
own time.
Right, nice deep breath,
show me this baby.
Push, push, push, push, push.
Keep it going, right into your
bottom, show me this baby.
Well done. Brilliant.
Well done, darling.
Laura's birth is in the hands of
27-year-old Charlotte,
who trained to be a midwife
at the hospital.
I'm going to pop your legs up into
stirrups, OK? OK.
Just cos baby's getting
a little bit tired.
Legs up. That's it, don't worry.
Well done, keep it going, keep it
going, keep it going.
Saw a little bit of baby's head
then.
Well done. It's coming, it's coming.
Big push. Nice big push.
Well done. Well done, darling.
Push, push, push. Well done.
Oh, my word!
So it's 6.13.
Here you go, baby - baby.
What is it?
Hello, mister! Happy birthday!
Oh, look at you.
The next day, Emma is back on shift
at the Princess Alexandra
Hospital
..and is keen to check in on Laura
and newborn baby Benjamin.
It's a boy! I know! Oh, wow!
They said it might have been because
it was a lazy little thing.
He's a nice size.
He's a big size. Was he?
Nine, ten.
Yeah, he's Do you want to hold
him? Would you like to hold him?
Can I hold him? Yeah.
WHISPERS: I don't want to
disturb him.
He will be disturbed soon cos he's
going to need some feeding.
Can you feed him?
Do you remember that?
Yes! It all comes flooding back,
doesn't it?
Oh, my God, he's beautiful. Yes.
He is.
Look at that face. Well done, you.
Honestly, you're like the most
amazing human being.
I can't I can't believe I don't
feel that bad either.
Women are pretty awesome,
aren't they?
Look at what we can do.
No, congratulations. Thank you.
He's a beaut.
Do you want me to put him back or
did you want him?
No, put him back. Cos I'll have my
cold cup of tea.
Do you want a hot one?
No, no, it's fine.
I've got my biscuits. They gave me
so many biscuits last night.
Cold hands, I'm sorry!
And this goes in as well?
Alongside cleaning delivery rooms
and changing the linen
Who knew I'd get so much joy out of
making a bed?
It's funny, quite a lot of midwifes
do actually.
..Emma will help during some of the
1,000 caesarean sections
that take place in the hospital
each year.
So what we're going to do is go
through the instruments of what you
would in a section.
Right, OK.
So they're all in order. So this is
everything from theatre
that you would need in theatre.
Yeah.
Today, Emma is being taught the
names of the instruments used
in theatre.
Now our sponge holders are these
ones.
So There are six of these. Right.
And they're all exactly the same.
OK.
Next are your Ramsey non toothed and
toothed forceps.
Forceps? Yep.
Not the forceps you're thinking.
I was going to say
These are what they normally
Surely they can't pull a baby out.
No, no. So that's them two.
And then the next one is your BP
handles.
Now these hold your blades, and you
have two.
And what is it for?
To hold the skin.
To hold the skin back, whilst
they're trying to get to things.
So, there's two different types of
scissors. Four.
No, there's four different types.
Oh.
So your next scissor is your
Carless assistant,
and the next scissor is your cord.
And they're the ones that they
cut the cord with.
I remember seeing my husband do it
to our last child
and he proper had to give it some
with it. Yeah. Right, now this
This is your Wrigley's forceps
right, so
They come bigger than that.
Cos what they do is they place one
inside and then they clip the other
one on and they have to pull out so
they have to have enough momentum.
We're scaring you now?
No, you're making me think about my
first birth
Oh, no!
..and what actually happened.
Oh, dear.
I'm just seeing that for the
first time.
Obviously I kind of know what
happened,
but I couldn't see it so I don't
actually know what is done,
but now I know the instruments
that were used.
How's baby's movements today?
Not too bad. Yeah? Yeah.
One couple hoping to avoid the
operating theatre are Michaela
and David.
So how many babies do you have
already? This is number four.
And is this pregnancy very different
from the others?
Yeah, cos my waters went
six weeks ago.
And how far are you?
33 tomorrow, weeks.
Oh, my God Mm that's
Stay-at-home mum Michaela still has
her heart set on a natural
birth, but may need to have a
caesarean due to the complications.
She went into labour
I managed to stop it.
Waters went. I managed to keep
her in.
So we waited for an ambulance, she
told me to get like a little carrier
bag, cos obviously, if baby comes
out you've got to put baby in a
carrier bag. Because it would be so
premature you would put them in a
bag, to keep them warm? To keep them
warm, they told me to get warm
towels. Oh, my gosh.
So is there any water left in there
with the baby?
Yeah, we've literally just had
a scan, and there is.
I do normally carry a lot of water,
though, anyway.
Right, OK. Which is good.
Thank God. Yes.
And do you know what they kind of
have planned for you going forward?
We'll see. We'll see what happens.
I'd rather she stayed in,
but cos the waters have gone,
there's more risk of infection.
Yeah, and do they have any idea of
the weight of her yet?
They've just Four pound, four,
wasn't it?
Yeah, four pounds.
Yeah, four, four, at the moment.
SHE EXHALES DEEPLY
Well, that's a story isn't it? Wow!
You always just assume that it's
going to go smoothly,
that you're going to labour and have
a natural birth, but the reality is
very different, and I've come across
quite a few different complications
that can happen that I didn't even
know about so I don't know
how I will, if I'm with somebody,
who has major complications,
I don't know how I'd deal with that.
After monitoring Michaela closely,
doctors are concerned that the
lack of amniotic fluids is putting
the baby at risk of infection.
She was meant to come back in
tomorrow to be monitored to see
make sure her and baby are both OK,
but I think it's all been
brought forward.
So within one hour
which is emergency,
but not top emergency, and three
Michaela's hopes of a natural birth
could be over.
You've done everything that you can,
and we're going to try and help you
with the last bit, all right?
Doctor's have decided to deliver
Michaela's baby
by caesarean section, nearly two
months early.
