Season 4 2013

One Born Every Minute returns for a brand new series, with cameras now recording life on two busy labour wards in Leeds: Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and St James’s Hospital. Over the past year the LGI’s maternity ward has often had to close to new admissions, with expectant mums sent to St James’s across the city.

Stacey is expecting her second child but it’s her first with her husband Lee. Stacey is desperate to give birth but every time she thinks she’s in labour, it turns out to be a false alarm and the hospital send her home. The to-ing and fro-ing gets frustrating for Lee who admits he had a troubled past until he met Stacey, who ‘saved him’.

When Ramona last gave birth it was by an emergency C-section. This time, she wants to give birth naturally with her husband Marvin by her side, but when she goes into labour, Marvin is half-way down the M1.

Meanwhile, the hospital is promoting ‘active birth’ and trainee yoga instructor Sara wholeheartedly embraces the idea. Sara endured a long induction during her last birth and this time round she’s determined to make the birth 100% natural, with her easy-going partner Billy by her side.

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

Two strong-willed first-time mothers give birth at Leeds General Infirmary. Alexandra is 25 and left her native Latvia in search of adventure. She believes her child is the missing piece in her life, even though the father is not around anymore. Surbhi is from a warrior Hindu caste and knows what she wants, while her husband will do anything to please her, especially as he feels responsible for a motorcycle accident that left his wife paralysed in one arm.

Two couples prove that unplanned pregnancies can happen at very different ages.

Andy, who's 41, and Nina, who's 39, thought they'd left nappies and sleepless nights behind long ago.

With their children Danielle, who's 14, and Lewis, who's 10, becoming increasingly independent, they'd just started to get their own lives back again: going out, holidaying and enjoying life.

They all got the shock of their lives when Nina announced she was pregnant with twins.

The kids were initially appalled that their parents could be so irresponsible but soon embrace the idea of baby siblings and cheer their mum up with fun and games while she waits for her Caesarean.

Jonathan, who's 21, met 18-year-old Laura when he randomly sent her a message on a social networking site. Three months later she fell pregnant.

While Laura panicked, Jonathan was delighted: starting a family has been his sole ambition since the age of ten.

Having developed gestational diabetes, Laura is booked in for an early induction and the couple prepare for a long wait.

Jonathan gets on Laura's nerves with his almost constant chatter but when their baby's heartbeat drops and Laura is rushed to theatre, Jonathan's joking around is quickly replaced by overwhelming concern.

This edition features two couples who have stuck together despite the challenges life has thrown at them.

Ryan (20) started dating Keely (22) when they were both at school, but to their shock Keely fell pregnant very quickly. They are now expecting their second child together, proving that teen pregnancies don't always end in disaster. Gail Wright, Leeds General Infirmary's most experienced midwife and Head of Delivery, is on hand to help Keely when she goes into labour and get her through the pain barrier.

Katie (27) says she is the grown up in the relationship and her fiancé Steve (29) is like a child. In the delivery suite, Steve is on form constantly mucking about and generally driving Katie up the wall. His jokes mask their shared anxiety about their baby's congenital condition called gastroschisis which means the baby will be born with its intestines on the outside of its abdominal wall and will require surgery a few hours later.

Leah is having her sixth baby but unfortunately her partner is in prison and will miss the birth. Meanwhile, Becky met Police Sergeant John one Halloween when he was dressed as a witch and it was love at first sight.

Within weeks they were engaged and trying for the child they'd both always wanted. Becky's life had been ruled by depression and a string of failed relationships, and she was beginning to think she'd never be a mum.

By the time they arrive on the labour ward, Becky and John know exactly what to expect. They've been to all the classes and planned their active birth and are desperate to meet baby Luke, who they're naming after their Star Wars hero.

Sophie and Martin are best friends whose drunken kiss blossomed into a five-year relationship and a surprise pregnancy. While it's Sophie's first child, Martin has been through it all before and has an eight-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Sophie's desperate for them to have a baby of their own to bring them closer together and to experience the love of being someone's natural mum.

Sophie was too anxious to read up about childbirth so when she comes into the delivery suite, she has no idea what lies in store. Fortunately, Martin's experience and sense of humour are there to support Sophie through a long and difficult labour.

Naomi, who's 32, and Jason, who's 37, have known each other since they were teenagers and have had an on-off relationship over the years.

Now that Naomi is pregnant, Jason says it's changed their relationship and they're committed to a stable partnership.

But there's another woman in Naomi's life: her mother Maria, who Naomi describes as a 'goddess' and who lives next door to Naomi.

Being glamorous is very important to Naomi and she arrives to give birth wearing false eyelashes and full make-up.

Meanwhile, Bianca discovered she was pregnant a couple of days after her 22nd birthday and was 'gobsmacked'.

She wasn't sure whether to carry on having fun or settle down but finally decided to buck her ideas up and have the baby even though the father wouldn't be involved.

Her sister Tanya says Bianca won't be a single mum because she'll have her to help.

And Shannon met Dale on a Saturday night out in Leeds. They were both 17 when Shannon told people they were having a baby.

She remembers that 'people said we were too young and it wouldn't work' but she and Dale are happy together, although Shannon has some regrets about not going to university and Dale says he wants to join the navy in five years.

Dawn, who experienced a traumatic birth when her first child arrived in the last series of One Born Every Minute, returns to have a second baby, with the memories of her difficult time in the same Leeds operating theatre still fresh in her mind.

Kirri, who’s 29, met 30-year-old Brendan when they were both working at Butlins. She says ‘all women have a plan’; hers was to get a job at Butlins in order to find a man.

Nine years later she and Brendan are having their second child and are still very much in love. They have such a light-hearted approach to life that Kirri manages without pain relief and laughs her way through her contractions.

Shannon, who’s 34 and from Detroit, fell in love with England as a teenager when she started reading biographies of The Beatles.

When she met Chris, who’s 51 and from Doncaster, on the internet, her father – a Vietnam veteran and former marine – hired private detectives to check Chris out. Chris must have got the all-clear because they are now married and having their second child.

But they’re worried that Chris may miss the birth because they don’t have any family nearby and have no one else to look after their 20-month-old daughter Celia while Mum is in labour.