Emma Willis: Delivering Babies

Last year TV presenter and mother of three Emma Willis

spent ten weeks working on the front line

of the Princess Alexandra Hospital's maternity unit.

Well done!

It's something I always, always wanted to do -

and thank you for letting me live it.

Now Emma is returning to finish her training...

Really got hook with us, haven't you?

Yeah! I love it. I love it.

..to become a fully qualified maternity care assistant

that could work in any hospital in the country.

I feel like there's so much to learn.

She'll be more independent.

Aah! You're one of us! It's real!

Across high risk wards...

..and in theatre...

Hello!

Just got a bit broody for a second, then.

..supporting a dedicated team of midwives...

That's it. That's really good.

Keep that going, keep that going.

Push it away.

Push it away.

Push, push, push, push, push.

That's the one, that's the one.

..Emma will share the pressures...

..the fears...

I'm scared!

..and the joys...

You're going to have a baby.

Oh, I love you, little lady.

..of helping to bring new life...

..into the world.

Oh, my God!

Oh! I'm gonna be a wreck by the end of this.

It's my first day back.

Slightly terrified!

But I'm ironing my uniform -

so even if I mess up the rest of the day, I will arrive correct.

After a nine month break,

television presenter Emma Willis is returning to work

on the maternity unit to finish her training.

I'm excited to go back and see everyone,

but I'm nervous at what they're gonna expect of me on day one.

I'm really hoping we'll all kind of say hi again

and maybe we'll have a cup of tea and a bit of cake.

Just a general catch-up.

That's what I'd like.

The reality probably is, I will get there and my shift will start.

Emma will be working up to 40 hours a week

to become a fully qualified maternity care assistant.

It had always been what I thought I would do growing up.

So, to go and live out that experience...

..in my life, that I never thought I would end up doing,

was, like, above and beyond.

PHONE RINGS

Hello, Labour Ward.

The maternity unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Essex

assists with the delivery of over 4,000 babies a year...

Happy birthday!

..at a time when there's a shortage of midwives.

Baby, at the moment, looks quite happy.

Emma will play a vital role

as she works as a fully independent MCA.

How are you? I'm all right!

I know how to do it, but I'm rusty -

and it's not like I've had years of practice.

I've had 12 weeks...

Yeah? Look at this do! I know!

Beautiful. Thanks!

..with a nine-month gap in the middle!

It feels like I've never... Never left? ..never left!

Oh, you're all here, still!

Hi, blondie!

I've thought I'd copy you!

How are you? I'm good!

So, this time I think the stakes are just as high,

if not slightly higher account.

You've started! I can't wait.

Oh, good!

I'm a little bit nervous. You'll be fine.

I don't have the excuse of "I've never done this before,"

because I have.

I'll see you in a bit.

Before she starts her first shift,

Emma checks in with practice development midwife Mandy.

Knock, knock!

Hello! Welcome back. Hi!

Thanks for having me back.

How are you? It's lovely having you back. I'm great.

Are you all right? Yeah.

I was quite nervous on the way in... Uh-huh.

..but the minute I walked through the door

I felt like I'd never left.

It doesn't take very long to get back into it.

Do you know what I mean? I know exactly what you mean.

This time you're doing things for yourself a bit more.

Taking on that little bit of extra responsibility. Less handholding.

You'll still have handholding if you need it,

but I would say ask and ask and ask, as many times as you need to.

Yeah. We'd rather you asked a million times

than you didn't ask and made a mistake. Yeah. OK?

Doing the baby checks and things you'll be able to do on your own.

Observations you've got to do on your own. Yeah!

It's starting to come back now? Yep.

Venipuncture you'll be able to do on your own. Ooh!

You know what? I'm like, "Obs is a walk in the park,"

but put a needle in my hand again and I'm a bit like, "Argh!

"Can I remember? Do I still know?"

You'll remember. It will come back.

Right. I'm going to go and get changed.

I'm ironed... Gosh... Mandy.

Not like your first day last time, when you were a little bit crumply.

I wasn't about to let myself down

the minute I walked through the door again. Absolutely not.

I can understand why Emma would be nervous.

This next stage of her training is a big step up for her.

By the end of her time here she'll be fully qualified

and able to work in any hospital in the country.

OK. All ready? Yes!

Uniform all sorted. Lovely. All sorted. Yep.

Does your swipe card work?

Let's just check, make sure it works.

BEEP Yes! Yes, it does.

I'm officially allowed back.

So we'll go and get you straight into it.

We'll go round to the post-natal ward.

Straight into it! Straight into it.

Really? Yeah. Already? Yeah. OK. OK.

Let's go.

As Emma's had a break, she'll be having a few refresher shifts -

but after that she'll be like any other member of staff.

This is a working hospital,

and she'll have to play by the rules like everybody else.

BABY CRIES

Listen to that sound of babies. It's lovely, isn't it?

It's like my life has never been any different!

It is just like coming home, isn't it? It is!

Mandy has arranged for Emma to assist with the newborn baby checks,

shadowing one of the hospital's longest serving staff members,

Debbie.

Hello!

Hi!

How are you? I'm fine, thank you.

Good! Happy anniversary.

Thank you. 40 years in the hot seat! Yes, absolutely. Yes.

We've got cake if you want to help yourself. 40 years here,

looking after those little babies. 40 years today.

I have...

I'm all embarrassed now!

Would you like to come with me and weigh the twins? I would love to.

Right, let's see how much you've remembered.

Oh, don't put me on the spot like that!

It's like riding a bike.

I've come back and I feel self-conscious and nervous

and I'm like I've got a lot of learning to do again.

You check the head and you check the eyes and you check the skin and...

So it would be great now to spend four months here

and at the end of it not have any self-doubt in my brain

about whether I could do it.

Look at these two!

Alfie and Olly - and Tanya and Carl.

Tanya and Carl's twins were born by Caesarean section

five weeks earlier.

How are you? I'm fine now.

Better than I was!

Getting back on your feet again? Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

And hopefully, fingers crossed, going home today.

So, they've done extremely well.

In two days. They look pretty good in size, as well. Yeah, yeah.

Right, let's crack on, then, shall we? Yes.

Can you remember what to check?

So, you check the head to make sure there's no usual lumps and bumps.

Mm-hm. Check their eyes to see if they're yellow, for jaundice.

Inside their mouth, if you can.

Check they've got ten fingers and ten toes.

Your mum and dad have done that!

Ooh! Now he's peeing!

Now he's peeing on the other one!

Oh, no!

Oh, dear.

Happy anniversary, Debbie!

Thank you! Happy anniversary!

Thank you very much. You've just been christened!

In the beginning, last time, I got quite broody,

and two weeks in, that was kind of gone -

but now I see these little babies again,

I'm like, "Oh, look at the little cute feet!"

DOOR BUZZES

SHE MIMICS BUZZING

Well done. Congratulations.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I'm feeling like I'm almost ready.

Good! Well done. Almost.

One of the roles of the maternity care assistant

is to prepare the beds for new mums on the antenatal ward.

This afternoon Emma is helping fellow MCA Amy.

That was the thing that I found the first time round,

was that on day one I wanted to be like two weeks in.