• Clip
• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 16 >> The possibility of taking part in an egg donation scheme should be made more widely known, as there is an age limit for taking part.

Experienced recurrent miscarriage before entering an egg share IVF scheme. IVF was successful after one cycle and pregnancy was excellent. Vaginal birth.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 22 >> Getting pregnant when she was very young led her to break off the relationship with her boyfriend. She considered adoption but changed her mind after

Unplanned pregnancy at age 15. Pregnancy normal. Part of placenta retained after birth resulting in heavy bleeding. Coping well with motherhood.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 17 >> She felt the midwife was judging her ability to be a good mother and never felt comfortable with her.

Single mother of two. First child born by emergency caesarean, second by elective caesarean. Faced unhelpful assumptions because she was young and single.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 13 >> She preferred one midwife who took time to explain things in a way she could understand. (Played by an actor.)

Young, single mother. Pregnancy unplanned. Well supported by family. Had Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (pelvic pain) and cholestasis (liver problem) during pregnancy.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 17 >> She found antenatal classes embarrassing, especially as she did not have a partner to go with.

Single mother of two. First child born by emergency caesarean, second by elective caesarean. Faced unhelpful assumptions because she was young and single.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 22 >> She would have felt embarrassed at antenatal classes, and preferred the support organised by her SureStart programme.

Unplanned pregnancy at age 15. Pregnancy normal. Part of placenta retained after birth resulting in heavy bleeding. Coping well with motherhood.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 22 >> Her family and the baby's father sometimes look after the baby to give her a break, but she misses him straight away.

Unplanned pregnancy at age 15. Pregnancy normal. Part of placenta retained after birth resulting in heavy bleeding. Coping well with motherhood.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 13 >> She tended to get very emotional and angry with her family during pregnancy. (Played by an actor.)

Young, single mother. Pregnancy unplanned. Well supported by family. Had Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (pelvic pain) and cholestasis (liver problem) during pregnancy.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 13 >> Professionals should use clearer language and not talk down to younger women. Pregnancy books should include sections on rarer complications. (Played

Young, single mother. Pregnancy unplanned. Well supported by family. Had Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (pelvic pain) and cholestasis (liver problem) during pregnancy.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 17 >> Her advice to other young, single mothers is to make the most of their time with their children and be confident they can be good parents.

Single mother of two. First child born by emergency caesarean, second by elective caesarean. Faced unhelpful assumptions because she was young and single.

• Topic
• >> Pregnancy >> Bleeding and miscarriage >> Bleeding and miscarriage

Bleeding and miscarriage 

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Bleeding and miscarriage >> Bleeding and miscarriage

Bleeding and miscarriage 

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 02 >> She really enjoys being pregnant and seeing her body change shape.

Normal first pregnancy. Additional scanning and care in specialist unit because of previous splenectomy. Mother has higher susceptibility to illness and infection.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 13 >> It was emotional feeling the baby kick, but she hated feeling so big. (Played by an actor.)

Young, single mother. Pregnancy unplanned. Well supported by family. Had Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (pelvic pain) and cholestasis (liver problem) during pregnancy.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 28 >> It is important for him to reassure his wife that she is definitely still attractive.

Supported partner through fertility treatment and pregnancy. Is looking forward to becoming a father.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 31-33 >> Interview 42 >> They continued to enjoy sex during pregnancy, and it reassured her she was still attractive. They had to stop after a bleed at 31 weeks.

Normal first pregnancy. Gestational diabetes was suspected but ruled out. Had to spend time in hospital late in pregnancy for investigation of bleeding. More of this interview can be seen on the Healthtalkonline antenatal screening site as Interview 01.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 25 >> After one miscarriage, she was worried by a heavy bleed in her second pregnancy, but the baby was fine.

First and most recent pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Two normal pregnancies in between, with severe sickness both times. Good support from Early Pregnancy Unit.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 02 >> She had some bleeding at 3 months. She was very anxious waiting for a scan, but the baby was fine.

