On her former Saint's star son's 18th birthday Lynn Walcott explains why she decided on a  home baby delivery service

Theos' mum has her own goal...
to ensure pregnant women are not denied the right to choose an independent midwife.

As Lynn Walcott cuddled her baby son Theo for the first time 18 years ago, she had no
idea he would one day become one of England’s greatest football stars. But she did know
one thing, Theo’s birth had convinced her of her own future career path — to become one
day an independent midwife.

Now Lynn, who has been an independent midwife for six years, is campaigning to save
the very profession she loves so much.

Her famous son Theo, who began his footballing career at Southampton and is now a
regular in the Arsenal team, was born at home 18 years ago this week and it was his birth
that prompted her to embark on a career as a midwife. “I trained after having my three
children and following Theo’s birth at home I knew I wanted to be a midwife,
particularly working with homebirths,” explained Lynn pictured above with Theo.

She has helped deliver many Hampshire babies and even delivered her daughter’s two
children. “Next year the government is passing legislation which may criminalise what I
do,” she said. Difficulties arose after plans to make all health professionals take out
insurance were revealed.

The Independent Midwives Association says its members cannot get professional
indemnity insurance.

It warns that without a rethink independent midwifery will effectively become illegal.
The Department of Health said efforts were being made to find a solution, but safety
could not be compromised.

Midwives employed by the NHS are insured via the NHS Litigation Authority but this is
not an option for their independent counter parts.

The IMA warned that childbirth is a high-risk area for insurers. Blame is often hard to
prove and insurance payouts can run into millions of pounds.

As a result, it is effectively impossible for independent mid wives to secure insurance.
“It is a good idea for health professionals to be insured but the government hasn’t done its
homework as far as we are concerned. “It is a worldwide problem that no midwife can
get insurance very easily — and it’s not surprising when you consider that 80 per cent of
litigation costs are obstetric,” she said.

Mrs Walcott explained that the sword hanging over independent midwives meant it was
difficult to plan ahead.

“If this is going to happen, we need to know when to stop booking women as we can
work eight months in advance,” she said.

The IMA is calling for its members to be exempted from the new rules, or for measures
to ensure they have access to affordable insurance.

Without action, it warns that a service which plays a key role in helping to relieve the
pressure on the NHS will be forced out of existence. There are a huge group of women
who employ us to deliver their babies. Typically they will have been traumatised after
giving birth in hospital and they can’t entertain the thought of having another baby in
hospital.

“I have just helped a mother with her third baby. Her first child was born in a large
general hospital and she was so traumatised by the experience that she waited four years
to get pregnant again. She was so distressed that she cried at every appointment — but in
the end the birth was fine. I have just delivered her third baby and it was a very pleasant
experience for her and most of the fear had gone,” she said.

Eleanor May-Johnson is an independent midwife in Southampton and is one of seven
local IMA members who have launched the Save Independent Midwifery campaign.
She said: “We have an online petition which we are urging people to sign and we have
collected 3,400 signatures in six days, which is great, but we need a lot more.
“We have a campaign website with a link to the petition, sample letters to write to MPs
and information on how to lobby the government.”

Up until 1994 all independent midwives were covered by insurance through the Royal
College of Midwives, but this was withdrawn due to an increase in the cost of the policy.
Between 1994 and 2002 independent midwives could get personal insurance which cost
about £18,000 but many could not afford it. Eleanor said: “It was mainly the independent
midwives in London who could afford to buy the insurance as many had rich or celebrity
clients and were earning a lot more than others but in 2002 the last insurer pulled out of
the market.

“We all practice without insurance and it is not through choice but because insurance
companies will not insure us. We are not a big risk but payouts for obstetrics is huge and
insurance companies simply don’t want the risk.” Eleanor had an honorary contract with
Southampton University Hospitals Trust until the end of last year which meant she was
covered under their policy to deliver at the Princess Anne Hospital. “SUHT have been
massively supportive but now the Department of Health say I am no longer covered by
their contract because they say it is a conflict of interest.”