This very emotional documentary set in The Rotunda hospital kicks off on TV tonight

The six-part series is filmed over a three week period.

Scratch Films and RTÉ have announced that a new fly-on-the-wall documentary – which takes viewers inside The Rotunda Hospital and follows to-be parents on the cusp of parenthood – is starting the first of its six-part series on Thursday night.

The Rotunda, which was filmed 24 hours a day for a total of 21 days, brings viewers unprecedented access to the workings of the maternity hospital, from going inside the operating theatre and watching the miracle of birth in the labour ward to meeting the baker who makes the cupcakes the hospital gifts to the parents of newborns.

This six-part series captures a multitude of emotions, part and parcel of the everyday life of this Irish institution.

"From the screams of those in the throes of childbirth and the highs welcoming a newborn baby, to the terrible lows when a baby has a fatal foetal abnormality or ends up in NICU with a team fighting to save its life, The Rotunda reflects what life is like for the parents and staff at the hospital," said RTÉ in a statement.

"Throughout, however, it is the humanity of the staff that shines through as we meet couples and learn about their own story together and share with them their personal experiences of bringing new life into the world."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwZTeBuQ_uo&feature=youtu.be Clip via RTÉ2

The Rotunda starts Thursday 13 September on RTÉ2 at 9.30pm.