Medics warn of dangers of freebirth amid calls for change

“It’s really more about comfort measures, advocacy, support, hand-holding, encouraging,” she said.

She insisted members are not allowed to steer women towards making particular birth choices, adding: “We would signpost them to the evidence.

“So research might say, for example, if you have a twin, a home birth, you may be more likely to experience X, Y and Z, and that would still be their choice.

“It might also be that with a twin birth, if you’re going to hospital, you may be more likely to receive interventions that you don’t want.

“So it would be evidence based, but it would be the whole picture from both sides should they want it as well.”

Mrs Dawson does not agree with calls from obstetricians for doulas to be regulated.

She added: “Obviously we can’t be the doula police but we are trying to make sure that there is kind of a gold standard by having a register of doulas who have done specific training, who’ve had a mentored period, and who stand by the philosophy and a code of conduct.”