BIG sisters should always be there for their younger siblings, but Ayan Elmi went one step further and helped deliver sister Hafsa’s baby.

It was a special moment for the 37-year-old midwife, who says the birth was a real family affair as newborn Istabraq was delivered at home.

“It’s a privilege to be present at any birth, but this is really special,” said Ayan, who works at Hillingdon Hospital.

Hafsa's mother was not so keen but is now Ayan’s biggest supporter after a trouble-free delivery.

Ayan said: “My mum wasn’t too keen on a homebirth, but it was my sister’s decision.

"People have some funny ideas about homebirths, but, if it is pre-planned, it is just as safe as a hospital delivery for low-risk women.

“I was present at the birth of my sister’s other children, so I wasn’t going to miss this one. I was delighted when she asked me to be her midwife.”

Ayan had the first of her three children as a teenager, but it would be another eight years before she fulfilled her dream of becoming a midwife.

She did it the hard way by taking a one-year access course, where tutors said only the highest marks would give her a chance of successfully applying for a midwifery course.

She duly burnt the midnight oil after the children were asleep and surprised everyone, except herself, by making the grade.

Ayan recently celebrated her fifth year as a midwife and is now part of a specialist home birth team, made up of four midwives in west London committed to giving mothers more choice about where they give birth.

Ayan said: “I have always wanted to be a midwife since I was a teenager, so when my youngest started going to nursery I decided to go back to college.

“It was tough, but it’s something I have always wanted to do and where there is a will there is always a way.”

Ayan says she would like to see more women consider homebirth as an option but says a lot more work needs to be done on informing and educating people about the choices available.

“You can’t beat word of mouth at the end of the day,” she said.

“If someone has had a good home birth, they are the best advertisement for our work when talking to other women.”

Ayan says midwives are held in high regard in the Somalian community and both her children and partner are all supportive of her work.

“It’s a great privilege to be involved in one of the most important moments in a woman’s life, “ she said.