A GWENT woman who discovered she was pregnant moments before she was to have a hysterectomy says her son is a miracle.

Natasha Hill-Cannan, 33, and her 36-year-old husband Jeremy, of Derby Crescent, Ebbw Vale, had given up on their dream of having a baby following eight years of trying, when IVF treatment failed.

When Mrs Hill-Cannan's problem with endometriosis - an agonising condition affecting her uterus - became worse she agreed to have her womb removed.

But just 20 minutes before Mrs Hill-Cannan was due to go to the operating theatre of Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny, a routine blood test came back revealing she was pregnant.

And her son Henry was born seven months after the cancelled operation.

"I had psyched myself up for the operation and had been in pain for many years. We had been told we could not have children and I just wanted to be free of pain," said Mrs Hill-Cannan.

"I was devastated when the operation was postponed as positive pregnancy results had been part of the health problems I was suffering and nothing had ever come of it.

"Even the consultant said there was only a slim chance I was pregnant - even though the result was positive."

Three hours later Mrs Hill-Cannan went for a scan at the hospital and discovered to her amazement she was ten weeks pregnant. Doctors believe the drugs she was prescribed to thin the womb lining in preparation for the operation, helped her conceive.

She said: "I had rung my husband and he was sitting on my bed when an image came up on the screen and he said 'What is that?'.

"When we were told that was our baby, he fell off the bed and I started crying. Even the radiographer was stunned. You could hear the baby's heart beating -it gives me goose bumps to talk about it now."

In August 2005, 6lbs 8oz Henry was born after just 23 minutes of labour.

His mother said: "We think he truly is a miracle and have to pinch ourselves every day to make sure we are not dreaming."