A Bristol woman awaiting a kidney transplant gave birth to a healthy baby despite being told it was unlikely she would conceive.

Emma Bennett was the first woman to have a baby conceived while undergoing kidney dialysis in Bristol for 10 years.

When the 34-year-old was diagnosed with kidney failure last year she was told it was unlikely she would fall pregnant or carry a baby full-term.

But she gave birth to Charley at 35 weeks, weighing 6lb 2.5oz, and both mum and baby are doing well.

Mrs Bennett, of Hartcliffe, had been undergoing haemodialysis – where she was hooked up to a machine to filter her blood – since February 2008 when her kidney failure was diagnosed.

Her dialysis was increased to six days a week throughout her pregnancy, initially at Knowle, but was moved to Southmead at 24 weeks so doctors could monitor her and the baby more closely.

Mrs Bennett, who is also diabetic, found out she was pregnant when she went for an X-ray and was asked whether there was any chance that she was expecting.

She said: "I was told it was highly unlikely I would conceive or carry a baby.

"I had no idea I was pregnant so it was quite a shock to find out.

"I was excited but a bit downhearted as I had suffered miscarriages before and was worried I would not go full-term."

Mrs Bennett said she and husband Gary did not want to get carried away with things until they had got beyond 12 weeks.

She had a planned Caesarean at Southmead Hospital and Charley spent 17 days in the neonatal intensive care unit after she was born.

Mrs Bennett said: "We didn't want to bank on anything but she is absolutely brilliant.

"She spent 17 days in intensive care but she is doing well now."

Mrs Bennett's sister is being tested to see if she is a suitable live kidney donor. Her doctor, renal consultant Karen Anderson, saw Mrs Bennett once a month during her pregnancy rather than every four months.

Dr Anderson said: "It is very rare for women to become pregnant while on dialysis and carry through to a successful birth.

"Emma was brought into Southmead for dialysis after 24 weeks when it was a viable pregnancy, so that if there were any complications the obstetric team were nearby."

As reported in the Evening Post on Monday, Julianne Lewtas gave birth to a healthy son, Gene, while on peritoneal dialysis.

Doctors said he was the first baby born at Southmead to a patient undergoing that particular type of kidney filtering treatment in 40 years.

Surgeons had to plan her Caesarean carefully so that they did not cut through the line used for peritoneal dialysis. Miss Lewtas, also of Hartcliffe, did not discover she was pregnant until four weeks before doctors decided she should undergo surgery because Gene had not grown sufficiently.