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Melissa didn’t have her first son until she was in her early 40s, so was elated to find out she was expecting again. But early in her pregnancy, she discovered that her unborn baby had Down’s syndrome. She has taken the diagnosis in her stride, and has been eagerly preparing for baby Bertie’s arrival. Although Melissa is no longer with the father of her baby, she is unphased by the prospect of being a single mum and has a close-knit family around her who have been by her side every step of the way.

First-time parents Jen and Dan come to hospital after Jen’s waters break at home. Dan has always known he wanted children, but career-focused Jen worries that she’s not naturally the maternal type. Although her waters have broken, Jen is advised to go home and return to hospital in the morning because her labour hasn’t yet begun. However, when she starts to feel unwell later that night, she returns to hospital and is immediately rushed into theatre because doctors suspect both she and her unborn baby have sepsis.

Nat and Chris have been referred to the nationally renowned Fetal Medicine Centre at Birmingham Women’s Hospital after scans revealed their unborn baby’s kidney has become enlarged. And Laura and James are in hospital for the birth of their third child, following a devastating experience in which their second son, Jake, was stillborn at 40 weeks. The couple have struggled with anxiety that the same thing might happen again – so much so that James has found it difficult to even acknowledge the pregnancy. Laura’s labour is being closely monitored, and when the midwife struggles to find the baby’s heartbeat, all their fears come flooding back.