Join the journeys of Carmarthenshire's Country Midwives

They are already loved by countless families across Carmarthenshire and this week the rest of Wales will meet Nan Duncan, Caren Thomas, Sian Maynard, Anwen Evans and Lyn Smith-Hurley, the stars of BBC One Wales’ brand new programme The Country Midwives.
The series of four programmes, filmed throughout 2013 and early 2014, follows the lives of five of our community midwives in rural Carmarthenshire as they visit new mums-to-be and follow them through to delivery.
It gives an insight into the varied work they do, from teaching expectant mothers how to express milk and breastfeed through to labour itself and everything in between.
Home births remain a popular choice within Hywel Dda, particularly within farming communities and Carmarthenshire has one of the highest home birth rates with around 1 in 25 births in the family home.
Caroline Oakley, Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Our community midwives do a fantastic job providing expectant women and their families with support and expertise throughout pregnancy, during labour and afterwards.
“Home births are encouraged whenever it is safe, not only in Carmarthenshire but in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion as well. Midwives have the experience and expertise to assess if a home birth is a safe option and consider all the risks. Childbirth is a natural event and the safety of expectant mothers and baby are our midwives’ number one priority as the programme will show.
“We hope The Country Midwives provides the whole of Wales with an insight into the highly valued service midwives provide; the incredible journeys of the families and the extraordinary realities of child birth in our rural communities.”
The Country Midwives starts on Thursday 6 March, 8pm on BBC Ones Wales.
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Photo: The Team - Anwen Evans, Nan Duncan, Caren Thomas, Lyn Smith-Hurley, Sian Maynard.