for help.He helped deliver his first baby sister, by which time an ambulance arrived to take them to hospital where his second baby sister was then born.“How difficult and scary it must be for an 11-year-old to come face-to-face with his mother having twins

, must be taken into account.The culture of active birth - where mothers are encouraged to move around and find positions which allow them to get through pain and labour without so much medical intervention - is something which for many years

."There must of course be enough midwives to meet the demands arising from the number of births. The commitment to 3,000 midwives made in Opposition was dependent on the birth rate increasing as it has done in the recent past. It was not in the coalition

Sylvia Hamilton, 36, lives in Middlesex with husband Craig and daughter Tara, who will be three on Christmas Day. Birth factsBaby's nameTara Louise Weight7lb 4ozLength of labour 10 hoursPain reliefTENS, gas and air, epiduralWorst bitHaving

home and as I watched TV, I was aware of my contractions coming and going – a slight pressure each time, as if someone was painlessly pressing on my abdomen. I had a bath at 12.45pm, and at that point I must have gone into transition. I felt the urge

.After about five minutes someone brought us a card with a photo of Finn and a report that he was doing fine. I was told that I could go and see him after half an hour, but Lucy had to wait four hours, which must have been very difficult. The period after birth

to be sent home a few hours later after being told they're not in real labour, but if you wait too long before making a call to the midwife and support, you could be in for a surprise in-transit birth or home delivery. To help you decide when to get people