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Myleene Klass: “Right that’s it, I’m becoming a midwife!” But did she scare off the babies?

Celeb mum Myleene scrubs up to help deliver babies at Cheslsea and Westminster Hospital – but the babies have other ideas

As Myleene Klass scrubbed up for her midwife duties in a Chelsea maternity ward yesterday, the surprised staff could only imagine that she must have scared off all the babies! Staff at Chelsea and Westminster hospital welcome an average of 10 babies a day into the world, but with the cameras rolling and Myleene “ready to catch” no little ones were ready for their close up.


[Related link: Jessica Simpson finally gives birth to her baby girl]


“They must have heard I was coming and had other ideas,” Myleene told Yahoo! Lifestyle. “But fortunately a couple had been born early in the morning before I arrived so I got some cuddles!”

Myleene was on hand to experience a day in the life of a UK midwife, to help raise awareness for a Save the Children campaign raising  funds for maternity services, birth units and midwives in Bangladesh, where 11 newborn babies die every hour from preventable conditions.

“I learnt how to feel the difference between the baby’s head and and its bottom while it’s still in its mum’s tummy,” Myleene said. “How to listen for a heartbeat and even got to feel the difference with a mum who was expecting twins.”

Tweeting during her shift, Myleene gushed, “On midwife duty. OMG. My ovaries hurt, I don't wana give them back! #builditforbabies @savechildrenuk [sic]”.

What struck the presenter about the day was how it feels to be on the other side of giving birth. It wasn’t that long ago that mum-of-two Myleene was giving birth to her youngest daughter, Hero Harper, one, but being back in a labour room is “a lot less painful” this way round.

“It was really interesting to see it from the dad’s point of view,” Myleene added. “They’re sort of helpless standing there! There’s nothing they can do and you’re there on the bed with all the adrenaline and hormones and they can’t do anything to really help.”

“But what struck me most is that we mums have so much choice in the UK. We can decide if we want a waterbirth or gas and air or an epidural. We can even choose where we have our baby (baby dependent!). And then our midwives are on hand to do the newborn checks and give postnatal care.”

“And the women we’re trying to help have nothing. No one should have to suffer when you’re in that vulnerable position.”

Myleene Klass was shadowing the team to launch Save the Children's 'Build it for Babies’ appeal to raise £1 million to build seven life-saving maternal health clinics in Bangladesh. To donate go to www.savethechildren.org.uk/buildit