It's a little bit bittersweet,
really, because
obviously I'm, like, desperate to
see one happen
..but I just don't want it to be her
because she's only 33 weeks.
Right, could I have my needles
and two hypodermics, please?
Michaela's fiance David
is in theatre for the procedure,
which will take around 45 minutes.
Lovely, that's perfect, thank you.
I've seen lots of caesarean
sections.
Plenty of them. Plenty, yeah.
Emma is being guided through
the procedure
by veteran maternity care assistant
Val.
So, what's that now?
So all that yellow stuff is the fat,
and she'll always feel the tugging,
but she just don't feel no pain.
Anaesthetic is the most
wonderful thing.
That was a good invention. Yeah.
The surgeons make a small incision
in Michaela's stomach and uterus to
deliver the baby.
And then literally they'll scoop the
baby out, and obviously this baby's
going to be quite small, it's not
going to be as big as a term baby.
Absolutely love being in here.
I think I've found a new vocation.
I couldn't stop looking.
Like, I found myself wanting
to go
.. "Excuse me,"
but I can't, obviously.
Look, can you see the uterus now?
There's the fluid.
There's the waters. Baby will be
coming any second.
Now they're tugging. And they'll
find the baby's head.
There we go! There we go, baby born
at 5.15.
There we go.
She's like, "What am I doing
outside? I mean, that's not right."
Isn't she just
As the newborn baby girl is seven
weeks premature, she'll be
taken straight to intensive care,
while Michaela recovers.
Congratulations.
Did you see her face?
She had a hat on when I saw her.
I don't know Yeah.
Yeah, I didn't really see her face.
You'll see her soon, I'm sure.
I'm going to get out the way cos
your other bed's coming.
BABY WAILS
She's got some lungs on her.
Baby Maria is having difficulty
breathing on her own,
so is being given
respiratory support.
She's still making that grunting
noise, so she needs some help.
That's fine. Optiflow is not like
a facial mask,
it's just nose prongs, but it gives
flow. Yep.
Maria will receive round the clock
care over the coming weeks.
So, um, Michaela's gone.
Now it's clean-up time, but I've
never cleaned a theatre before so
I'm waiting for Val to literally
tell me what to do.
It's been a bit like that today,
Val's told me what to do
and I've done it,
which is why I'm here.
Theatre has to be your top priority.
It has to be cleaned, it has to
be restocked with all
..everything that you might need for
the next one.
And put another one in? Yes, please.
Everything gets counted,
and recounted.
It is a very important role because
at any moment
you could need that for
an emergency.
Val, what about that?
Yeah, you can, we'll change that
that's fine, it's all clean.
My sister she thought when
I got the job that I would just
be making tea and changing the
flower water.
Cos you were allowed flowers in
them days,
but it's nothing like that,
I'm afraid. Nothing.
It is a lot more involved.
Hats off?
Yeah, hats off, flat head.
You always have a flat head when you
come out.
Ah, look, that's the royal baby!
Would you like to have been at that
birth, Val? Oh, yeah.
I would have loved it. Oh, look how
they look at each other.
Oh, I love the royals, I love them!
I've still got a tin of biscuits in
the loft from the Queen's Jubilee
back in '77. Stop it. They've
never been opened.
They'll be mouldy, Val. Yeah,
they'll be mouldy.
We won't eat them, but I've still
got the tin!
In her 21 years on the ward
Oh, that makes me happy.
..Val has been present at over 1,000
births.
What would you say is your favourite
kind of birth?
All births are lovely.
Whatever way they come out, you
know, it's a special moment so
Are there things that you do now
that you didn't back then?
Obviously there's more births.
I think when I first started,
I think there was about 1,500 births
a year,
but now, I think, there's over
4,000.
EMMA GASPS
Do you still love it?
Yeah, I wouldn't want to do
anything else.
I've always wanted
This was my dream, dream job.
I'm just waiting for somebody to
come in with, like, their mother,
and she is now the daughter is
having the baby that I saw born.
That's what I'm waiting for. When I
know that, then I know I've been
here a long time. And then you know
it's time to go.
It's time to hang up me apron.
Apron and my hat and that'll be it.
Hiya.
Emma has been working on the
maternity unit for just over
a week
Here, Val, let me take one.
..and she's beginning to feel
at home.
Someone said when I walked in,
they went,
"It feels ever so normal seeing you
here now."
Strong, but with milk.
It's like, yes, part of the team!
I've even been written up on
the board!
That's another friend.
The job has met my expectations.
The people that work here have
surpassed my expectations.
Midwifes are incredible
human beings, right?
They are looking after two human
beings at once.
So there's a little body,
inside of a body,
with lots of stuff in between,
but just by feeling,
and putting their hands on they know
exactly what's happening.
And they bring that baby
into the world.
They are remarkable women, and they
do not get the credit they deserve.
WHISPERS: She is so cute.
Two days after being born
..Michaela's baby Maria is still in
the hospital's Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit.
I love the little bits of hair that
they have on their shoulders.
She's got a really hairy back.
You can touch her. No!
Are you sure? Yeah, feel her.
She's all soft.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my gosh. So soft.
Oh, wow. You're so clever.
We've nicknamed her Squeakers
cos that's what she does.
She squeaks at everyone.
Has she opened her eyes yet?
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Normally in the evenings.
Wide awake.
Do you get to hold her?
Do you get to have her out?
Oh, yeah. I held her this morning.
Had a cuddle, and I got to
dress her.
And have you got a rough idea of how
long she'll be here for?
And is she feeding all right?
She's taking my milk, but she won't
take the formula.
Her stomach's not coping with it.
BABY WHIMPERS
Squeakers. Oh!
Oh!
Baby Maria will stay in intensive
care until her respiratory
organs have fully developed,
which could take two weeks.
I hope she gets out of there soon.
Hopefully.
She's a beaut.
She's just lying there in
a little incubator,
all fuzzy, covered in hair.
I didn't want to leave.
