This week, it was confirmed that Serena Williams is 20 weeks pregnant, and it emerged she had won her 23rd grand slam singles title at this year’s Australian Open during her first trimester.

Next week, Williams, currently the world No 2, will return to being the top-ranked women’s player worldwide.

We asked our readers to share the new challenges they took on when they were expecting a child. Here is a selection of responses, with some names changed to protect people’s identities.

Pandora, 34, Manchester: After I swam a Channel relay, I found out I was pregnant

I discovered I was expecting our second son after I got back from Dover, having swum the Channel in 2016. I had always thought the swim would be an amazing challenge, so when my local open-water swimming club (Uswim Openwater) was putting together a six-person relay team, it was too good an opportunity to miss.

We swam an hour each continuously with no wetsuits and raised money for the DWF Foundation, which offers grants to local charities in our communities. Afterwards I was absolutely shattered, but overcome with the support from everyone and the scale of our achievement. I did not plan to be pregnant but it made no difference in the end, and will be a nice story for my son. I hope he loves to swim, too, in years to come.

Nikki, 46, London: I was six months pregnant when I ran after a man who stole my bag

I was in a tapas bar on The Cut in Waterloo, in central London, when another diner told me a man had stolen my bag off the back of my chair. I was off and down the road before my husband even registered what was going on – I was six months pregnant. I did it without thinking and in retrospect perhaps I should have just let it go. The thing is, the bag had both my CD Walkman (it was 2002) and the sweatshirt I had just treated myself to that day.

Luckily it turned out OK. When I caught up with the man, he said it was a mistake over and over again, and just handed the bag back to me. The street was quite crowded as it was a sunny summer’s day, and I guess he figured someone would maybe intervene if he took off again with a pregnant woman’s bag. Plus, my husband had caught up with us at this point. I felt quite chuffed with myself afterwards – a bit of a badass. Though I also felt that maybe it had been slightly foolhardy, too, an unnecessary risk. I wore that sweatshirt a lot during my pregnancy, and it made me smile every time I put it on.

Emily, 31, Oxfordshire: My bump and I cycled along the third-highest road in Scotland

When I was 24 weeks pregnant I cycled along Bealach na Bà (which has gradients of about 20%) on a three-speed Brompton. I ended up “racing” a fitness lout who was on a lightweight road bike. We were level pegging for much of the way up, before he gave up and got in a warm dry van as we reached the hairpins leading to the summit. I did get off and push my bike up some of the steep bits (which weren’t made any easier by a forceful headwind), but I ground it out to the top and whizzed down the other side.

I felt elated afterwards – mostly because it didn’t snow as forecast, and I was only soaked through by the relentless rain. I also felt thoroughly deserving of my fish and chips afterwards. Testosterone is used as a performance-enhancing drug. What about progesterone?

Elizabeth, 35, London: There was an 80% risk I was going to lose my baby

My baby son was at risk of being stillborn from 20 weeks as there was a leak of the amniotic fluid. There was an 80% risk I was going to lose him. We were both at risk of lethal infection, and he was at risk of being born too young. I had to stay bedridden for 15 weeks until my waters finally completely burst. At 35 weeks the waters ruptured and he could be safely born by induction after getting some antibiotics to mature his lungs. I had to lie down and left my bed only to use the toilets. I was living on my own in a student bedsit at the time.

People were surprised that I kept a very cheerful and happy mood while being so isolated and lonely. My partner was living and working abroad, and would only be able to visit once every two weeks for a couple of days. I felt relieved when my son was born healthy, though rather weak and struggling with his feeding. He stayed only two weeks in the incubator and he is now a strong boisterous boy aged eight.

Shagoofa, 28, London: I was eight months pregnant when I graduated

I managed to complete a postgraduate certificate with two children under the age of five, and graduated when I was eight months pregnant. I was pleased that I could show my daughter that a woman can do anything she puts her mind to.

I had pelvic pain during pregnancy but still managed to work until the last week before my due date and complete my studies. I felt very proud. It’s amazing what a person can achieve when they put their mind to it! My friends said I had inspired them to do things that they had put off.

Kim, 34, London: I ran a marathon when I was 25 weeks pregnant

Since the death of my uncle Mike, I have supported the work of the Samaritans in helping people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, or those who have thought about suicide. So in 2012 when I was 25 weeks pregnant, I ran the London Marathon, partly in Mike’s memory, and partly to raise money for other people who are feeling like he did.

After months of fundraising, training and wondering whether I could actually get around the course with our bump on board, I crossed the finish line and cried! I loved it: the event, the people, the support from family and friends, and pride in what I had been able to achieve. People thought what I did was inspiring – and slightly bonkers!

Elise, 35, Mumbai: I was seven-and-a-half months pregnant when I ran a photography festival

At three months, I led the production of a major photo festival in Brighton, and at seven and a half months I ran the FOCUS photography festival in Mumbai as director. Even under normal circumstances it’s a major undertaking, with a small team and a huge programme (68 events and 25 exhibitions over 14 days) At almost nine months pregnant I’m also moving house. Both festivals went great but I felt like I needed a sit down afterwards ...

Kathleen, 61, Egypt: I became pregnant while rowing across the South Pacific Ocean

In 1985, while rowing across the South Pacific Ocean from Callao, Peru, to Cairns, Australia, with my late husband Curt, I became pregnant on the Marquesas-Islands-to-Samoan-Islands leg. I finished the row successively in Cairns more than four months later and felt great because I was in fantastic shape.

During the row, though, I couldn’t keep down my sea sickness pills and had to go on deck at all hours to pee. It was tough, but I dealt with it. I was determined more than ever to finish. No one really commented on my pregnancy except to think it was amusing: “What were you guys doing out there?!” I think they couldn’t deal with the idea of a woman rowing across an ocean and being pregnant. They thought it was an impossible undertaking.

Liz, 36, Fife: I passed my driving test when I was 38 weeks pregnant

After several tries over a number of years, I finally passed my driving test when I was 38 weeks pregnant with my second child. I was fairly relaxed but the examiner was in a state of sheer terror, especially when I joked about taking the test route that goes up near the hospital to do my emergency stop. I felt amazing afterwards. But actually it was nothing compared with having my two sons (one very small) sitting in the back of the car during my first unaccompanied drive. That was white-knuckle scary.

Janine, 30, London: Going through what I did will be my proudest achievement

When I was pregnant, my partner gave me an ultimatum, him or the baby. I chose the baby, and vowed that if I had to raise her completely alone then I would. I’m confident that what I experienced might not seem like much of an achievement to some. I’ve climbed Helvellyn in 70mph gusts, and finished the Three Peaks in torrential rain, so I am not unaccustomed to a challenge – but I wasn’t ready to be a mum, and the prospect of doing it alone was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to overcome in my life.

Raising my daughter on my own has not been easy, especially while managing a demanding career as a full-time secondary school teacher. But I know when I look back on my life, going through what I did will be my proudest achievement. Over the years, when times were really tough, I’ve lost friends. However, I now have some incredible relationships with people who have sat by my side as I’ve cried tears of exhaustion and sadness, and who have “popped in” to put the kettle on to ensure I wasn’t in a heap on the floor. I could cry thinking about those friends and where I would be without them. I don’t know how I will ever thank them.