With four months to go before the end of a three-year midwifery degree, Imogen Makepeace made the bold decision to quit.

She had thought about pulling out of her studies at the University of Brighton for good before but had always stuck with it hoping the reservations she was experiencing would lift. She finally realised her apprehensions were not going to go away.

Imogen said: "I resigned because I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the way the training was leading me, with pressure on processing women through the system and not enough time to get to know them and find out if they had particular anxieties or hopes.

"Certainly there was very little opportunity to discuss alternatives to problems as they presented themselves in late pregnancy or labour.

"In the busy, day-to-day life of a midwife there is very little time to discuss these options and even less if something unexpected crops up."

Rather than turning her back on midwifery altogether, Imogen, a mother of three who lives in Lewes, now wants to set up a network of women who can help other mothers-to-be when it comes to the daunting experience of childbirth.

Already there are birth support specialists known as doulas, who are mothers themselves and are at a new mother's side to talk her through a birth.

But Imogen, 43, would like to see the creation of a role which falls somewhere between a traditional midwife and a doula.

She said: "Doula means mothering the mother but in fact many women want more than that. They want the information to make choices that are being offered to them.

"Home or hospital? Which form of pain relief is best? Should I have an epidural immediately or even a caesarean section?"

Imogen is keen to hear from people who want to expand the sort of birth support available. They might be midwives who only work one day a week and would be willing to help out in a less traditional environment. Or they might be mothers who know there is nothing like first-hand experience to calm another woman's nerves.

"I know there are midwives who are restless in their roles and would dearly love to embrace the doula role more thoroughly.

"There are students who, like me, have become disillusioned with the emphasis on technical skills to the detriment of caring and support.

"There are women who want to have as natural a birth as possible and yet are not given the support or information to enable them to make those choices.

"Take posteriorly presenting babies, for instance. These babies are lying with their spine against the mother's spine. It is an uncomfortable pregnancy and can be a long and difficult labour.

"However there are exercises and alternative therapy treatments which are often effective in turning the baby into a better position for birth. Informing and supporting the woman who knows she has a baby in this position is important.

"Giving her the opportunity to develop with her partner a range of strategies to cope with what could be a difficult labour may make all the difference in helping her give birth as she wants to, instead of getting exhausted and frightened."

Imogen, who also hires out birthing pools, does not want to take over the role of the midwife. She just feels traditional and less traditional forms of birth support could be blended more.

Women would answer questions about their fears and talk about what would make the birth more comfortable.

They could be put in touch with alternative health practitioners, including acupuncturists and homeopaths, who specialise in pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

Imogen said: "My midwifery training is useful. I can explain the anatomy of the pregnancy and have access to literature and research.

"I can interpret medical jargon and also help women have more confidence in asking for what they want.

"Being familiar with the system I can describe procedures and explain the reasons for them thus reducing the impact of the unexpected when a woman is feeling at her most vulnerable."

In a few weeks Imogen will help her friend, Elaine Gibbons, through the birth of her third child.

Elaine, 31, an acupuncturist from Brighton, fully backs the idea of widening the network of birth support specialists.

She said: "I have never been to hospital for anything so I can't imagine it's where I would feel relaxed.

"Having Imogen there when the baby is born will mean having someone to help me feel more at ease, someone I know who is committed to me.

"It's that extra information and experience. Your husband might be very supportive emotionally but they don't always know what's going on either.

"Many women are scared of the labour but they're not really sure what they're scared of. I think every woman would probably want a relatively easy birth with no intervention but it doesn't always turn out like that."

Imogen said: "I see a possibility in creating a network where some midwifery input can be used in the doula role and at the same time drawing the doula back into midwifery.

"After all, the origin of the word midwife is 'with woman'. I invite student midwives, ex-midwives and disenchanted practising midwives to contact me if they are interested."

Imogen can be contacted on 01273 474927.