text: A married couple who have endured the heartbreak of ten miscarriages in ten years, have revealed the joy of becoming parents to their miracle daughter. Last year Sarah, 36, and Mark Brennan, 35, from south Wales, never gave up hope of becoming parents despite being told they'd never conceive naturally. Yet last September they defied doctors to have Eryn, who was born seven weeks early, weighing just 3lb 11oz. Sarah and Mark Brennan show off their longed-for daughter Eryn Elisabeth . Sarah, a project manager, said: 'We'd just been put on the waiting list for IVF, when I had an inkling I might be pregnant.' After feeling queasy and exhausted, she decided to take a pregnancy test, which confirmed that she was expecting. Mark, a technician, said: 'It was wonderful to find out that Sarah was pregnant, but after so many miscarriages, we could not help but worry.' The pair, who met when they were 18, were just about to jet off to Egypt for a holiday and quickly booked themselves in for a private scan. Mark said: 'It may sound strange, but after about six miscarriages, we just got used to it - to being let down every time.' During their holiday, Sarah continued to suffer from sickness and giddiness and went straight to the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend when they returned home. Project manager Sarah, pictured with her treasured daughter, advises other mums struggling with infertility to not give up . After telling the midwife their history they were referred to the sonographer and a scan revealed a heartbeat. 'We couldn't stop the tears - we were in pieces. We even had the sonographer in tears,' Sarah said. In the weeks that followed, the pair were told that their baby was developing well and found out at the 20-week scan that they were expecting a girl. Everything went smoothly until 29 weeks, when Sarah's waters broke so early, the doctors did not believe they had gone. She recalled: 'I was in a state of panic. But they hooked me up to machines to check her and, thank God, she was OK.' Sarah was told that she was experiencing Braxton Hicks - a tightening of the muscles in the womb - and sent home. The couple then spent the next few days in and out of hospital. 'Fear was creeping back into both of us,' she said. 'In fact, scared just isn't the word.' The doctors eventually confirmed that her waters had broken and she was sent to a specialist unit at Singleton Hospital in Swansea for close monitoring. After going into labour early, Sarah feared she'd lost Eryn and couldn't hold her newborn for five hours . 'I was in agony with the pain of every baby kick, stretch, minor movement or hiccup,' she said. Sarah spent the next two weeks in hospital, but did not go into labour and decided to go home. She eventually went into labour on September 30 and was booked in for an emergency Caesarean, as the baby was in the breech position. Eryn was born at 33 weeks at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend at 2.52pm, weighing just 3Ib 11oz. Sarah said: 'She let out a cry and we were in tears - we were finally parents. But instead of handing her to me, the midwife raced away because she needed help breathing. 'I didn't get to see her until five hours after she was born and the first cuddle, with wires and tubes, was not until the next day.' The couple decided to call their daughter Eryn Elisabeth. The couple said they became 'used' to the heartbreak of miscarriages after losing ten babies . Sarah said: 'I was handed Eryn, complete with tubes and wires, and I crumbled with a perfect rush of emotion and love.' Sarah was discharged from hospital, but Eryn had to stay in neonatal care for three weeks. 'It was terrifying to leave her,' she said. 'We spent all day by her cot and I was in tears every night.' The pair eventually returned to their home in Llantwit Major and Eryn is now growing well. Sarah said: 'We were so happy - I would say to anyone else who is going through the same thing - never give up hope.'
target: Sarah Brennan, 36, was on the IVF waiting list when she became pregnant .
  Project manager from south Wales went into labour at 33 weeks .
  Couple had ten pregnancies, none of which went past 12 weeks .