'EastEnders' Lauren Branning is right to trust her gut as son Jimmy receives diagnosis'

EastEnders' Lauren Branning () finally gets some answers in tonight's emotional BBC episode – which is one that tugged at my heartstrings as I watched the concerned mum fight for her newborn son.

In recent episodes, Lauren – who recently gave birth to son Jimmy, who she shares with Peter Beale (Thomas Law) – has been seen sharing concerns about her tiny tot, but her worries have been dismissed by her partner and health visitor, who suspected she may have postnatal depression.

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Tonight's scenes see Lauren passionately clash with a receptionist at the hospital as she pleads with the woman to get her son seen by a consultant for her son's sight. Lauren is seen telling the receptionist as she pleads to get her newborn son seen by a specialist: "I knew there was something wrong with him, I knew it." Sadly, the receptionist is seen not taking new mum-of-two Lauren's concerns seriously, which results in Lauren getting, understandably, emotional. "I'm just his mother, what do I know," she sarcastically tells the receptionist in a tense back and fourth before demanding to speak to the manager.

The emotional exchange between a desperate, vulnerable mum seeking answers for her baby boy struck a chord with me as I watched the scenes unfold today on BBC iPlayer – like it will with many EastEnders viewers who are all mums.

The first few days of parenthood are nothing short of daunting – all be it terrifying – for some. We are lucky enough to welcome our wonderful little children into this world, but the baby bubble can be quickly burst by the sudden realisation that you are in charge of another tiny human being's life – the survival of the being you love the most is completely in your hands. Meaning, any concerns you have for the health and wellbeing of your tot must be taken seriously – but it can, sadly, often be the case that concerns for our children aren't immediately taken seriously and it is a narrative you hear play out time and time again by mums who share their stories, which usually end in a plea for other mothers to 'go with your gut'.

The one thing that does almost instantly kick in for most mothers is our gut instinct and Lauren's instinct is proven right in later scenes as Jimmy is diagnosed with optic nerve and corneal retinal coloboma. The (RNIB) describes the condition as: "At the back of your eye, the retina (the light-sensitive layer) and the choroid (the layer of tissue and blood vessels behind the retina) can be affected by coloboma. This is known as a chorioretinal coloboma. An optic disc coloboma is where the optic nerve (which carries information from the eye to the brain) is affected by coloboma where it leaves the back of your eye, an area known as the optic disc."

After her health visitor, partner Peter and soon-to-be father-in-law Ian Beale all dismiss her concerns for her son's health and, instead, claim she may be suffering from an addiction relapse or postnatal depression – both of which should, rightly, be taken seriously if there are concerns but is not the case for the new mum on EastEnders – Lauren is soon confronted with an experience many mums can relate to; the feeling of loneliness and shouting into a packed room where no one is listening.

Us mums know our babies better than anyone and a mother's instinct isn't something to be underestimated. So, although, the scenes featuring Lauren and Jimmy are tear-jerking, there are several important messages to be taken from them; to listen to mothers when they share concerns for their children and to support them when they are seeking help.

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