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• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 14 >> She had a painful induction which was not what she wanted, but she was pleased to have managed the pain with a TENS machine and gas and air.

Required treatment for thrombophilia and a streptococcal infection but pregnancy otherwise normal. Labour involved more intervention than she had wanted.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 31-33 >> Interview 15 >> The experience of labour improved once she was given continuous support by midwives and taken off gas and air, to which she reacted badly.

Confusion in early stages of pregnancy about whether or not it was viable. Unexplained abdominal pain. Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (pelvic pain) in latter stages.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 25-30 >> Interview 18 >> The midwife kept telling her to take gas and air but she knew it would make her sick. Then she had pethidine and diamorphine. (Read by an actor.)

Two normal pregnancies followed by two emergency sections. Second one occurred after a protracted labour. Communication with hospital staff was poor.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 25-30 >> Interview 10 >> She was in so much pain she could not keep still enough for an epidural, and also had a painful episiotomy.

Unplanned but otherwise straightforward pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia and induction. Difficult labour without pain relief. Episiotomy.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 22 >> She was scared of labour and did not like the thought of an epidural or gas and air.

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 >> Before the birth she worried about pain and the possible side effects from an epidural, but needed no pain relief on the day.

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

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 16 >> She was pleased to manage without an epidural because she wanted to be fully aware of the sensations of birth. Pethidine helped more than gas and air.

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