Normal first pregnancy. Additional scanning and care in specialist unit because of previous splenectomy. Mother has higher susceptibility to illness and infection.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 25-30 >> Interview 46 >> She started bleeding while on holiday and phoned her GP. There was nothing she could do so she continued her holiday.

Two normal pregnancies; some bleeding early in second pregnancy. First labour was very long and painful, and ended with a forceps delivery. Epidural for pain relief. More of this interview can be seen on the Healthtalkonline antenatal screening site as Interview 09.

• Condition
• >> Pregnancy >> Pregnancy

Publication date: October 2005         Last updated August 2010

Review date: August 2012

 

We interviewed 51 people (including some male partners) about their experiences of pregnancy. Select from the key topics below, choose from the full list of topics, or explore all the interviews.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Pregnancy

Publication date: October 2005         Last updated August 2010

Review date: August 2012

 

We interviewed 51 people (including some male partners) about their experiences of pregnancy. Select from the key topics below, choose from the full list of topics, or explore all the interviews.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 45 >> She would have liked more opportunity to talk to staff in the early weeks and needed reassurance about the risk of miscarriage.

normal first pregnancy, private care throughout. Experienced a lot of sickness. Planning a hospital birth with as little intervention as possible. More of this interview can be seen on the Healthtalkonline antenatal screening site as Interview 08.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 25 >> When her first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, the staff at the Early Pregnancy Unit were very supportive.

First and most recent pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Two normal pregnancies in between, with severe sickness both times. Good support from Early Pregnancy Unit.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 60 >> She had one early miscarriage and three missed abortions. Every time she still felt pregnant but there was no heartbeat at the scan.

After four miscarriages, baby in fifth pregnancy diagnosed with heart condition. Mother (who is diabetic) had pre-eclampsia and emergency caesarean. Severe sickness in every pregnancy. Interviewed during sixth pregnancy, and again after a stillbirth at 36 weeks. More of this interview can be seen on the Healthtalkonline antenatal screening site as Interview 29.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 08 >> Sometimes people don't realise how devastating it is to have a miscarriage. She wishes she had talked about it more openly. (Read by an actor.)

Initial miscarriage followed by second pregnancy, when a scan revealed baby was affected by tuberous sclerosis. Late termination. Subsequent pregnancy by donor insemination led to birth of a healthy child.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 16 >> Investigations never found a cause for her miscarriages and the uncertainty in each pregnancy was hard, but having a healthy baby has given her hope.

Experienced recurrent miscarriage before entering an egg share IVF scheme. IVF was successful after one cycle and pregnancy was excellent. Vaginal birth.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 11 >> It was in some ways a relief to discover her previous miscarriages were caused by a genetic condition, not something she had done.

Multiple miscarriages and a late termination due to reciprocal balanced chromosome translocation. Healthy twins born using pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 40 + >> Interview 35 >> After three miscarriages, investigations showed she had a blood clotting disorder. It was a relief to find a cause.

After recurrent miscarriages, first baby born at 23 weeks and spent 5 months in intensive care. Next pregnancy closely supervised including 10 weeks as an inpatient. Baby born healthy at 37 weeks.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 60 >> Managing blood sugar levels during pregnancy is important for people with diabetes. She never thought about getting pre-pregnancy counselling.

After four miscarriages, baby in fifth pregnancy diagnosed with heart condition. Mother (who is diabetic) had pre-eclampsia and emergency caesarean. Severe sickness in every pregnancy. Interviewed during sixth pregnancy, and again after a stillbirth at 36 weeks. More of this interview can be seen on the Healthtalkonline antenatal screening site as Interview 29.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 26 >> She wanted to be treated like any other pregnant woman but she knew her experience was very different. (Read by an actor.)

Baby diagnosed with diaphragmatic hernia at 20-week scan. Mother decided to continue the pregnancy, knowing the outcome was uncertain. Baby died 10 hours after birth.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 23 >> She felt under pressure to have an amniocentesis to check for Down's syndrome, but she did not want to risk a miscarriage.

