Leeds mum-to-be could finally hear baby's heartbeat
She hasn't heard sound in one ear since she was 14
A Leeds mum-to-be is hoping she will be able to listen to her baby's heartbeat for the first time today, after undergoing pioneering surgery to help restore her hearing.
Kimberly Ward is the first woman in the UK to have a cochlear implant while pregnant.
She underwent the procedure last month under local anaesthetic, whereby a special device was fitted to her head to help her brain interpret sound - and today, that device will be turned on.
"It's a three and a half hour appointment," she says.
"I'm really excited, and nervous and scared as well. I haven't heard sound in my left ear at all since I was about 14. I don't know how my body's going to react to that. I'm expecting it to be quite overwhelming.
"I'm looking forward to being able to hear my baby. We've got a midwife coming along with a doppler to see if we can hear the baby's heartbeat.
"It's just every day sounds that people take for granted as well. The rain falling on your umbrella, the wind that keeps you up at night...just little things that you probably wouldn't even think about for a second. The sounds that I don't even know I'm missing out on. Like flicking through a book, the sounds of the pages.
"It would mean so much to be able to know what's going on around me."
Kimberly suffered hearing loss as a teenager, but was never given a reason as to why. When she stopped wearing her hearing aids due to the discomfort they caused, her hearing deteriorated to the point where experts were surprised she could still communicate so well.
It reached the stage where she was getting upset that her hearing was affecting her job, and Kimberly began to look into getting the cochlear implant.
She is now 20 weeks pregnant and is looking forward to hearing her baby's first cries and noises when it is born.
Kimberly also hopes that by sharing her story, she will help more people understand what it's like to be deaf.
"I got bullied a lot while I was at school," she says.
"Children would hit me, slap me, spit on me, put chewing gum in my hair. They don't really realise what it is that you go through.
"It's not just children, it's adults as well. Like if I'm in the supermarket and someone's trying to say 'excuse me' to get past and I can't hear them - I've had people ramming their trolleys into me and swearing and shouting at me. Even sometimes when you explain you're deaf, they're quite rude and impatient about it.
"It does get quite upsetting but it's something I've learned to deal with. If sharing my story helps one person then I feel it's been a success."