MY GIRLS SAVED ME FROM MY HEARTACHE

When Monique Sveinsson, 47, glanced in the mirror at the theatre, something didn't look right

- MOIRA HOLDEN

Peeping from the side of the stage, I smiled as the audience surged to its feet and clapped wildly yet another standing ovation for the cast of High School Musical.

It was November 2009 and I loved my life as a stage manager in the West End and on tour, revelling in Brian May sometimes leaping on stage to join the cast of We Will Rock You, or Michael Ball belting out the crowd-pleasers from Hairspray.

And right then, I had another reason to smile. I was dating the drummer in High School Musical – Ágúst, then 35, from Iceland. Fantastic night,' I said as we hugged after the curtain call.

Soon, we'd set up home in London, both of us eager to start a family. By then, I was 35 and he was 36, and I was aware of my body clock, so we were thrilled when I fell pregnant.

Isabelle was born by caesarean in July 2011, weighing 7lb 100%.

Being a mum was fantastic. I took a year off and loved all the organisation and planning around caring for a baby. After marrying Ágúst in April 2012, I fell pregnant the following year with a baby girl, due in March 2014.

NO MOVEMENT

By now, I was working on War Horse. The stage production with huge puppets was a smash hit with audiences and critics.

But it was gruelling for me. We'd moved to a bigger house in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, so I had a long commute and often I'd start at 9 am and not be home till midnight. As my pregnancy went on, I was more and more exhausted. 'Not long to go now,' I sighed to Ágúst.

During a performance one night in December 2013, I moved from the wings towards the stage. I was 30 weeks pregnant and wearing black maternity trousers and a tight black top to blend into the background of the set.