about me

Clair Medhurst independent midwife with client, home birth midwife Devon  Devon

Hi I’m Clair, and midwifery has been at the heart of my practice since I became a Registered Midwife with the nmc in September 2014.

My career began as a maternity care assistant from 2004, giving me a grounding in maternity support before qualifying as a midwife.

I went on to work as a both a community and birth centre midwife caring for women throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

From 2020 I also worked as a Transformation Lead midwife, helping to shape and improve our maternity services. In October 2023, I moved into independent practice, allowing me to offer the continuity of carer I believe every woman deserves. I specialise in home birth, water birth and physiological birth and I’m trained in biomechanics and acupressure, giving me additional tools to support you throughout your labour.

My approach is holistic. I believe in supporting the body’s own physiology wherever it’s safe to do so. Over the years I have supported many home births and I bring that depth of experience to every family I work with.

My Qualifications and Experience

I’m an experienced independent home birth midwife with deep credentials and a commitment to transparency.

When you choose an independent midwife, you deserve to know exactly what expertise and experience they bring.

Here’s mine:

  • BA Early Childhood Studies

  • 1st Class BSc (Hons) in Midwifery

  • PGC with Merit in Advanced Midwifery

  • I am also a Published Researcher

  • A Registered Midwife with the NMC

Professional Credentials & Memberships

I am fully qualified, insured, and committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional midwifery care. -

  • Registered Midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

  • Member of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN)

  • Fully insured with professional indemnity coverage

  • Annual skills and drills training

Your safety and your baby's safety are my absolute priority. I maintain the same professional standards required of all NHS midwives, with the added benefit of continuity and personalised care.

I share these specifics because families deserve transparency. When choosing your independent midwife, you should know or ask them:

  • Exactly how long they’ve been practising as an independent midwife

  • How many home births they’ve been the primary/lead midwife for

  • What academic and professional credentials they hold

  • What supervision and support they have

How I support YOU

Beyond my academic qualifications, I bring a comprehensive toolkit of evidence based complementary skills:

  • Biomechanics for optimal positioning for you and your baby

  • Rebozo techniques ~ traditional Mexican shawl methods for comfort and baby positioning

  • Aromatherapy essential oils for relaxation and calm

  • Acupressure gentle pressure point stimulation to support labour progression

  • Hypnobirthing support and breathing techniques

  • A fierce belief in your capabilities, even when you doubt

  • The ability to hold space for whatever unfolds, without judgement

  • Hands that have caught hundreds of babies and a deep respect for the uniqueness of every birth

When you choose me, you're not just hiring a midwife. You're inviting a confidant, a witness, and an advocate into one of your life's most intimate chapters.

This is midwifery as a calling, not a career. It's my heart’s work and the greatest privilege of my life.


Pregnant woman resting on a sofa with eyes closed, hand on her belly, in a brightly lit living room.

My philosophy

I’ve always believed in the power of continuity of care and the importance of building a deep and genuine relationship with the women I support. This means having the time and space to truly get to know you—not as just another name on a long clinic list, or a risk category rushing through short, impersonal appointments, but as the complex, beautiful, capable woman you are.

Achieving this kind of personal connection is a challenge within the NHS system, which is exactly why I choose to embrace the continuity of careR model as an Independent Midwife.

What is the Continuity of Care-R Model?

The continuity of careR model ensures you see the same ONE midwife throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postnatal period. It’s evidence based and proven to improve outcomes for Mum and baby, increase safety, and most importantly, ensure you feel truly supported.


Creating a home BIRTH that works for you

Birth plans are living documents, not rigid scripts. Together, we'll explore what birth means to you: not what books say it should be, not what others have experienced, but what you think of when you imagine the day that you meet your baby.

Through unhurried conversations over tea, we'll pull together:

  • The atmosphere you crave (silence or singing, dim lights or bright sunshine)

  • Unravelling fears and discovering what will help you surrender to the process

  • The support that makes you and your birth partner feel safest

  • Your vision for those first golden hours with your new baby

  • How we'll navigate any twists and turns that arise along the way.

The goal is simple: to ensure you feel prepared, heard, and confident going into labour, with a plan that supports your choices while allowing space for the natural flow of birth.

Clair Medhurst private independent home birth midwife in Devon Somerset Cornwall