One Born Every Minute returns for a 12th series, this time centred on parents

One Born Every Minute is back on Channel 4 for a 12th series, with its first episode airing on Sunday night. When the show launched in 2010, viewers were drawn to its fly-on-the-wall view of a maternity unit, from midwives chatting about unusual pregnancy cravings to parents arguing over whether to name a child Zeus.

Almost two decades on, the makers say the landscape has shifted. Parents now speak far more openly about miscarriage, infertility and mental health, and audiences used to scrolling through reels on their phones must be held with tighter storytelling.

"People are so used to sharing. They expect to share, there is a willingness to share, and that is a generational thing," said Will Rowson, executive producer at Dragonfly, which produces the programme for Channel 4.

The opening episode covers subjects that have moved into the spotlight since the Bafta-winning original run ended in 2018. They include caesarean births, which the programme notes have doubled over the past decade, along with health anxiety and pregnancy loss.

Unlike the previous 11 series, where medical staff took centre stage, this one concentrates on parents. Rowson said it would explore an "enormously diverse range of stories" thanks to broader casting and a move away from "eclectic, whimsical" scenes. A tighter budget also played a part. He said viewers can find miscellany and gentle anthropology elsewhere, so the team focuses on family backstories and what each birth means to them, a richness "you don't get in a 30-second clip".

The show keeps its unflinching approach to what it shows on screen. Set at St Mary's hospital in Manchester, which specialises in maternity care, the series features more complicated pregnancies and surgical procedures. "It's an extraordinary thing to witness, you go 'oh my goodness, I can't believe I get to see that'," Rowson said.

Faye, an NHS clinical lead, gives birth by C-section in the first episode. She recalled shaking and feeling cold and scared, but said that on watching it back she could see she was "in really safe hands" and got to see her son being born. She also wanted viewers to see the hard work happening behind the scenes, noting that "you always hear the bad stuff and not the good stuff". Faye also discusses multiple miscarriages that led her to believe she would not have children, before a surprise pregnancy at 38.

Peace, another participant, wanted to show life with twins, including worries over their growth and the decision to have a C-section. She said she hesitated to discuss miscarriage because it can feel taboo and people blame themselves, adding that there is "this perception of having a perfect pregnancy". Her partner, Kwamdeen, said the episode would be "a great memento" for their children.

Casting director Nsofwa Nwannadi said she was struck by how open people were, and by the wish among those who faced difficulties for others to understand "they are not alone, it's not stigmatised, it's not your fault". Some participants applied themselves, many after hospital communications, and the team reached out to minority ethnic, LGBT and disability communities. "This is real life, we're reflecting what's actually there at the hospital," she said, pointing to fathers reflecting on modern masculinity, mothers fearing the loss of identity and birthing partners who have chosen to remain child-free.