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• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 16 >> After IVF, they were so anxious and excited they did the pregnancy test in the middle of the night and immediately phoned family to tell them. Only on

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 01 >> At nine weeks, she experienced bleeding and severe pain, and an ectopic pregnancy was suspected. A scan showed the baby was fine and the pain went awa

Normal pregnancy apart from episode of severe pain (suspected ectopic) and high blood sugar. Caesarean birth. Was not able to breastfeed. Recovery from caesarean took longer than expected.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 13 >> For the first few weeks she felt she did not want the baby, but seeing the baby at the first scan was a real turning point. (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 25-30 >> Interview 20 >> She did not rush to make an appointment with her GP. With hindsight more information would have been useful. (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 >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 17 >> She was scared of having a baby boy because of past abuse by a man, but when she saw him on the scan she fell in love with him.

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 >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 16 >> She enjoyed pregnancy so much she did not want it to end.

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 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 >> Age 31-33 >> Interview 15 >> The hospital could not explain her severe abdominal pain. Her GP suggested it could be irritable bowel syndrome. Changing her diet helped.

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 >> 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 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.

• 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 >> Aged 24 & under >> Interview 17 >> She caught 'slapped cheek' syndrome (parvovirus) and was monitored carefully in case it affected the baby's growth.

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 40 + >> Interview 09 >> She had bleeding from a low-lying placenta. She stayed at home apart from two short stays in hospital, and was able to have a vaginal birth.

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 >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 72 >> From 30 weeks she had to stay in hospital because she had placenta praevia. She was allowed home at weekends, but it was a big disruption to family li

Placenta praevia diagnosed in most recent pregnancy. Spent several weeks in hospital before the birth (baby born 2002). More of this interview can be seen on the Healthtalkonline antenatal screening site as Interview 39.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 03 >> Vasa praevia is a very rare condition in which a blood vessel from the placenta or umbilical cord lies across the cervix. If it ruptures, the baby may

Apparently normal pregnancy, after problems with endometriosis. Vasa praevia discovered during labour. Baby needed resuscitation and intensive care, but recovered well with no long-term problems as originally feared.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 37-39 >> Interview 02 >> Shared care between her midwife and a specialist unit for complex pregnancies has been excellent. (Her spleen was removed in childhood.)

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 37-39 >> Interview 26 >> She felt shocked and angry when she was told at the 20-week scan that her baby had a diaphragmatic hernia. (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 05 >> She knew her baby had a heart defect, but not how serious it would be. The experience brought her and her partner closer together.

First child had heart defect detected antenatally and long period of critical illness after birth. Mother had reactive depression in response to his illness. Second child healthy. Mother had postnatal depression related to extreme worry about her health.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 34-36 >> Interview 08 >> When they discovered the baby had a serious genetic condition, they considered continuing the pregnancy but then had a termination. (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 37-39 >> Interview 11 >> When they discovered how badly their baby was affected by a genetic condition (chromosome translocation), terminating the pregnancy seemed the only po

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

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Age 25-30 >> Interview 19 >> She had a planned caesarean because her baby was breech and she was told it was risky to turn the baby so late in pregnancy.

Successful pregnancy after an early miscarriage and blighted ovum. Caesarean due to baby lying breech. Lack of support for breastfeeding in hospital due to pressures on staff.

• Pregnancy & children >> Pregnancy >> Aged 40 + >> Interview 35 >> She was shocked to go into labour at 22 weeks and afraid the baby would not survive. He spent 5 months in special care and lost a hand because of a bl

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 >> She was worried the baby had stopped moving. She went for a scan, but the baby had died.

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.