THEY share the most special and proudest moment of people's lives every day, and support women in what can be their most vulnerable moment.

Today is International Day of the Midwife, a day celebrating midwifery – and the important role midwives play during births.

At Dorset County Hospital (DCH) in Dorchester, about 65 midwives work tirelessly to support thousands of births each year in the community.

Both Natalie Northover and Nikki Ryan, from Weymouth, decided to go to university and train to be midwives after having their own children.

After four years of training and studying full-time at Bournemouth University, both Natalie and Nikki, who each have three children and work at DCH, say they love their job.

Natalie said: "I feel very privileged to get to share a special time with women having babies.

"The best part is being there at the birth and providing care and being able to relate to women when they are tearful and tired."

Nikki said: "For me, the best part is being an advocate for the women and helping them to achieve a healthy pregnancy and outcome – seeing them come out the other side.

Nikki said: "We see our women from the first time they find out they are pregnant, right up to the labour.

"Once they have their baby, we are out in the community visiting for follow ups."

The hospital has a designated team now working to support mothers having home births. The Cygnet Homebirth Team has proved incredibly popular in the area since launching last year.

Jo Hartley, head of midwifery at DCH said: "For healthy low-risk women it's just as safe to give birth at home than in hospital.

"Our home birth rate is 6 per cent, which is more than double the national average."

Jo, from Lyme Regis, has been a qualified midwife for 18 years.

She said: "We have just under 2000 births a year and we can easily have 17 or 18 mums and babies at any one time.

"I still work clinically but I also love working with the staff to continue and develop the service.

"There's a lot of innovative and enthusiastic midwives who are constantly coming up with ideas.

"Midwives are generally very passionate about training and their job, and it's about nurturing that passion with a dose of realism."

Natalie and Nikki both said the hardest part of their role is when there is a tragic outcome, and a stillbirth.

Natalie said: "In Dorchester we are one big family. A lot of us train together and so support each other."

"There are so many good times and moments we've been part of, and part of something really special – seeing the transition from pregnancy to a family."

Nikki said: "While the shifts are long and hard it's what we choose to do.

"It's a very rewarding career – it's hard work to get here, but I wouldn't change it for the world."