Essex midwives star in TV documentary series

Mr Katyumba said a baby's first cry "is something every midwife looks forward to"

Newly-qualified and student midwives at Basildon Hospital will feature in a fly-on-the-wall TV series about life on the maternity unit.

The Young Midwives of Essex is an eight-part hybrid documentary-reality series on UKTV channel U&W.

Cameras followed the midwives around the hospital’s maternity unit, as well as seeing trainees studying for their exams at Anglia Ruskin University.

Staff who took part in the filming said they were anxious to start with but soon got used to having camera crews around.

Mary Okae, who is 22 years old, recently transferred to Basildon Hospital and said it was a lot to adjust to at the same time.

"You're focused on your patient, focusing on their baby, and you've also got a camera right at the back of your head - it was a lot," she told the BBC, but added that "the more I did it, the more I calmed down".

The Young Midwives of Essex was filmed across several weeks at Basildon Hospital

The show also features Howie Katyumba, who is one of very few male midwives on the maternity unit.

"It just shows that midwifery is diverse," the 33-year old told the BBC.

"Midwife means 'with woman', so just being part of the team that looks after these people and welcoming their newborn has been a great experience."

He added: "There's just a defining moment when a baby is born, when you hear that first cry - it’s so good."

Grace Rungay, 29, from Dagenham in east London, was one of several trainee midwives featured in the show.

She said it was a "juggling act" balancing being a single mum-of-two and a student midwife.

"I do get a lot of messages from people saying 'I wish I could do that job' or 'it’s my dream job but I don’t think I could do it'.

"Well if I can do it, you can do it, so there’s no reason [why they can't]."

Grace Rungay says it is hard to juggle being a single parent of two with her training, but wants to inspire others

In January, the BBC reported that England had a shortage of about 2,500 midwives and that full-time equivalent midwife posts had increased by 7% over the last decade.

The Basildon unit was rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission in 2020 - with inspectors criticising the lack of staff with the right skills and experience.

The NHS trust in charge of the hospital recruited 40 new midwives, and said it secured almost £2m in funding, and the unit's rating was subsequently upgraded to requires improvement.

'Amazing things'

Staff at Basildon say they hope the new series will encourage more people into midwifery.

"It’s a great job to do," said Kenny Ayeni-Yegbe, head of midwifery & gynaecology.

"It can be challenging sometimes, but when you actually look at the rewards - helping a woman through the pregnancy journey and then delivering the babies as well - it's one of the most amazing things."

The Young Midwives of Essex starts at 20:00 GMT on Monday on U&W.