You just get captivated,
well, I do get captivated by babies,
and I just stare at them.
I think especially when they're
attached to so many tubes and
leads, you can't just pick up for
a cuddle whenever you want.
I just wanted to have a squeeze.
Relax those legs for me, keep that
baby coming down through that
pelvis, really good push down.
The midwife team at Princess
Alexandra deliver
around 70 babies a week.
But not all of them are born
in the hospital.
We've just heard from the community
midwife, and she has a lovely
lady whose waters have broken, and
has started contracting.
I never expected a home delivery
quite this quickly.
It's funny, isn't it, how you kind
of have an idea of what's going
to happen, but you've just got to go
with it, haven't you?
Dive in headfirst.
Hello! Hello! How are you? I'm Emma.
I'm Alex. Nice to meet you.
Can I come in?
Emma has arrived to support the
community midwife team
with a home delivery.
So, third baby. Waters have broken,
and she's hypno birthing.
We've got a tape playing
at the moment
and some music that you can hear,
she's not using any gas and air or
anything but she loves back rubs.
Oh, does she? Yeah, so if you're any
good at massage back rubs or
anything like that, get on in there.
Do you know what, I will do anything
that helps.
I just need to wash my hands. Yes.
The community midwife has the best
job in the world.
We are a mobile hospital unit.
With coffee.
118 to 134.
I've had babies born in flats,
in houses, on boats.
You can have your own music, you can
use your own house to your best,
you can walk round your garden.
And statistically, you have less
pain relief, faster labours,
and much, much calmer babies
as a result.
So it's an absolute privilege to be
allowed into their space, and
to make sure, at the end of it,
we've got happy smiley faces,
it's lovely.
Hello, how are you? Hello.
Nice to meet you.
This is my Philippa, my colleague.
Hello, Philippa. Hi. Hi Laura.
Hi.
Romanian couple Laura
and her husband Antonio
are expecting their third child.
Just a hard, hard massage here.
You're so good.
Am I? I don't even know what I'm
doing.
I'm just rubbing, is it the right
spot? Yes.
It's incredible how calm you are.
You're so much calmer than I was,
Laura.
Do you know what you're having?
A boy. A boy.
We don't know the recipe for girls.
I'm the only girl in the house. So
you have all boys? Yes.
Yes. This is number three.
Can you sit back on your legs just
for a minute so we can have a
little listen to baby?
Midwife Veronica checks
the heart rate
to make sure the baby
isn't distressed.
It's fine, but when you crouch down
again, I'll have another
listen in. All right?
Laura's had a couple of false alarms
so she was quite apprehensive about
calling us yesterday, because she
didn't want to make a mistake again.
We'll come out as many times
as you want,
that's what we do and this clearly
is going to end up in a baby, so
And how lovely as well that
one day when that child is watching
TV or playing in this room she can
say, "You were born right here."
It's lovely. This is how childbirth
should be.
It's incredible, isn't it, when you
think about it like that?
I've never thought about it
like that.
We need somebody to fan you.
Laura has now been contracting
for over an hour.
Put yourself somewhere beautiful
in your mind, a beach,
a holiday designation,
somewhere you feel really safe.
Tenerife? No, he's laughing because
I got pregnant twice in Tenerife.
I keep saying, "We're never going
to go back."
Please don't call the baby Tenerife!
Listen to me, you're fully dilated,
OK, this baby is nice and low
Ow, my back really hurts.
I'm going to pack up and go home now
and we'll come back next Friday when
you push the baby out, all right?
Is that all right? Do what your body
wants you to do.
Right, where have you thought about
delivering. Back or standing?
I don't know. We need to get you off
your back, OK? I'm dizzy, dizzy.
As the baby gets lower into the
birth canal, it's time for
Laura to find the best position
to deliver the baby.
Give me your other hand.
As delivery could be imminent,
Emma helps prepare a sterile pack
ready to cut the baby's cord.
So don't touch the bits and pieces
that are inside.
Not yet!
Well done, breathe baby down, so
little pushes, then breathe. Just
breathe. Little pushes, little
pushes, then breathe, slowly.
Oh, lovely. That's it, keep it
going. Keep it going, beautiful.
Keep it going. On this next
contraction we need to see baby's
head, OK? So I'm going to get you
to give it a really good push, OK?
That's it, keep going. Ah, it's
It's OK, keep it going, keep it
going. Push, push. There we go.
Wahey! Reach down.
There we go. Emma, come round.
Hello, George. He's perfect!
And up. Are we on a plastic?
Doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.
And up, up.
He's fine, he just needed his
mouth emptied, that was all.
Look at him, he's lovely.
Unwrap that cord bit.
Laura and Antonio have given their
eldest son Alex a special job.
Can you see the cord?
So we're going to cut it in between
these two things, it's a bit
like cutting a raw sausage, so you
need to give it some welly, OK?
Cut this side of the blue.
And one more time. It's a tough old
thing, isn't it?
There you go.
Oh, my God.
Watching that little baby come out
was honestly one of the best
things I've ever seen in my life.
It's just incredible to see somebody
give birth like that,
in their own home,
so calm and focused,
and I think what got me the most was
full of humour still.
I'm incredibly lucky, and yet,
this is someone's job,
this is what people do
every single day.
I'm wasting my time in telly.
An hour and a half after giving
birth in her front room
and new mum Laura is up and about.
It's nice to be in your environment
and be able to have your baby,
then have lunch or dinner
and then go to bed,
your bed, and have your baby. Yeah.
And have your children around,
and the memories as well,
that you'll be able to tell George
that he was born in this room.
With amazing ladies.
With amazing ladies and a very good
back rubber.
Back rubber amazing! You're very
good. Thanks.
Yes.
So, see you next time with my fourth
baby.
Are you going back to Tenerife?
Oh, so you know already.
No more holidays.
Not in that area. Not in that area,
no.
Um, thank you so, so much.
Thank you.
Like, you're Wonderwoman, you're
amazing, thank you. Thank you.
