Clinic helped with woman’s journey to becoming a mum

A mum has shared her story to raise awareness of a condition that affects one in eight women and is one of the most common causes of infertility.Lydia Collins, needed help from a specialist Lynn clinic to become a mum, after she was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 17 having struggled to lose weight and was suffering from acne, facial hair, and irregular periods.She received little support to help cope with her symptoms but crucially she was not told how the condition might impact her chances of having a baby.

About one in eight women are affected by PCOS which creates a hormone imbalance that affects how a woman’s ovaries work and how her eggs are released.Speaking ahead of PCOS Awareness Month, Lydia is keen to share her experience with others trying to conceive.She said: “Before I started trying for a baby, I regarded my PCOS symptoms as just a hassle more than anything else.

“My period turned up when it turned up and I also had other classic symptoms such as excess hair, acne, and difficulty in losing weight.” Lydia is now mum to her miracle baby, son Rylo following fertility treatment at Bourn Hall Clinic in Norfolk, but it took determination to lose over four stone in weight before she could begin her treatment.Dr Nausheen Mawal, lead clinician for Bourn Hall’s Norfolk clinics said: “Women with PCOS often have elevated insulin levels, which can make weight loss challenging, and higher levels of testosterone, the ‘male’ hormone. “This hormonal imbalance leads to the development of multiple fluid-filled follicles on the ovaries, which resemble cysts. These follicles contain immature eggs, and as a result, no eggs are released, leading to irregular periods – a major symptom of PCOS.“Not all women with PCOS struggle to conceive but for those who have irregular periods losing weight can help to stimulate ovulation.”Lydia and her partner Ben started trying for a baby when Lydia was in her late twenties. Lydia said: “You should normally wait a year before going to see your GP but, because of my PCOS and irregular periods, I only waited until we had been trying for six months.“We live on the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border and my current GP is in Norfolk, so we were referred really quickly for an initial appointment at Bourn Hall.”Bourn Hall has IVF clinics in Cambridge and Norwich – as well as a smaller nurse-led clinic in King’s Lynn that has specialists in ovulation induction (OI). This treatment helps couples get pregnant naturally by making ovulation predictable.“When I arrived at Bourn Hall in King’s Lynn, the first thing they said was that my BMI was too high,” said Lydia. “I would need to lose weight before they could try me with ovulation induction treatment.”Lydia managed to shed the pounds and completed several rounds of ovulation induction treatment at Bourn Hall.This sometimes made her ovulate but she and Ben were still unable to conceive naturally. Lydia admits this was a tough time for her emotionally as she wondered if she would ever be a mum.“A lot of my friends had started to have babies, and I was pleased for them but sad for myself,” she said. “It was such a horrible emotion; I didn’t want to take someone’s happiness away from them.” Lydia was referred for NHS IVF treatment at Bourn Hall’s Norwich clinic but was advised her BMI still had to drop further.She said: “Then we had lockdown which made it easier for me to lose weight because we were not able to socialise and as well as being on a diet, I would go for a run every day.“By the beginning of 2021, I had turned 30 and hit my target weight for IVF, losing four stone in total.”The couple was entitled to two rounds of NHS-funded IVF treatment at Bourn Hall Clinic – and were delighted when their treatment worked first time. “When I did the pregnancy test and it was positive we couldn’t believe it,” she said.The couple’s son Rylo was born in July 2022 and Lydia still finds it hard to believe she is finally a mum.“I feel as though I have been on the longest journey ever, but sometimes when I am doing things with him like taking him for a little walk or watching him splash in the puddles it will hit me that I am finally doing all those things that I’ve always wanted to do,” she said.“They are ‘pinch me moments’ when I realise it has finally happened and I am a mum.”To find out more about both NHS and self-funded tests and treatments available at Bourn Hall Clinic visit the website.