I'm also pregnant as I write this and I hope and pray that everything will go well a second time Karyn Ball, Battle, England

I had twin boys prematurely at 25 weeks, they survived four days. It was such a rollercoaster of emotion one minute believing everything would be ok and the next all our hopes and dreams shattered. Our boys were desperately wanted, we tried for years without luck and then, when we'd almost given up hope, I became pregnant with twins it was a dream come true. We'd had to wait a long time but now we were going to have our long-awaited family - we were so excited. At the 23 week scan we knew we were having boys and painted their room blue bought clothes, cots, bedding etc and named them Jacob and Ethan. We wanted to get everything prepared because I was getting so big I didn't think I'd be able to do much in the later months.

Two weeks after the scan I got stomach pains - it was labour but I didn't realise it - I went to the hospital thinking I just had a really bad stomach ache - the last thing I expected was to go into full labour - I didn't know you could go into labour at 24 weeks - I'd never heard of it before. Jacob was born first then Ethan - they survived the birth and I really believed everything would be ok I couldn't imagine them not being around our whole future had been planned with our boys - football on cold Sunday mornings, holidays in Broadstairs paddling in the rock pools and eating ice cream at Morellies - I hadn't planned for them not being there.

After four days of struggling for survival Jacob lost the fight first then Ethan 20 minutes later. I was told I had an incompetent cervix and that if I got pregnant again I would have to have a stitch put in the neck of my womb. Which is exactly what happened when I got pregnant about a year later and I now have a beautiful little girl called Emily Rebecca who will be 1 on June 10th 2005. I'm also pregnant as I write this and I hope and pray that everything will go well a second time and we will be lucky enough to have a brother or sister for Emily.
Karyn Ball, Battle, England

I had a still birth at 5 months in 2001 then a premature labour at six months (my son died six weeks later) in 2002 the hospital dismissed both events and said I was just really unlucky and that we should try again - we didn't believe them and spent nearly �3000 having private treatment only to find out that I only have a half a womb. Although my first son died in the womb and nothing could have been done I do think if we hadn't been so easily dismissed as just unlucky my second son would not have had to suffer so horribly for those six weeks of his life as we would never have tried to have him.
Dee, London

I lost a baby at 12 weeks, the day that Prince William was born. I already had a daughter who was a year old and no-one could tell me why I miscarried. Reactions from friends ranged from wonderful, kindly support to 'oh, it's just like a heavy period isn't it?' Fortunately, a year later I gave birth to a son (coincidentally on my daughter's second birthday) and two years after that I had another son.
Emerald, Oxford, England

I had a miscarriage and I am only 17, not that age matters, but the fact that I was told nothing about why it happened and how I can prevent it next time. They were very good in the hospital but nothing can compare to the loss of a very much wanted child!
Anon, Burton on Trent