By Catherine Townsend

PUBLISHED: 09:59 EST, 16 August 2013 | UPDATED: 13:21 EST, 16 August 2013

The harsh reality of life behind bars for pregnant inmates is set to be revealed in a new two-part series on Discovery Fit & Health.

Pregnant Behind Bars follows women in Chicago's Cook County Jail, one of the country's largest detention centers.

Expectant mothers are booked into Division 17 - a separate treatment wing where many are coping with addiction, mental health issues, and violence in addition to the hormonal changes of pregnancy.

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In the premiere episode, viewers meet 29-year-old Tanya Head, who has been arrested four times since age 17.

This is her first time in jail, on a charge of drug distribution. She is 27 weeks pregnant with her second child.

'I've been on my own since I was 11 years old,' she says. 'My mother has never been there, and I don't know my father.'

Ms Head hopes to qualify for the prison's house arrest program, which will allow her to care for her children at her home instead of in jail.

But she has to follow strict rules such as staying inside and wearing an electronic ankle monitoring bracelet, otherwise she risks being thrown back in jail and even losing custody of her unborn son.

Many of the women fall into the pattern of selling drugs to support their families.

Jamie Scott, a 31-year-old mother of four, must pass a parenting class before getting the privilege of visits from her children. She had her first child at 14, and says that she, her mother and sister were all pregnant at the same time.

Ms Scott is not only facing a surprise pregnancy, but the fact that she could potentially be sentenced to up to 30 years on her drug distribution charge. 

The women face the constant threat of violence. Division 17 Superintendent Kelly Baker explains that 'a lot of the women are as dangerous, if not more, than the men.

Officers are constantly searching for homeade weapons, and reveal that items like bars of soap, toothbrushes and even cell phones can be dangerous.

Raising spirits: Division 17 offers activities like the glee club to teach the girls about teamwork

'A girl told me that she was going to kick me in the stomach and make me lose my baby,' one inmate explains.

However for some women, their time in Division 17 gives them a second chance.

'Being in prison is terrifying,' says 26-year-old Victoria Nardella, who was recently arrested for retail theft - and shocked to discover that she was two pregnant with her first child during the intake physical exam. 

Ms Nardella grew up in an affluent suburb of Chicago, and says that her life unraveled after 'a really cut senior' smiled at her and offered her heroin for the first time. She has tried rehab several times, but has never been able to maintain the results.

She adds that despite her fear, she believes that being forced to go cold turkey in jail is 'the best thing for the child.'