In this opening episode, two sets of expectant parents are waiting to meet their babies, including teenage sweethearts Ralph and Janet, who fell in love on their last day at school together, and Paul and his wife Stephanie, who warns “I’m a real wimp when it comes to pain!”

The stories of two strong women offering their daughters plenty of support during labour after unplanned pregnancies. Twenty-three-year-old Sam went off the rails as a teenager, running away from home and ending up sleeping rough, before meeting her partner Biaggio, and the couple are grateful to have Sam's mum by their side. Claire, 20, always knew she wanted her mother to be there in the delivery room, but deciding whether boyfriend Clint should be present wasn't as easy

This episode features unexpected twins, and the tables are turned when one of the midwives arrives for labour. Neither mum wants intervention or an epidural; they both want to do it naturally. But Mother Nature can influence even the best-laid birth plans.

This episode features the uplifting stories of two courageous mums, both overcoming their worst fears.

This episode meets mums who break the rules, defy convention and arrive at motherhood in very individual ways, including One Born Every Minute's first Indian couple, who dated in secret when they were young and continue to break from tradition by having the dad present at the birth.

Kelly comes in to have her fifth baby, while Joy is waiting to have her first. Babies have always come easily for Kelly: her last one was delivered three minutes after her waters broke. Joy, on the other hand, has had to undergo five years of IVF, and after days of waiting in hospital, there’s still no sign of Baby. Joy and her husband Fabio have been together for 20 years since they met at language college, where they were both studying English. Fabio says: “We have achieved a lot in these last 20 years together, but once you have material things they don’t really mean much to you any more. Without family it loses its meaning.” But, although Joy’s having contractions, she is dilating very slowly, and it doesn’t look like her waters are ready to break naturally. And although Joy wants to have a natural birth, it looks like she’ll eventually have to decide whether to have a caesarean. At least the long wait gives them a chance to try and agree on names for their long-awaited baby… Meanwhile, Kelly has brought her husband Jon, her mum Liz and her sister Lisa into the birthing room with her. Kelly and Lisa’s brother died recently, and Lisa says: “Because the pregnancy was a wonderful distraction it became a focus for the whole family, and probably helped us to work through our emotions.” Midwife Lorraine, who’s new to the hospital, where she’s yet to deliver a baby, is looking after Kelly, who certainly knows what she wants: gas and air, and plenty of it…

New series. Fly-on-the-wall documentary observing the lives of staff and patients on a busy maternity ward in Leeds. This first edition features a soldier who may miss the imminent birth of his daughter, as he only has 48 hours before returning to the Army. Another man is determined to put his wayward days behind him and be present when his son is born, but after his partner experiences complications during labour, she must decide whether her boyfriend or mother accompanies her into the operating theatre.

he hospital corridors at Southmead turn blue as one young mum lets out all of her pent-up frustrations, on-off romancers finally take the plunge after 10 years of indecision, and pregnancy cravings

In this episode there's an extreme case of 'like mother, like daughter' with one mother about to become a gran aged 40; a career woman finally takes the plunge into motherhood; and an over-excited father tries his best to keep his partner entertained.

On her birthday, midwife and single mother-of-two Lara contemplates life and love while delivering twins.

A couple face the reality of their surprise pregnancy, parents who know that their pregnancy has serious medical complications prepare for labour, and a first-time mum races to the maternity ward before her baby

Tracy is 37 years old and is in labour with her fourth child. Accompanied by her husband Steve - who is in a jovial mood - and her middle son Liam, who’s 18, Tracy is calm and upbeat about her labour until the heart rate of her baby slows and the midwife needs to deliver her baby quickly. Suddenly the humour of the situation is gone, Tracy is exhausted and a much more serious Steve becomes the labour coach as the midwife races to get the baby out. As the staff cope with an increasingly busy shift, 22-year-old Lisa is also in labour, with her first child. Despite the calm words of the midwife, Lisa’s nervousness quickly turns to fear when she learns the baby must be delivered by caesarean section. As she is taken into theatre to give birth, Lisa and her partner are told that once their baby is born it will be taken immediately to an incubator. The first few days of its life are going to be critical.

Teenage Steff goes under general anaesthetic for an emergency caesarean, and lesbian couple Becky and Annie endure an exhausting, long labour.

The first episode of the fifth series introduces the straight-talking midwifery team in Bristol as an expectant father risks missing his daughter's birth and one of the team helps her next-door neighbour through an emotional labour. Michelle and Michael's parents are from different countries: hers are Chinese, his British. 'I was actually asked if I was a Thai bride when we were on our honeymoon!' says Michelle.

Myleene Klass opens a new birthing pool and causes a stir on the maternity ward. Delivery suite manager Gail Wright has to rehearse her speech and gets all in a dither about how to coordinate the grand opening.

In the first episode of the sixth series, fourth generation twins make an appearance on the delivery suite at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, a larger-than-life double act struggle to see the funny side of their extended labour, and an expectant father holds his breath hoping for a boy. Mel is an identical twin. Her father is also a twin, as was her grandmother, so it's incredibly rare that Mel herself would be pregnant with twins, but that's exactly what has happened. When Mel's waters break unexpectedly she has to choose whether her husband or her identical twin sister will be her birthing partner. Larger-than-life Su felt she'd hit the jackpot when she met younger man Dan, and they arrive at Southmead in high spirits. Their baby is in breech so they've been booked for a caesarean, but those plans are thrown out the window when baby decides to move, meaning that the couple are able to have a natural delivery. Finally, the race is on for Katy and Rob to make it to the delivery suite before their second child arrives, and Rob is praying this one's a boy.

