A woman has spoken of her heartbreak after she was rejected by an adoption agency because of her pregnancy phobia. Kayleigh-Emma Shiel, 30, has always dreamed of becoming a mother, but suffers from tokophobia – a fear of childbirth. Her condition means that she is unable to conceive a child of her own as she is too terrified of pregnancy and the associated pain. Believing that adoption was her only chance of becoming a mother, Kayleigh and her fabricator husband Gary, 47, applied to adopt a child in January this year. But the couple, from Elland, West Yorkshire, were rejected partly due to Kayleigh’s unusual phobia.
A cheeky owl fancies a game of hide and seek as it peeps out from behind a tree .
WITH THEIR adorable big round eyes and fluffy white fur, these baby seals are cute enough to melt any heart .
LYING flat out on his back, this little meerkat makes the most of the English sunshine .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
A couple celebrated tying the knot with a spectacular Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding reception .
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .
LEAF-ing much to the imagination, this camera trickery is blooming marvellous .
A German photographer travelled around Africa where he met and photographed members of tribes in a series of intimate portraits .
NEVER mind being careful not to choke on your food, this mother bird has a bigger challenge on her hands, as her ravenous offspring impatiently launches its head down into her stomach .
AN OLD ENGLISH cottage packed full of history and valuables has been left to rot .
PERCHED on a branch, these two frogs hold hands as they look into the camera .
WITH HIS PAW covering his mouth, this cheeky cub looks amused by something .