Cathy (29) talks about choosing to be a single parent. "I realised that the only real pressure on me was that pressure I had placed on myself. And once I recognised this, the stress subsided".

Rachel (24) gave birth to her son Jack and five months later, her partner left the family home.

The terms "broken home" and "solo mum" are rarely uttered these days thanks to political correctness and society recognising that lifestyles and patterns are changing.