A mum, whose dream of having a family was crushed when doctors said she was infertile, has shared her incredible story of how she gave birth to two children.
When Gemma Hill realised she was the only one in her friendship group who hadn’t started her period yet, the then-teenager was left feeling “embarrassed” and confused.
After she met her fiancé, Daniel Kilford, 23, and the pair wanted to start trying for a baby, the care assistant sought out medical advice and was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
Despite the odds, the pair have now welcomed two healthy babies into their lives.
For PCOS awareness month, the mum is now sharing the experience to help other mums and give them hope that miracles are possible.
“After being told that I was infertile, my emotions were at an all-time low, as I had been dreaming about holding a baby in my arms,” the mum-of-two, from Southampton, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“It’s always been my wish to have children from a young age, and the thought of never having a family of my own was so upsetting.
“As I got older, and some of my friends started having families, I felt lost.
“I can’t explain the emotions I went through at the thought of me not being able to achieve one of the main goals in life.
“But then, when I found out I was pregnant, it was incredible.
“I thought this would never happen, you always hope it will, but finally knowing it was real was unbelievable.”
The couple visited the TFP Wessex Fertility clinic, part of one of the UK’s leading fertility and IVF specialists, who helped them conceive their first child through IVF.
But, the 21-year-old, was worried about the opinions of those in the clinic.
She said: “Especially being so young, I found the experience quite nerve-racking and I didn’t want to get judged.
“But, I never felt that with the clinic, as they were always so welcoming and answered any questions I had.
“I literally couldn’t believe that it had worked so quickly.”
Prior to meeting Daniel and going through IVF, the 21-year-old recalls being carefree and didn’t worry about anything in life.
But as she embarked on their journey to conceive, she quickly realised they had a stressful time ahead of them.
She said: “I had tried [loads of other methods] such as ovulation induction and medication, but nothing worked.
“I knew IVF had a higher success rate, so we thought we’d try for that.
“I was so clueless though when doctors started mentioning it, as I had no idea what it involved.
“I was so nervous to do the injections I needed for egg collection to start off with, as I was scared of doing it in the wrong place – but the clinic reassured me.
“It was a really big and long process, but all I kept wondering is if it would work and what would happen if it didn’t.”
Six days after implantation, Gemma had a positive pregnancy test and was overjoyed with the long-awaited result.
In August 2022, she gave birth to her son, Archer, and believed that she’d need to go through the process again to conceive their second child.
But then, despite the mum thinking she was unable to conceive naturally, she received a positive pregnancy test only three months later.
Gemma said: “I couldn’t believe it when the test came up positive – it was the biggest shock of my life.
“I was lost for words, but so excited that we had fallen naturally.
“I just feel so lucky to have two miracle babies.”
Now, the mum-of-two is sharing her journey in a bid to raise awareness for IVF and to help people struggling to conceive with PCOS know that they’re not alone.
She added: “Don’t give up and keep trying.
“It’s a really emotional process and you will need a lot of support going through it, especially in case it doesn’t work.
“I think things that are meant to be will happen when they are meant to.
“It’s been very stressful, but for the best, as I love being a mum.
“I wouldn’t change it for anything and I feel incredibly lucky.”
