Pregnant women have praised a maternity service for helping them navigate their journey to motherhood and beyond.

Neighbourhood Midwives, a social enterprise in Waltham Forest, provides continuity of midwifery care and offers homebirth to women with low risk pregnancies.

Commissioned by the borough’s NHS clinical commissioning group, it launched in 2016 and recently surveyed the parents of the first 100 babies born in its first year.

Of the 46 per cent who responded, all said they were treated with respect and dignity, were given appropriate advice and support at the start of their labour, and when they needed attention during the birth their midwife was able to get help in a reasonable time.

One woman said: “My experience with Neighbourhood Midwives was absolutely fantastic.

“I believe everyone should have the opportunity to have the kind of care I received.”

Another said: “The post-natal care was nothing short of life changing. I want every woman to have this post-natal care.”

However, the evaluation also found that mums-to-be cared for by the service were likely to be older, from a white British background, with the majority planning a homebirth.

Annie Francis, chief executive of Neighbourhood Midwives, said in time she hopes more women from other backgrounds will sign up for the service, given that the borough is one of the most diverse in the country.

She said: “We’re very pleased with this report and the clear message from women that they feel safe, listened to and well cared for.

“As more people have become aware of our service, our referrals now come from a wider range of sources and we are confident that over time they will be more representative of the local population.”