Are we going in?
It's really emotional, seeing little
babies in that situation.
After four days of waiting, I'd be
like, "Just do whatever it takes."
Big pushes.
Oh, my God, how am I ever going to
know how to do all of that?
Really hard, really hard.
With everything you've got.
From the moment her first daughter
was born, television presenter and
mother-of-three Emma Willis has been
in awe of midwives.
Another deep breath in.
You can, you can.
You just kind of sit back and go,
"What incredible women, what an
incredible job."
Push, now, push, come on.
That was when my mission to deliver
babies began.
Emma's been given a unique
opportunity to find out just what it
takes to work on the front line of
a busy maternity unit.
If you're going to do something like
this, you have to do it properly.
Hi!
At a time when there is a national
shortage of midwives, Emma
will immerse herself on the ward for
ten weeks, supporting the team.
I just wanted to see if I could get
some contractions going.
She will share the pressures
Pull the emergency button.
I need some help here. Where is it?
..the fears
Your heart is going. It's coming
out, it's coming out.
..and the joys
I've even been written up on the
board!
You're a dad! It's a girl.
..of delivering babies.
Well done, you.
Television presenter Emma Willis is
making her way to the
hospital on the morning of her first
shift.
I don't know how people are going to
react to me.
F I was giving birth to a baby and
somebody from the telly walked
in, they might be,
like, "Who's this joker,
"rocking up, thinking that they can
do this job?
"I want the most capable
hands, not hers."
My biggest fear, I suppose,
is that I will fail.
I want to be able to do it justice
and, I suppose, I'm scared that,
that, I've got all these ideas,
that, "Yeah, I can do it,
"I can go in there," and I'll get
there and I'll just go,
"What was I thinking?
I can't do this.
"I'm, like, way out of my depth."
I just don't want to be rubbish.
Over the next ten weeks, Emma will
support the midwife team at
the Princess Alexandra Hospital
in Essex,
who are responsible for delivering
4,000 babies a year.
Going right into your bottom,
well done.
She'll work as a maternity care
assistant
Oh, you're crying now!
..an increasingly vital position
at a time when there is a shortage
of midwives.
It is a really important role,
they're integral to the whole unit.
She'll be doing all the jobs they
do, all the cleaning,
all the making of beds, running in
theatre,
and looking after the women on
a day-to-day basis.
I feel like it's never going to
come out.
You're on your feet for 12 hours,
and you are running
sometimes from one end of the ward
to the other, and it's tiring.
She will be expected to do exactly
what everybody else is doing
and will be part of the team to look
after these women.
So no special treatment? No special
treatment. No.
Hello!
You OK?
Yes, I'm good, thanks,
how about you?
Um, I'm, er, nervous.
Yeah. Apprehensive.
Uh-huh. A bit scared. Well, it's all
new! It's a whole new world.
Well, today you'll be just
observational,
I'm going to take you round,
show you round the unit,
so you've got an idea of where
everything is Yep.
..who everybody is Yep and how
it all flows
and how it all works together. OK.
So, do you want to go through the
uniform first or shall I give you
your uniform, and you can go and try
on whichever one you feel you would
like to put on? Yeah, I think maybe
I should get my uniform on and look
like I fit in
Right. Let's do that.
..rather than standing out like
a sore thumb.
All ready? I think so, I feel
crinkled. Well, that'll go.
I remember what you said about
looking, like, pristine and
I've just got it out the packet.
You'll be OK today, probably as
you're walking around,
some of it'll drop out.
Oh, OK good. Have you got your
access card in case you need it?
And your name badge? No, I don't.
OK, this is my test.
OK, this one. This one? That one.
That one.
That one. That one, and that one,
then anticlockwise. Wonderful.
What else, Mandy? Just this?
Yeah, your name badge and that one.
Anything like that, just so we can
identify you. Yeah, OK.
It's Mandy's role to give Emma
a tour of the maternity unit,
before handing her over to the
midwife team.
So everything that happening for all
the women is on that board,
everything that's happening with the
antenatal ward is on that board
OK and the midwives all sitting
working here.
OK, so labour ward is for high risk.
Yep. Chamberlain is pre. Yep.
And the birthing centre is for low
risk. That's right. You've got it.
So, this is our theatre. For
emergency Caesarean sections, and
you will work with somebody in
theatre,
so you won't be left on your own,
OK?
Good! That is the most relief I've
had all day.
The emergency number for the whole
trust is 22-22. Yep.
Health and safety, how to document
telephone
conversations with women, and that's
about it, really.
OK, so.. OK.
The whole thing feels overwhelming,
and I'm starting to doubt myself.
Oh, God.
I swear that I'm capable.
I am capable! I can do this.
I can do this.
Who is everyone? Oh, I'm like the
new girl at school!
I'm Samantha. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
I'm Lynne, the ward clerk.
Hi, Lynne, nice to meet you.
Hello, I'm Luke. Hi, Luke.
And I'm Val, the MCA.
Oh, so are we together today?
We are today! OK!
Like all maternity care assistants,
Emma will work around 40 hours
a week.
It's easier to just grab a box. Yep.
Today, she's on a 13-hour shift,
shadowing Val.
Oh. A strainer.
Now I know what it's for!
I've been working as a maternity
care assistant for 21 years.
It was my dream job.
Sometimes, if they vomit, these ones
are actually better Yeah.
..because there wider.
If things have to be done, then they
should be done correctly.
Everything has to be in its place.
I'm a very
got a little bit of OCD.
I'm very particular about my towels.
They all have to be folded in
a certain way.
There we go, one coffee. Thank you!
And I also like my pillows always to
be facing away from the door.
Other way, Emma. Lovely.
Now your mum would tell you that.
And woe betide anyone that doesn't
do it correctly.
First one! First one! Done! Done!
You'll make a lovely MCA.
At any one time, there could be 46
newborn babies on the ward, who are
all closely monitored by the
midwives and MCAs.
