Homebirth Midwife Kim Mason helped thousands of women to give birth at home in her 38 year career

So what does that make homebirth midwife Kim Mason, who has worked for the NHS for 38 years?

Should she be classed as a superhero midwife? Many of the women she has assisted in birth would agree with that.

Kim has been at the side of almost 2,000 women during labour and the birth of their babies at home.

She spent ten years at Basildon Hospital, having trained and worked there for a while and returned in 2011 with fellow homebirth midwife Debra Saud.

They were instrumental in almost doubling the number of women who give birth at home from 1.6 per cent to 4 per cent (the national rate is 2.3 per cent).

I went to meet Kim at Basildon Hospital on the week she was due to retire.

With bright, smiling eyes and her brunette hair pulled back in a ponytail, Kim had an easy, calm manner which must have come in handy in her line of work.

I asked Kim what she enjoyed most about her job.

She said: “Being present at the birth of a baby is a privileged and something that I never take for granted. When you are with families in their home, it’s really nice to be able to be there at the birth and be part of that special time.

“We sit and have tea with them or someone will open a bottle of champagne. We can’t join in with that but we can share in those moments.”

After so many years of being a midwife Kim is understandingly apprehensive about leaving her role.

Kim says: “I have always enjoyed my job and looked forward to going to work. Not many people can say that, I think that makes me very lucky.

“I didn’t want to leave the job. I am so passionate about what I do, I didn’t want to stop doing it. It’s like losing a leg.

Kim formed a close working relationship with Debra while working at Southend Hospital and the pair has worked together for 18 years.

They specifically moved to work in Basildon Hospital with the aim to increase homebirth rate figures.

Now there are 194 midwives working in the unit and 41 community midwives and last year, 132 mums had their babies in the comfort of their own homes with support and supervision from the community midwives.

Basildon Hospital maternity service was the first in the country to receive an outstanding grade from the CQC in June 2014.

What has been the secret of their success?

Kim says: “Consistency of care and also giving women a choice. We suggest home births to women as an option on their first appointment with the midwife and then it’s a case of instilling confidence in them that it is a real possibility.

“In our culture we see going to hospital to give birth as the norm. Women give birth in the same place as sick people.

“We trust in the birthing process and women have been doing it for thousands of years. It’s only in the past 100 years it has been in hospitals.”

Kim believes the national drive to encourage women to consider a homebirth is a positive step.

She says: “The more women who have homebirths, the more it will become the norm.”

Kim has a strong belief in trusting in a mother’s instinct and listening to her.

She says: “You learn something new from every single birth. It is important to listen and take it in.

“If a woman loses confidence in their ability to give birth they can lose themselves.”

Kim herself had a home birth with her two children Hannah, 26 and Sam, 29.

She says: “I am a small person.

They were worried about me giving birth at home with Hannah, but I insisted and it went well.

“Hannah didn’t even contemplate anything but a homebirth with her baby because that was normal for her. I think the more women who have homebirths, the more normal it seems and more will follow.”

When it comes to pain relief only gas and air is available to women if they choose a home birth, and even then Kim says women choose not to have it.

“Birth has become medicalised and drugs are often offered to women like a menu. It doesn’t take the pain away, it managed it.

With an epidural they can’t walk around or go to the toilet. It takes it away from the mother that she was made to bear a child and her body knows what it is doing.

“We have gas and air with us but usually it’s left in the car because it is heavy and then the women decide they don’t need it any way.”

Home births sound like the perfect choice for many low-risk pregnancies but what about then things go wrong?

She says: “There are cases when the woman needs to be transferred to hospital but we are very experienced and can spot the signs early if they need to. If the best place for a woman is in hospital that is what we advise.

Instinct plays a big part in what we do. Trusting in birth and instilling confidence go a long way.”

Kim, who lives with her husband David in Suffolk, believes that the birthing process has remained the same while the bureaucracy has grown.

“The process is the same but there’s a lot more paper work!”

Now in retirement Kim has planned lots of things.

She says: “I have a grandson, Bertie, who I will get to see a lot now and I’m renovating a cottage in Suffolk with my husband.

“I am also going to come in and speak to mums-to-be at the hospital about their birthing hospital. It will be great to continue to be involved in promoting homebirths.”

"Saying goodbye to a well loved work colleague"

Debra Saund, who lives in Leigh, will be sad to say goodbye to her work colleague and friend.

She says: “We have the same passion and belief in our work. That is quite rare, I think.”

The pair have always been open to continually learning.

Debra says: “You always learn something new with every birth. We went to one homebirth and the woman had a lovely pool for a water birth but was on all fours on the bed with her bottom in the air. She would not be moved and we went with what she wanted.

“When the baby was born we found the placenta had wrapped around the baby and the position she was in was the safest to deliver the baby. Her body was telling her what to do and we went with that.”

Debra believes that homebirths can be an option for many women.

“Sometimes women need to be transferred but I have never met a woman who has said she regretted started labour at home.

“Women can opt to have a home birth and change mind on the day but they can’t do it

"I had two homebirths with Kim's help"

ONE mum who knows what an amazing job Kim does is Nikki Evans. Kim was a midwife for daughters Eliza, two, and Emily, one.

Nikki says: “When I went to see Kim for my first midwife appointment, she asked me if I had considered a homebirth.

“I said that I didn’t think I was allowed with the first one. She said that I was and gave me the option to have a homebirth.

“I spoke to my partner and he initially was not sure, but once we had done the research, we both felt confident about it.”

Nikki did not have pain relief and she used a birthing pool for both labours.

“I started having contractions with Eliza at midnight, but I had had some pains before and thought it might be a false alarm.

“But then it carried on and so I called Kim at 2am and she arrived at 3am and said well done because I was already 4cm dilated.

“My husband lit some candles and we got the pool ready. I did have a panic in the middle and Kim said that is perfectly natural and most women do at that point.

“When I did deliver Eliza, Kim kept me calm and feeling confident. We had a cup of tea after and some toast and my family arrived. It is so lovely to have all of your family there when you’ve had the baby and not to have to go by visiting hours.”