Health reporter Sarah Cole finds out about the baby boom on a Hampshire housing estate...

ACROSS the country, only two per cent of women choose to give birth at home.

But on a Southampton housing estate, ten times the national average are delivering their babies at home rather than in hospital.

One in five pregnant women in the Weston area currently opts for a home birth.

The dramatic rise - from two per cent to 20 per cent in just four years - coincides with the launch of a one-stop midwifery practice.

Since 2000, the Weston Shore Midwifery Group Practice has become an integral part of the local community, helping women before, during and after their births.

Every pregnant woman is given a named midwife who is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via a mobile phone.

This continuity helps reassure mums-to-be when they go into labour, as they have the support of someone they know and trust.

Post-natal and breast-feeding support groups have also proved a huge hit, helping the new mums build friendships and support networks.

The high home birth rate in the area is thought to be largely to do with local mums chatting to each other about their experiences.

Midwives at the Weston Shore practice currently look after about 200 pregnant women a year.

The vast majority come from Weston itself, although a small number are from neighbouring areas such as Woolston, Sholing and West End, depending on which doctors' practice they are registered with.

Typically, about 40 of the women will have a home birth.

Some of them choose to have their baby in their own surroundings right from the start.

Others decide once they have gone into labour, while the occasional baby is in such a rush that there is no time to get to the hospital.

One of the most recent home arrivals was little Shannon Louise, born to Saints player Chris Baird, 23, and his girlfriend Sarah Weeks on New Year's Eve.

The couple, from West End, had been planning a water birth at Southampton's Princess Anne Hospital for their first child - but changed their mind when things started happening very quickly.

Sarah, who works as a team leader for a local contact lens manufacturer, was straight on the phone to midwife Laura Hatt when her contractions started.

"Laura came out at 5am and advised me to go back to bed and take a couple of painkillers," said Sarah, 23.

"When she returned around 10am, we had the choice to go to Princess Anne but I was so far gone that I couldn't walk.

"We decided to stay put and our daughter was born about four hours later."

Sarah added: "It was lovely having her at home; absolutely fantastic.

"I am not keen on hospitals anyway so it was so much more relaxing. We just sat and chatted all through the labour.

"Chris was really calm. He helped me through it and cut Shannon's cord. My mum and step-dad were also with us.

"I would definitely do it that way again, and would recommend a home birth to anyone."

First-time mum Amber-Lea Wakelin, 18, from Weston, gave birth to her son, Jack, at home.

The teenager had wanted a home birth but her partner had initially been worried.

She said: "I was in labour watching Eastenders to start with, then got into the bath.

"I put candles in the bathroom and it was all very relaxed. I had had the same midwives all the way through so I knew them and felt comfortable."

Annette and Darran Lebbern, from Weston, had wanted a home birth for their first child, Owen, but ended up going to hospital as Annette needed a caesarean section.

Their second, Samuel, was born at home in December.

Annette, 32, said: "It was lovely being in your own environment. You don't have to worry about things like visiting hours and parking.

"Even being able to have a bath in your own home makes a big difference. The midwives are so supportive and have a wealth of knowledge."

Mum-of-seven Sarah Peckham, 38, from Weston, had her last two children at her partner's home, also in Weston.

" I just got talking to other mums and found out about their experiences, and decided to give it a go," she said.

"It was so much nicer. When you are in hospital, all the equipment can be a bit off-putting. It is also nice to be in your own bed."

The Weston Shore Midwifery Group has looked after over 600 women since its launch in September 2000.

It is run in partnership with Sure Start, a government initiative working alongside parents and families in disadvantaged areas to improve health.

Currently, the practice has six midwives and three student midwives. Each midwife looks after about 36 women a year.

Diane Henty and Jill Hutchings, who helped set up the project, have seen a change in culture across Weston in the last few years.

Jill said: "A wonderful confidence has grown and developed in the whole experience of childbirth, which has been shown by the involvement of women in peer-led discussions about choices in childbirth.

"A big 'thank you' to all the women we have cared for. Without you, none of this would have been possible."