Emmerdale spoilers confirm Laurel Thomas will find out she is pregnant with Jai Sharma’s baby on the ITV soap next week.
Laurel didn’t intend to get pregnant, so it comes as a shock after experiencing nausea and a headache.
Ahead of finding out, Jai jokes that Laurel could be expecting as she starts to feel unwell.
Read more: Emmerdale: Fans predict ‘whodunit’ Christmas storyline that will see Jamie Tate killed off
They soon wonder whether there might be some truth to the statement, with Laurel taking a test.
The couple are shocked to learn they’re expecting their first child together.
Keen for Laurel to see a doctor, Jai manages to book her in for a private scan.
But will everything go to plan?
Emmerdale: Laurel and Jai’s pregnancy storyline sparks criticism
The upcoming storyline has faced criticism from soap fans.
After attending their first scan, it becomes apparent all is not as it should be for the couple’s baby.
They soon learn there is the possibility the baby has a chromosomal condition.
When they return to the village, the couple are forced to decide whether to have a CVS (chorionic villus sampling) test. This will determine if there’s a chromosomal or genetic disorders in a foetus.
Read more: Emmerdale SPOILERS: Next week’s First Look in 10 pictures
Laurel and Jai eventually decide to have the CVS test, which shows the baby has Down’s Syndrome.
But after having some very deep, emotional conversations, the pair come to the decision to terminate the pregnancy.
Earlier this month, disability campaigner Adam Pearson hit out at the storyline on Twitter.
He said: “Seriously @emmerdale – what year is this? You have a very talented disabled cast member in @jamesmooreactor and yet your running this cliched storyline? Disability is a death sentence. Downs lives aren’t worth living.”
Charlotte Bellamy defends Emmerdale’s abortion storyline
Meanwhile, Charlotte Bellamy – who plays Laurel – said: “Terminating a pregnancy is an emotive subject. But I think what Emmerdale does brilliantly is portray difficult stories that are important to tell.
“The statistics tell us that a majority of people, faced with similar news resulting from the diagnostic test, do take this decision.
“So I hope Laurel and Jai’s story will take the audience on the journey of them coming to this conclusion and having some understanding why they do.
“There are some very powerfully written scenes that I hope will give a fair portrayal of their situation.
“When I embarked on this storyline I was well aware of the responsibility of the subject matter, but the scripts have been so well written and I think the story is told fairly.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.