Ann Romney: Romney and Ryan are the "adults in the room" on women's issues

(CBS News) She's spent months on the campaign trail with her husband, but as Ann Romney prepares to speak at the first night of the Republican National Convention Tuesday, she remains virtually unknown to many Americans.

The prospective first lady is a homemaker and mother of five, a Mormon convert, and a champion of children's charities who has battled cancer and multiple sclerosis.

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Those health trials have "had a huge impact on our family," Mrs. Romney told CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, "but in a very more significant way, they've made our relationship I think even deeper and more profound. And I've grown to trust this man more as I've gone through these trials. I have unwavering faith in his willingness to stand by me in -- in those really, really dark hours."

Pelley spoke to both Romneys in a wide-ranging interview Friday.

Romney said that she was an active person who had the rug pulled out from beneath her and quickly became depressed and unable to take care of herself.

"It was Mitt that reminded me that life isn't always easy," she said. "And I think by him doing that, it just allowed me to accept that I was sick. And then, oddly enough, I then gained strength from that and started to really battle the disease instead of being defeated by it."

More from the interview:

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Pelley asked Mrs. Romney about the Obama campaign's contention that the Republican platform on issues like abortion and contraception is "wrong for women."

Romney said her husband and his vice presidential pick, Paul Ryan, have focused on improving the lives of women and families by strengthening the economy.

"I think it's been pretty clear that both my husband and Paul Ryan are very serious candidates. They're the adults in the room that are going to talk about how to make things better," she said. "And they, I believe are the ones that are doing the math, and telling the truth, and are going to be very clear that this is a path that is very, very important for America. And so, I am convinced if women really take this seriously, they will very seriously consider voting for this. ... That's what I'm hearing when I'm out there. I am hearing the passion from women about the economy."

In an excerpt of Pelley's interview on "CBS This Morning" Tuesday, Romney shared personal -- and wrenching -- details about her struggles, including details that were new to her own husband, speaking out publicly for the first time about her multiple miscarriages.

While it has been previously reported that Mrs. Romney suffered one miscarriage, she opened up about the last of several miscarriages and the impact it had on the Romneys' youngest son, Craig. Romney described the unexpected joy of becoming pregnant in her mid-40s only to ultimately miscarry.

"I knew I was losing the baby," she said "I waited until it was about six in the morning and said, 'Mitt, you've got to take me to the hospital right now."