Scotland's midwife of the year has been hailed a "wonder lady" after helping one mum with one of the longest twin pregnancies in the UK. 

Maureen McSherry first met mum Laura Abbott when she was pregnant with her second child. 

After suffering a traumatic hospital birth with her first, she was fearful of a repeat experience but with Maureen’s support she was able to have the dream home birth she’d always hoped for. 

It was only when Laura later went to the doctors to have a coil fitted that she found out she was pregnant again - this time with twins.  

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Still fearful of hospitals and desperate for a home birth again, Laura went back to the Carluke-based midwife, who she calls her "wonder lady". 

After being told this was a possibility if Laura reached 37 weeks, when the risks of a pre-term birth had passed, preparations were made for another home birth. 

However, it wasn’t until an incredible 42 weeks and two days into the pregnancy that Laura met her two beautiful twin girls after they were delivered at home in what experts believe was one of the longest twin pregnancies in the country. 

The proud mum from South Lanarkshire, who nominated Maureen for the award, said: “Maureen is truly the cream of the crop, she orchestrated a fantastic team who truly believe in women’s ability to birth, who are working hard to change the tide of highly medicalised births.

"Maureen and her dream team believed in me and my babies from the very start and quietly supported us along the way.

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"She is just magical, and I will sing her praises to all who will listen! 

"Staying positive when you’re 42 weeks pregnant with twins and desperate for a home birth is not easy, but Maureen was my utter rock, never failing to hold me emotionally on those moments I faltered.”

The worker has been honoured as Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year 2019 as one of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards. 

The Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year Award enables them to pay a heartfelt tribute to their own special midwife who truly surpassed what was expected of them. 

This year's award saw a record 953 entries for the award, with seven regional winners now set to battle it out for the top prize at the RCM’s Annual Awards next month. 

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Maureen, a consultant midwife for NHS Lanarkshire, added: “I feel humbled that someone has felt I listened to what was important to them, which resulted in a memorable birth for all the right reasons. 

"Support to women throughout their pregnancy and birth is a key role of a consultant midwife, but also to support my midwifery colleagues to feel confident in providing such a wonderful service to women too, especially when the request involved care to a woman requesting a home pool birth of twins.  

"It was a privilege and an honour to witness and support Laura birth her babies with such confidence and a wonderful experience that I will never forget.”

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