SURGEONS in Bradford have made history by performing the first cochlear implant on a pregnant patient in the country.

Kimberley Ward went through surgery today at Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) under local anaesthetic in a bid to be able to hear the heartbeat of her unborn child along with her partner Liam Binks, 29.

The 27-year-old business analyst lost her hearing as a teenager and was unaware a cochlear implant would benefit her.

"I'm really excited to have the implant and can't wait to experience all the things I've been missing out on,” said Miss Ward.

Miss Ward, who is 17 weeks pregnant, will have the cochlear implant switched on in four to six weeks.

She said: "I'm really looking forward to hearing everyday sounds people take for granted like the rain falling on your umbrella or the birds. But the biggest thing for me is being able to hear my nephew.

"He has autism and though I have some hearing in my right ear I can't understand him or hear him sing and he is developing so well lately, I feel I'm missing out on this.

"My partner is very supportive of me getting the implant and always respects my decisions. He said it wasn't his decision on when I should go ahead with it. I only found out I was pregnant when I was told I’m a candidate for an implant."

Miss Ward also had another reason for having the implant after battling with depression and anxiety.

She felt unsafe at night due to an incident with a group youths, who threw things at her, around five years ago and she was also victim to a break-in at her home this year.

It took a cooking incident last year for Miss Ward to finally look into if anything could be done with her hearing.

"I'd put some eggs into a pan to boil and forgot about them. I went to bed and did not wake up to the eggs exploding or the burning smell.

"The fire alarm didn't wake me and not one of my neighbours knocked on the door or made any comment about this. Not being able to look after myself really shook me up and this kind of fear worried me that I wouldn't be able to look after my child.

"I know many deaf people have happy healthy children and have no problem in looking after them. I just felt this was a safe and reasonable decision for me looking at the best interests of me and my baby. I really want to be independent and not have to rely on everyone to make sure I can have a good quality of life."

Although the cochlear implant will not restore normal hearing, the electronic device provides a representation of sounds that allows the patient to understand speech.

Miss Ward, from Leeds, was referred to BRI for the assessment process in June this year.

After attending several appointments, she found out she was a suitable candidate.

However, further discussions were had in order to understand if the surgery could go ahead with her being pregnant.

It was decided for the operation to be carried out during Miss Ward’s second trimester, as this is the safest time for the baby.

Professor Chris Raine, who carried out the surgery, said: "Being the first, we had to gain advice with pharmacists and other consultants to ensure the drugs we were using posed no risk to the baby or its development.

"We also had to monitor the baby’s development to determine the best time to carry out the surgery under local anaesthetic.

"I like to feel that we are helping Miss Ward fulfill her desire to be able to have the special moment of hearing her child for the first time.

"If we were not able to safely put in the implant, then it would have been months after she gave birth before she would have been able to have surgery."

Miss Ward is now preparing for motherhood as she awaits the implant being turned on in the coming weeks.

She added: "I'm excited and nervous about becoming a mum.

"It's not something that was planned and so was a big surprise. I've started buying little things and I'm going to inherit a few things from my sister. Having a baby is expensive!"