Yes, yes, I’m sure that there are many people out there who have very good reasons for thinking that this “too posh to push” movement shouldn’t be encouraged, but even though I’m a man, I have every sympathy with any woman who’d rather not push something the size of a melon out of herself. You go girls.

Women will have the right to give birth by Caesarean section without a medical reason if new guidelines for the NHS are adopted.

The draft guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) will allow women with a “fear of childbirth”, but no medical reason for avoiding natural birth, to have a planned Caesarean section on the National Health Service.

The only requirement will be for the patient first to be referred to an experienced practitioner “to help her address her fears in a supportive manner”. After that, the woman will be entitled to proceed with a planned Caesarean, no longer seen as a riskier alternative to a natural birth.