CHILDBIRTH is said to be the most natural thing in the world.

And fully qualified midwives are judged to be the best people to assist mothers when it is happening.

This has been confirmed in Herefordshire with the official launch of a midwife-led maternity care service for the county.

It means Herefordshire's 76 midwives are being recognised as the professionals they really are.

Now they are seen to be perfectly capable of helping women judged to be at low risk through their pregnancies and at the time of giving birth.

Unless there is a problem there will be no need for a GP or obstetric consultant to be involved.

The midwives' case to take the maternity lead has been approved by Hereford Hospitals Trust, Herefordshire Primary Care Trust and the Local Medical Committee which represents GPs.

It is one of very few in the country to get such approval and was implemented last week, on April 4, with a little celebration, some balloons and streamers in the County Hospital maternity department.

And, with perfect timing, baby Shane Williams was safely delivered to his mother Nicola on the same day by midwives who had cared for her throughout her nine month pregnancy.

Of 1,800 babies born in Herefordshire each year about 700 mothers are said to be high risk, for a variety of reasons, such as obesity, past problems in pregnancy or personal health difficulties.

That leaves the other 1,000 or more who will be cared for throughout by a midwife.

Most GPs have been happy to 'hand over' the responsibility for these mothers although some have said they were keen to remain involved in the service.

Mothers will continue to have the choice of seeing a GP or consultant if they wish, and midwives have such experience they would know when problems were developing either during pregnancy or the birth, requiring the help of a doctor or consultant.

Under the new system, mothers at low risk will also be offered the option of a home birth.

Jan Pakes, clinical midwifery specialist at the County Hospital and herself a midwife for 20 years, said a midwife-led care service was not new to Herefordshire, having always been available.

But now it was being redeveloped to provide a service based on national evidence, recognising them as the lead professional involved in the care of women identified as low risk during their pregnancy and childbirth.