And her appearance comes as a time when the rate for women opting for home births continues to rise.

Annual figures from Dewsbury and District Hospital show that for the last five years more expectant mothers have decided to have their babies at home, from just three in 2004 to 23 last year.

Mum Linda Maddox said the decision for her was based on her having her husband, Neil, and children nearby.

Linda, 36, said: "I just wanted my children and husband here while I was having Maddison, as when I was in hospital they were told to go home.

"I would recommend a home birth to other mothers, it was just lovely."

It was Linda's first home birth after her sons Max, six, and Oakley, four, in hospital.

Another first for Linda was that the birth only took three hours, compared to her sons' 10 hours, which she puts down to her walking around her Foxglove Road home in Birstall.

She also had no pain relief.

"You've just got to get on with it," she said.