POOLE-based midwife Louise Mulcahy used to teach geography and PE, but shows no sign at all of missing her old job in a Home Counties prep school.

After her youngest daughter was born 11 weeks prematurely, she spent long periods of time at her local hospital’s neonatal unit and began to think of retraining.

“I haven’t looked back,’’ she said. “All the time I’m talking to women about their health, diet, exercise and looking after themselves and their unborn babies, it’s teaching.”

Louise has now been in the profession for eight years. These days, most antenatal care is provided by midwives in GP surgeries, health centres or in women’s homes.

All women are offered scans at the hospital and will be sent to see an obstetrician if there are any complications.

Louise, 46, works as part of a team looking after pregnant women and newborn babies in the Parkstone and Westbourne areas. First stop is to see Alex Anderson Varga, who has just moved into a new house in Branksome and is 26 weeks pregnant with twins.

Alex, who is trying to rest, has had bleeding and has just come out of Portsmouth Hospital after being admitted in case she was going into premature labour.

Louise listens to the babies’ hearts and feels Alex’s bump to try and determine how they are lying in the womb. She tells Alex how important it is to get her sleep while she can.

“When the babies come along, they like the night time,’’ she said. “Prolactin, the breastfeeding hormone, is at its highest level at two in the morning.”

Mothers carrying twins are more likely to go into labour early, but after 27 weeks Alex can go to St Mary’s, Poole Hospital’s maternity unit.

The unit, where 4,670 babies were delivered last year, is the centre for all high risk births in East Dorset, but low risk women can give birth in the Haven suite, which has two rooms with birthing pools, or at home.

“If you’re the sort of person who, when you don’t feel well, climbs into a bath, it’s perfect,” said Louise. “We keep the water at body temperature. Anything that can help relax you is going to help in labour.

“Women are encouraged to move around. The more you can reduce adrenaline levels, the better, because the labour hormone can’t be released if you are producing adrenaline.”

Second stop is to see Carrie Robins in Parkstone, who is 36 weeks pregnant with her second child and has a birthing pool standing by for her planned home birth.

The team operates an on-call system, so women will not necessarily see the midwife who has been looking after them through their pregnancy.

Louise said she was a big fan of home births.

“Not every midwife likes doing them, but for me they’re fabulous,’’ she said.

“The mothers are far more relaxed because they know you and you know them. You can pick up if anything is wrong.”

Some births stick in her mind more than others.

“I looked after one lady and every time she had a contraction, the dog howled. When she was sick, he was sick.

“I have done one at a bus stop at eight o’clock in the morning. The paramedics got there at the same time and put her on the front seat of the car. It was quite something to start off the day.”

Her third and final home visit is to Neil and Toyah Cannings and their 10-day-old son Elliot, who has already gained nine ounces in weight.

Lastly we call in at the Rossmore Children’s Centre, where the midwives hold antenatal clinics away from the medical setting of GP surgeries.

“I can have a really busy day and go home exhausted, but I have enjoyed it,” reflects Louise.

“I’ve delivered 330 babies and there are special moments. It might be a totally unexpected reaction by a dad, or just looking at the exultation on someone’s face. It really does give you a buzz.”