Midwives and doctors at St Peter’s Hospital are working to support women who want to give birth naturally after previously having one or more caesarean sections.

The Chertsey hospital runs special clinics and discussion groups for those who wish to do so.

It also offers a procedure called external cephalic version, which can turn breech babies back into a head down position, avoiding a caesarean delivery.

James Thomas is a consultant obstetrician at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

“Whilst they have come to be seen as routine, a caesarean section is still major abdominal surgery and that comes with risks,” he said.

“Particularly when a woman has two or more caesarean sections, the risks of bladder injury, adhesions and problems with the placenta in future pregnancies increase.

“Often women think “I had a caesarean last time so will need another one this time” but that’s not always the case and frequently a normal birth is a viable option.

“Not only is the recovery time quicker, but it’s often a nicer experience for the mother and there are far less risks to their long term health.”

Sarah Ettienne, 32, from Walton, gave birth to her son Lucien at St Peter’s Hospital on July 18.

She has three other children – 12-year-old Pierre and eight-year-old twins Cody and Anais – who were all born by caesarean section.

Ms Ettienne said: “I really didn’t enjoy my previous experiences of giving birth so when I found out I was pregnant again I was determined to try and do it naturally.

“There were a few hurdles along the way, such as when the baby turned into a head-up breech position which makes a natural birth difficult.

“Luckily he turned back the right way and with the support of Mr Thomas and the team at St Peter’s I managed to have Lucien naturally.”

Ms Ettienne said that her midwife, Laura Santos, was “absolutely fantastic”.

“Knowing that I was anxious after my past experiences, she barely left the room and stayed by my side throughout the labour,” she said.

“She asked me about my birthing plan and really listened to what I wanted.

“When the contractions came on fast and strong, she kept me active and helped me cope without an epidural.

“The most special time was after the birth, when Lucien was given straight to me for skin-to-skin cuddles and I breastfed him.

“It was very different to my previous experiences as it’s hard to comfortably hold a baby after a caesarean, when you are flat on a bed with a screen up and can’t feel much from the spinal block.”

Ms Ettienne was able to leave hospital that night and take her new baby home.

“If I’d had another caesarean I wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed for several hours and would have needed to stay in for at least two days,” she said.

“Overall, I can’t rate my experience at St Peter’s highly enough – they supported me every step of the way and helped me have the birth I’ve always wanted.”