Antenatal screening test showed raised risk of Down's syndrome. Decided not to have further tests and had a baby with Down's syndrome, now a healthy and lively 2-year-old.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 08 >> She coped with anxiety by just focusing on a week at a time. Psychological counselling helped too. (Read by an actor.)

Initial miscarriage followed by second pregnancy, when a scan revealed baby was affected by tuberous sclerosis. Late termination. Subsequent pregnancy by donor insemination led to birth of a healthy child.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 31-33 >> Interview 04 >> She worried something might be wrong with the baby right up to the birth.

Normal pregnancy. Breech presentation resolved through successful ECV. Induction at 42 weeks. Forceps delivery. Difficulty with breastfeeding. Importance of managing expectations of pregnancy and birth realistically.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 40 + >> Interview 09 >> She felt less interested in sex during pregnancy, partly because she was worried about miscarriage. Women should not feel guilty about this.

First pregnancy normal, emergency caesarean after long labour. Next two pregnancies ended in early miscarriage. Now pregnant again and planning vaginal birth. (Interviewed again after vaginal birth).

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 25 >> The pregnancy books given to her by the GP provided useful information about pregnancy week by week. She would not have wanted information about thing

First and most recent pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Two normal pregnancies in between, with severe sickness both times. Good support from Early Pregnancy Unit.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 60 >> Before every pregnancy they stopped taking precautions but have never said they were actively trying for a baby.

After four miscarriages, baby in fifth pregnancy diagnosed with heart condition. Mother (who is diabetic) had pre-eclampsia and emergency caesarean. Severe sickness in every pregnancy. Interviewed during sixth pregnancy, and again after a stillbirth at 36 weeks. More of this interview can be seen on the Healthtalkonline antenatal screening site as Interview 29.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 08 >> Having had a miscarriage made her very keen to get pregnant again to prove to herself she could have a healthy pregnancy. (Read by an actor.)

Initial miscarriage followed by second pregnancy, when a scan revealed baby was affected by tuberous sclerosis. Late termination. Subsequent pregnancy by donor insemination led to birth of a healthy child.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 25-30 >> Interview 20 >> Previous experience of miscarriage made her more determined to go ahead with her next pregnancy, even though it was unplanned. (Read by an actor.)

Single mother. First pregnancy miscarried. Second pregnancy was normal and straightforward. She planned to have a natural birth, but after a long labour chose to have a caesarean.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 16 >> After three unexplained miscarriages and treatment for low fertility with clomifene (Clomid), she joined an egg donation scheme which enabled her to h

Experienced recurrent miscarriage before entering an egg share IVF scheme. IVF was successful after one cycle and pregnancy was excellent. Vaginal birth.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 31-33 >> Interview 33 >> She was surprised the GP did not do another pregnancy test and told her to come back at 10 weeks.

Mother who has epilepsy, cared for during her first pregnancy by a Special Pregnancy Unit. Developed pre-eclampsia and had induction with epidural at 37 weeks.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 25 >> She gave up work in one pregnancy to reduce the risk of another miscarriage. With her second child she carried on working but changed her hours.

First and most recent pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Two normal pregnancies in between, with severe sickness both times. Good support from Early Pregnancy Unit.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 25-30 >> Interview 27 >> They decided to tell friends and family she was pregnant early on, so they could support her if she had a miscarriage.

Had problems getting pregnant because of polycystic ovary syndrome. Conceived after taking Clomid; also used acupuncture. Now 16 weeks pregnant, and pregnancy is progressing well.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 31-33 >> Interview 44 >> The first GP they saw explained the risk of early miscarriage very bluntly.

4 months pregnant. Some nausea and cramping in early pregnancy. Plans for a hospital birth. More of this interview can be seen on the Healthtalkonline antenatal screening site as Interview 05.