Going to do a daily baby check.
We'll take all baby's clothes off,
and we'll go through all the
different things that there is
to check OK.
..on a daily basis. Right.
She's a sweet little thing. When was
she born? Yesterday morning.
Yesterday. And how are you feeling?
Like I've been hit by a train.
That's a pretty standard, I think.
We're going to just look at her,
and we're going to look at all her
colour of her skin.
And are you just looking for, like,
blemishes and rashes?
Anything you would think that's not
the norm.
I know, baby, it's cold, isn't it?
Look at her little legs.
She's so cute.
Hello. Oh, now you're awake! Now
she's opening her eyes! Aren't you?
You're just looking to see if
they've got any jaundice, if they
look yellow in their eyes
and things like that.
Oh, no, she's had enough now.
You're such a good girl.
All right, then.
Everything was fine, my dear.
What I'll do is,
I'll put all my findings in her
notes and, er, that's it Lovely.
Thank you until tomorrow,
until someone else comes and does it
all again tomorrow.
Thanks very much. Thanks.
She's gorgeous.
She is gorgeous.
As she begins to settle into
her new role,
Emma checks in with Jacqui
the head of midwifery.
I just been round and everybody's
said that it's been lovely,
and that she's normal so.. Yay!
..I don't know what they were
expecting, I think you're going to
be, I know you're used to really
hard work but this is going to be,
it's being on your feet. No it's
different hard work, this is like,
you know, I put in hours, but this
is grafting in hours.
The girls have just gone through
everything with me,
told me all the names,
told me what they all do
ALARM RINGS
I just need to see what, um
Where is it?
RUNNING FOOTSTEPS
Sorry, I can't just stand there when
that's going off. No, it's fine.
That's the emergency buzzer,
everybody goes to where the
emergency is, and it's just to make
sure everything's OK.
As soon as we get there and assess
the situation, the emergency
buzzer will go off so that's what
that is, so, don't worry, you
will always be attached to someone,
you will not be on your own. OK,
I was, like, what You won't be on
your own, somebody will be with you.
But life goes on, women come in,
they have their babies,
we look after them. You'll be part
of that and it will be lovely.
We'll see you again tomorrow!
Cheers. Thanks. OK! Bye!
We just need you just out of the way
while she gets her knickers off
Yes! ..if that's all right!
I've told them I make really good
tea, so it can't be rubbish now!
I've never cleaned
a yoga ball before.
Three days in to life as an MCA and
Emma has yet to see a birth
That is the neatest little bump,
so nice.
You can actually feel the baby
in it.
But that could all be about
to change.
Can she have a feel?
Yeah, if you want to.
It's, like, poking out and
everything.
How do you know what bit's what?
Company director Laura
and engineer Rob
are expecting their second child,
with Laura 12 days overdue.
BABY'S HEART BEATS
It's moving around, I think you have
found it.
The midwives have decided to induce
labour by breaking her waters.
I've done one today
and she's had her baby. Really?
Do you want me to get out the way
or..? No, you're fine.
OK. You're not moving!
Come on
Are you going to laugh like this
when the baby's out? No!
At this point,
are they normally as jolly?
No.
Right. OK. Right.
That was definitely a first.
I've never seen them have to be
broken before.
Breathe. You're creeping up the bed.
It looked pretty uncomfortable.
Stop! Stop! Do you want me to stop?
Yes!
Oh, my word. I'm sorry it was
uncomfortable. It's got to be done,
it's got to come out. It's got to
come out. I know. Are you all right?
Do you want some water? I've got
some somewhere.
It's the only thing I can offer you.
No, it's fine. I think that's what
happens, isn't it? You start kind of
making a joke out of it, and
Yeah.
I think because you were saying,
"Stop," but laughing,
it was kind of a contradiction,
like,
do you actually want us to stop?
I think it's the knuckle bit,
the midwife's knuckles that were
hurting me.
I was literally like that
SHE INHALES SHARPLY
It's not the most pleasant feeling.
No. But it's worth it.
It will be worth it, yeah,
I understand.
And hopefully I'll go home tomorrow.
Come on, my shift's over soon!
Get that baby out.
It can't stay in there forever!
Busy bouncing.
As the day draws to a close, Laura
is in the early stages of labour
It feels like there's
a lot more pressure,
I'm having trouble walking.
..while Emma's 13-hour shift
is coming to an end.
I can't believe I'm going
to miss it!
You might not. You might not.
We'll see how it goes.
The midwife was quietly confident
that she'd be in, in the morning,
and the baby would be out.
Let's hope she's right.
Did you hear her say, "It's going
to be a very large baby"?
You'll sneeze and it'll be out.
If it does come and I'm not here,
congratulations.
Thank you very much. Thank you. To
being new mummies and daddies.
Try and get some sleep. Yeah. Yeah.
Have a nice night.
I was so hoping that I could be with
Laura when she had her baby
but, I mean
..who knows when she'll deliver?
Open your legs up,
give baby lots of room.
Oh, it's all fallen off.
It's been 22 hours since Laura
first went in to labour.
Well done. Brilliant.
As well as having an epidural, she's
been given gas and air for the pain.
The focus isn't going to be on me
any more, is it?
It's going to be on the baby!
Emma's shift pattern means it's
a birth she's missing out on.
In my fluffy world of unicorns and
candyfloss before I started
this I thought, "Oh, if my shift
finishes, and someone's
"and their baby's not been born
yet, I'll just stay."
And then you realise
that after 13 hours,
you should finish your shift.
Oh, God.
I really thought she would be
my first.
And I kind of really hoped she was
as well,
because we'd hit it off so much,
and we'd got on really well.
So I was literally praying to the
gods to get that baby moving.
Turns out that doesn't work.
And babies want to come in their
own time.
Right, nice deep breath,
show me this baby.
Push, push, push, push, push.
Keep it going, right into your
bottom, show me this baby.
Well done. Brilliant.
Well done, darling.