Two couples who experienced unexpected difficulties during pregnancy arrive at the hospital. Seventeen-year-old Billie has pre-eclampsia, caused by high blood pressure, which is one of the most serious conditions that can develop during pregnancy.

A mum-to-be who has cerebral palsy goes through a dramatic delivery, one couple have to put their footballing differences aside in the birth room, and a five-year fertility journey is almost over for one first-time

Natural birth gets complicated for a petite woman anticipating a big baby, while an expectant mother's excess weight may pose a risk to her labor.

Family matters are the focus for a couple awaiting their fifth child, a financially strapped father-to-be and an expectant mother in mourning.

The series finale features extraordinary images of premature babies being delivered by Caesarean section.

Every pregnancy and birth is unpredictable and an easy early labour is not necessarily an indication of what happens towards the end. In this episode there's a serious emergency on the maternity ward when a baby's shoulders become wedged after the head has been delivered.

Delivery room chaos reigns as a father-to-be cannot be located, while another faces a change in birth plans and two women work on remaining calm.

In this episode, two young mums-to-be come in to the hospital at the end of unexpected pregnancies. And for their mothers it’s time to let go of their daughters. Abbie and Ross are both 17 and have been together for three years. Abbie says: “We were careful, but things happen, and things happen for a reason.” Her mum Donna, an ambulance technician, has delivered 15 babies, but that can’t prepare her for the emotional wrench of her baby having a baby. As Donna says: “She’s not my little girl any more. She’s going to be somebody’s mummy.” Twenty-three-year-old self-confessed free spirit Leoni had only been with her baby’s father for a short time when she fell pregnant. She only wanted to be a mother if she could be there for her child. With the support of her family, she decided to go through with the pregnancy. But Leoni is eight days overdue and her pregnancy isn’t progressing. And the hospital staff are worried about the baby’s heartbeat before Leoni’s even in labour.

A muscle-mad macho man struggles to keep his nerves in check, an expectant dad goes all out to make his wife feel comfortable in the birthing room and a same-sex couple are rushed into hospital 10 weeks early. Marion and Rachel are like any other couple in their early thirties trying to start a family, although as Rachel says, 'we can't just have an early night and make a baby,' so they shopped online for sperm. Using Marion's eggs they based their decision on which donor had the most similar attributes to Rachel and they ended up with twins. But at their 30-week hospital scan the couple are told that one of the twins is not growing properly and they need to return to Southmeads the next day for a C-section. Image-conscious Sarah and her husband, personal trainer Rob, arrive at the delivery suite to begin the induction process. Sarah's told she's only allowed one birthing partner and chooses her husband over her mum: a move she begins to regret as Rob shows signs of impatience. They pass the time by discussing baby names but have very different ideas. Sarah reaches a compromise: if the baby comes before midnight, Rob gets to choose but any time after it's her decision. Meanwhile, attentive husband Ollie and his wife Kate arrive at hospital and Ollie's armed with blankets, rugs and all the essentials to make sure Kate is as comfortable as possible. Kate wants to have a hypnobirth and Ollie is on hand to ensure everything runs to plan.

The importance of strong family values is the theme running through this episode. But the two families and the values they share are so very different.

A long-serving midwife's lifetime career comes to an emotional end. Linda Abbott has been a midwife for 38 years. Aged 60, she's retiring from her post.

Three couples in different circumstances prepare to give birth. Ghost-hunter Vicki is supported by her partner Janet as she prepares to give birth to their first child, conceived using the mother's eggs and donor sperm. Ines and Paul are separated in age by 30 years but find their shared religious beliefs tie them together, while 20-year-old Sheree and 19-year-old Danny try to adapt to the changes their baby will bring

First time mum Lucy admits she's afraid of everything from roller coasters to sewing needles, so the thought of giving birth is completely terrifying. She says she's just little and wonders how on earth the baby is going come out. Doting boyfriend Sam has his proposal to Lucy all planned out and the rings are en route from eBay. But despite all the distractions, panic soon sets in. Amy and her naval engineer husband Paul arrive at Southmead Hospital for an induction. But after a quick examination, it becomes clear that Paul is far more squeamish than he expected... Meanwhile, Dianne is understandably concerned about giving birth as the last time she was in labour there were serious complications. This time Dianne and husband John have opted for an elective Caesarian, but nerves begin to get the better of them.

In this episode, two mothers are about to give birth to their first babies while two fathers are trying to work out their role in the birthing process. For Shelagh’s baby son it is a dramatic start with an ambulance journey to the hospital and a quick turn around caesarean when his heart rate dips during labour. The birth is very poignant for Richard as Shelagh is having another man’s baby, having fallen pregnant during a break in their relationship. It’s not what he had planned for their relationship but he is determined to be the best dad he can be after a career in the army meant he was not always around for his own children. Penny is also excited about her new arrival but when labour starts her husband Ben finds it difficult to see her in so much pain. They have deliberately avoided finding out the sex of the baby and a special moment ensues when the baby arrives. Meanwhile, the midwives on the night shift are reminiscing over the extraordinary and wonderful births they have been part of over the years.