A new consultant midwife who wants to encourage more women to give birth naturally has been appointed to Epsom and St Helier hospitals.

Marion Louki, who has joined the hospital trust from St George’s, in Tooting, will be a senior member of midwifery staff who will provide clinical leadership, management and development to the team who care for parents-to-be and their new babies.

The former graphic designer, who retrained as a midwife after giving birth to four children, will be spending half of her time in the clinical areas supporting staff.

She said: "One of my main priorities will be to support and promote normal births and that’s something I feel very strongly about. 

"With the help and support of our expert midwifery team, the vast majority of women can give birth normally, and where that is possible, there are huge benefits for mother and baby. 

"Women are, after all, built to give birth normally and it is the fundamental role of midwifery to recognise and encourage this natural physiological process.

"Women who give birth normally are less likely to experience large blood loss, recover quickly from the pregnancy and labour, and bond well with their babies."

She added: "Having my children was the inspiration for re-training as a midwife. 

"I was a graphic designer previously, but during my own pregnancies and childbirth, I became incredibly interested in the biology and physiology of what was happening. 

"My passion for midwifery grew from then, and I haven’t looked back.

"It’s an incredible job, and I feel honoured to be a part of such an important time in the life of others."

The trust is recruiting for a second consultant midwife.  For more information visit twitter.com/esth_jobs.