Laura's birth is in the hands of
27-year-old Charlotte,
who trained to be a midwife
at the hospital.
I'm going to pop your legs up into
stirrups, OK? OK.
Just cos baby's getting
a little bit tired.
Legs up. That's it, don't worry.
Well done, keep it going, keep it
going, keep it going.
Saw a little bit of baby's head
then.
Well done. It's coming, it's coming.
Big push. Nice big push.
Well done. Well done, darling.
Push, push, push. Well done.
Oh, my word!
So it's 6.13.
Here you go, baby - baby.
What is it?
Hello, mister! Happy birthday!
Oh, look at you.
The next day, Emma is back on shift
at the Princess Alexandra
Hospital
..and is keen to check in on Laura
and newborn baby Benjamin.
It's a boy! I know! Oh, wow!
They said it might have been because
it was a lazy little thing.
He's a nice size.
He's a big size. Was he?
Nine, ten.
Yeah, he's Do you want to hold
him? Would you like to hold him?
Can I hold him? Yeah.
WHISPERS: I don't want to
disturb him.
He will be disturbed soon cos he's
going to need some feeding.
Can you feed him?
Do you remember that?
Yes! It all comes flooding back,
doesn't it?
Oh, my God, he's beautiful. Yes.
He is.
Look at that face. Well done, you.
Honestly, you're like the most
amazing human being.
I can't I can't believe I don't
feel that bad either.
Women are pretty awesome,
aren't they?
Look at what we can do.
No, congratulations. Thank you.
He's a beaut.
Do you want me to put him back or
did you want him?
No, put him back. Cos I'll have my
cold cup of tea.
Do you want a hot one?
No, no, it's fine.
I've got my biscuits. They gave me
so many biscuits last night.
Cold hands, I'm sorry!
And this goes in as well?
Alongside cleaning delivery rooms
and changing the linen
Who knew I'd get so much joy out of
making a bed?
It's funny, quite a lot of midwifes
do actually.
..Emma will help during some of the
1,000 caesarean sections
that take place in the hospital
each year.
So what we're going to do is go
through the instruments of what you
would in a section.
Right, OK.
So they're all in order. So this is
everything from theatre
that you would need in theatre.
Yeah.
Today, Emma is being taught the
names of the instruments used
in theatre.
Now our sponge holders are these
ones.
So There are six of these. Right.
And they're all exactly the same.
OK.
Next are your Ramsey non toothed and
toothed forceps.
Forceps? Yep.
Not the forceps you're thinking.
I was going to say
These are what they normally
Surely they can't pull a baby out.
No, no. So that's them two.
And then the next one is your BP
handles.
Now these hold your blades, and you
have two.
And what is it for?
To hold the skin.
To hold the skin back, whilst
they're trying to get to things.
So, there's two different types of
scissors. Four.
No, there's four different types.
Oh.
So your next scissor is your
Carless assistant,
and the next scissor is your cord.
And they're the ones that they
cut the cord with.
I remember seeing my husband do it
to our last child
and he proper had to give it some
with it. Yeah. Right, now this
This is your Wrigley's forceps
right, so
They come bigger than that.
Cos what they do is they place one
inside and then they clip the other
one on and they have to pull out so
they have to have enough momentum.
We're scaring you now?
No, you're making me think about my
first birth
Oh, no!
..and what actually happened.
Oh, dear.
I'm just seeing that for the
first time.
Obviously I kind of know what
happened,
but I couldn't see it so I don't
actually know what is done,
but now I know the instruments
that were used.
How's baby's movements today?
Not too bad. Yeah? Yeah.
One couple hoping to avoid the
operating theatre are Michaela
and David.
So how many babies do you have
already? This is number four.
And is this pregnancy very different
from the others?
Yeah, cos my waters went
six weeks ago.
And how far are you?
33 tomorrow, weeks.
Oh, my God Mm that's
Stay-at-home mum Michaela still has
her heart set on a natural
birth, but may need to have a
caesarean due to the complications.
She went into labour
I managed to stop it.
Waters went. I managed to keep
her in.
So we waited for an ambulance, she
told me to get like a little carrier
bag, cos obviously, if baby comes
out you've got to put baby in a
carrier bag. Because it would be so
premature you would put them in a
bag, to keep them warm? To keep them
warm, they told me to get warm
towels. Oh, my gosh.
So is there any water left in there
with the baby?
Yeah, we've literally just had
a scan, and there is.
I do normally carry a lot of water,
though, anyway.
Right, OK. Which is good.
Thank God. Yes.
And do you know what they kind of
have planned for you going forward?
We'll see. We'll see what happens.
I'd rather she stayed in,
but cos the waters have gone,
there's more risk of infection.
Yeah, and do they have any idea of
the weight of her yet?
They've just Four pound, four,
wasn't it?
Yeah, four pounds.
Yeah, four, four, at the moment.
SHE EXHALES DEEPLY
Well, that's a story isn't it? Wow!
You always just assume that it's
going to go smoothly,
that you're going to labour and have
a natural birth, but the reality is
very different, and I've come across
quite a few different complications
that can happen that I didn't even
know about so I don't know
how I will, if I'm with somebody,
who has major complications,
I don't know how I'd deal with that.
After monitoring Michaela closely,
doctors are concerned that the
lack of amniotic fluids is putting
the baby at risk of infection.
She was meant to come back in
tomorrow to be monitored to see
make sure her and baby are both OK,
but I think it's all been
brought forward.
So within one hour
which is emergency,
but not top emergency, and three
Michaela's hopes of a natural birth
could be over.
You've done everything that you can,
and we're going to try and help you
with the last bit, all right?
Doctor's have decided to deliver
Michaela's baby
by caesarean section, nearly two
months early.
It's a little bit bittersweet,
really, because
obviously I'm, like, desperate to
see one happen
..but I just don't want it to be her
because she's only 33 weeks.
Right, could I have my needles
and two hypodermics, please?
Michaela's fiance David
is in theatre for the procedure,
which will take around 45 minutes.
Lovely, that's perfect, thank you.
I've seen lots of caesarean
sections.
Plenty of them. Plenty, yeah.
Emma is being guided through
the procedure
by veteran maternity care assistant
Val.
So, what's that now?
So all that yellow stuff is the fat,
and she'll always feel the tugging,
but she just don't feel no pain.
Anaesthetic is the most
wonderful thing.
That was a good invention. Yeah.
The surgeons make a small incision
in Michaela's stomach and uterus to
deliver the baby.
And then literally they'll scoop the
baby out, and obviously this baby's
going to be quite small, it's not
going to be as big as a term baby.
Absolutely love being in here.
I think I've found a new vocation.
I couldn't stop looking.
Like, I found myself wanting
to go
.. "Excuse me,"
but I can't, obviously.
Look, can you see the uterus now?
There's the fluid.
There's the waters. Baby will be
coming any second.
Now they're tugging. And they'll
find the baby's head.
There we go! There we go, baby born
at 5.15.
There we go.
She's like, "What am I doing
outside? I mean, that's not right."
Isn't she just
As the newborn baby girl is seven
weeks premature, she'll be
taken straight to intensive care,
while Michaela recovers.
Congratulations.
Did you see her face?
She had a hat on when I saw her.
I don't know Yeah.
Yeah, I didn't really see her face.
You'll see her soon, I'm sure.
I'm going to get out the way cos
your other bed's coming.
BABY WAILS
She's got some lungs on her.
Baby Maria is having difficulty
breathing on her own,
so is being given
respiratory support.
She's still making that grunting
noise, so she needs some help.
That's fine. Optiflow is not like
a facial mask,
it's just nose prongs, but it gives
flow. Yep.
Maria will receive round the clock
care over the coming weeks.
So, um, Michaela's gone.
Now it's clean-up time, but I've
never cleaned a theatre before so
I'm waiting for Val to literally
tell me what to do.
It's been a bit like that today,
Val's told me what to do
and I've done it,
which is why I'm here.
Theatre has to be your top priority.
It has to be cleaned, it has to
be restocked with all
..everything that you might need for
the next one.
And put another one in? Yes, please.
Everything gets counted,
and recounted.
It is a very important role because
at any moment
you could need that for
an emergency.
Val, what about that?
Yeah, you can, we'll change that
that's fine, it's all clean.
My sister she thought when
I got the job that I would just
be making tea and changing the
flower water.
Cos you were allowed flowers in
them days,
but it's nothing like that,
I'm afraid. Nothing.
It is a lot more involved.
Hats off?
Yeah, hats off, flat head.
You always have a flat head when you
come out.
Ah, look, that's the royal baby!
Would you like to have been at that
birth, Val? Oh, yeah.
I would have loved it. Oh, look how
they look at each other.
Oh, I love the royals, I love them!
I've still got a tin of biscuits in
the loft from the Queen's Jubilee
back in '77. Stop it. They've
never been opened.
They'll be mouldy, Val. Yeah,
they'll be mouldy.
We won't eat them, but I've still
got the tin!
In her 21 years on the ward
Oh, that makes me happy.
..Val has been present at over 1,000
births.
What would you say is your favourite
kind of birth?
All births are lovely.
Whatever way they come out, you
know, it's a special moment so
Are there things that you do now
that you didn't back then?
Obviously there's more births.
I think when I first started,
I think there was about 1,500 births
a year,
but now, I think, there's over
4,000.
EMMA GASPS
Do you still love it?
Yeah, I wouldn't want to do
anything else.
I've always wanted
This was my dream, dream job.
I'm just waiting for somebody to
come in with, like, their mother,
and she is now the daughter is
having the baby that I saw born.
That's what I'm waiting for. When I
know that, then I know I've been
here a long time. And then you know
it's time to go.
It's time to hang up me apron.
Apron and my hat and that'll be it.
Hiya.
Emma has been working on the
maternity unit for just over
a week
Here, Val, let me take one.
..and she's beginning to feel
at home.
Someone said when I walked in,
they went,
"It feels ever so normal seeing you
here now."
Strong, but with milk.
It's like, yes, part of the team!
I've even been written up on
the board!
That's another friend.
The job has met my expectations.
The people that work here have
surpassed my expectations.
Midwifes are incredible
human beings, right?
They are looking after two human
beings at once.
So there's a little body,
inside of a body,
with lots of stuff in between,
but just by feeling,
and putting their hands on they know
exactly what's happening.
And they bring that baby
into the world.
They are remarkable women, and they
do not get the credit they deserve.
WHISPERS: She is so cute.
Two days after being born
..Michaela's baby Maria is still in
the hospital's Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit.
I love the little bits of hair that
they have on their shoulders.
She's got a really hairy back.
You can touch her. No!
Are you sure? Yeah, feel her.
She's all soft.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my gosh. So soft.
Oh, wow. You're so clever.
We've nicknamed her Squeakers
cos that's what she does.
She squeaks at everyone.
Has she opened her eyes yet?
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Normally in the evenings.
Wide awake.
Do you get to hold her?
Do you get to have her out?
Oh, yeah. I held her this morning.
Had a cuddle, and I got to
dress her.
And have you got a rough idea of how
long she'll be here for?
And is she feeding all right?
She's taking my milk, but she won't
take the formula.
Her stomach's not coping with it.
BABY WHIMPERS
Squeakers. Oh!
Oh!
Baby Maria will stay in intensive
care until her respiratory
organs have fully developed,
which could take two weeks.
I hope she gets out of there soon.
Hopefully.
She's a beaut.
She's just lying there in
a little incubator,
all fuzzy, covered in hair.
I didn't want to leave.
You just get captivated,
well, I do get captivated by babies,
and I just stare at them.
I think especially when they're
attached to so many tubes and
leads, you can't just pick up for
a cuddle whenever you want.
I just wanted to have a squeeze.
Relax those legs for me, keep that
baby coming down through that
pelvis, really good push down.
The midwife team at Princess
Alexandra deliver
around 70 babies a week.
But not all of them are born
in the hospital.
We've just heard from the community
midwife, and she has a lovely
lady whose waters have broken, and
has started contracting.
I never expected a home delivery
quite this quickly.
It's funny, isn't it, how you kind
of have an idea of what's going
to happen, but you've just got to go
with it, haven't you?
Dive in headfirst.
Hello! Hello! How are you? I'm Emma.
I'm Alex. Nice to meet you.
Can I come in?
Emma has arrived to support the
community midwife team
with a home delivery.
So, third baby. Waters have broken,
and she's hypno birthing.
We've got a tape playing
at the moment
and some music that you can hear,
she's not using any gas and air or
anything but she loves back rubs.
Oh, does she? Yeah, so if you're any
good at massage back rubs or
anything like that, get on in there.
Do you know what, I will do anything
that helps.
I just need to wash my hands. Yes.
The community midwife has the best
job in the world.
We are a mobile hospital unit.
With coffee.
118 to 134.
I've had babies born in flats,
in houses, on boats.
You can have your own music, you can
use your own house to your best,
you can walk round your garden.
And statistically, you have less
pain relief, faster labours,
and much, much calmer babies
as a result.
So it's an absolute privilege to be
allowed into their space, and
to make sure, at the end of it,
we've got happy smiley faces,
it's lovely.
Hello, how are you? Hello.
Nice to meet you.
This is my Philippa, my colleague.
Hello, Philippa. Hi. Hi Laura.
Hi.
Romanian couple Laura
and her husband Antonio
are expecting their third child.
Just a hard, hard massage here.
You're so good.
Am I? I don't even know what I'm
doing.
I'm just rubbing, is it the right
spot? Yes.
It's incredible how calm you are.
You're so much calmer than I was,
Laura.
Do you know what you're having?
A boy. A boy.
We don't know the recipe for girls.
I'm the only girl in the house. So
you have all boys? Yes.
Yes. This is number three.
Can you sit back on your legs just
for a minute so we can have a
little listen to baby?
Midwife Veronica checks
the heart rate
to make sure the baby
isn't distressed.
It's fine, but when you crouch down
again, I'll have another
listen in. All right?
Laura's had a couple of false alarms
so she was quite apprehensive about
calling us yesterday, because she
didn't want to make a mistake again.
We'll come out as many times
as you want,
that's what we do and this clearly
is going to end up in a baby, so
And how lovely as well that
one day when that child is watching
TV or playing in this room she can
say, "You were born right here."
It's lovely. This is how childbirth
should be.
It's incredible, isn't it, when you
think about it like that?
I've never thought about it
like that.
We need somebody to fan you.
Laura has now been contracting
for over an hour.
Put yourself somewhere beautiful
in your mind, a beach,
a holiday designation,
somewhere you feel really safe.
Tenerife? No, he's laughing because
I got pregnant twice in Tenerife.
I keep saying, "We're never going
to go back."
Please don't call the baby Tenerife!
Listen to me, you're fully dilated,
OK, this baby is nice and low
Ow, my back really hurts.
I'm going to pack up and go home now
and we'll come back next Friday when
you push the baby out, all right?
Is that all right? Do what your body
wants you to do.
Right, where have you thought about
delivering. Back or standing?
I don't know. We need to get you off
your back, OK? I'm dizzy, dizzy.
As the baby gets lower into the
birth canal, it's time for
Laura to find the best position
to deliver the baby.
Give me your other hand.
As delivery could be imminent,
Emma helps prepare a sterile pack
ready to cut the baby's cord.
So don't touch the bits and pieces
that are inside.
Not yet!
Well done, breathe baby down, so
little pushes, then breathe. Just
breathe. Little pushes, little
pushes, then breathe, slowly.
Oh, lovely. That's it, keep it
going. Keep it going, beautiful.
Keep it going. On this next
contraction we need to see baby's
head, OK? So I'm going to get you
to give it a really good push, OK?
That's it, keep going. Ah, it's
It's OK, keep it going, keep it
going. Push, push. There we go.
Wahey! Reach down.
There we go. Emma, come round.
Hello, George. He's perfect!
And up. Are we on a plastic?
Doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.
And up, up.
He's fine, he just needed his
mouth emptied, that was all.
Look at him, he's lovely.
Unwrap that cord bit.
Laura and Antonio have given their
eldest son Alex a special job.
Can you see the cord?
So we're going to cut it in between
these two things, it's a bit
like cutting a raw sausage, so you
need to give it some welly, OK?
Cut this side of the blue.
And one more time. It's a tough old
thing, isn't it?
There you go.
Oh, my God.
Watching that little baby come out
was honestly one of the best
things I've ever seen in my life.
It's just incredible to see somebody
give birth like that,
in their own home,
so calm and focused,
and I think what got me the most was
full of humour still.
I'm incredibly lucky, and yet,
this is someone's job,
this is what people do
every single day.
I'm wasting my time in telly.
An hour and a half after giving
birth in her front room
and new mum Laura is up and about.
It's nice to be in your environment
and be able to have your baby,
then have lunch or dinner
and then go to bed,
your bed, and have your baby. Yeah.
And have your children around,
and the memories as well,
that you'll be able to tell George
that he was born in this room.
With amazing ladies.
With amazing ladies and a very good
back rubber.
Back rubber amazing! You're very
good. Thanks.
Yes.
So, see you next time with my fourth
baby.
Are you going back to Tenerife?
Oh, so you know already.
No more holidays.
Not in that area. Not in that area,
no.
Um, thank you so, so much.
Thank you.
Like, you're Wonderwoman, you're
amazing, thank you. Thank you.
Are we going in?
It's really emotional, seeing little
babies in that situation.
After four days of waiting, I'd be
like, "Just do whatever it takes."
Big pushes.
Oh, my God, how am I ever going to
know how to do all of that?