A woman who was convinced she couldn’t have children naturally has revealed her joy after falling pregnant with her first child, whilst shedding nine stone. Jodie Griffiths, 28, dreamed of starting a family with husband, Phil, 36, but found out she had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - a condition that affects how the ovary’s work - in 2019 and struggled to conceive.
Jodie began gaining weight when she was a teenager, but really saw her waistline "balloon" after battling depression while undergoing fertility treatment. The couple even looked into adoption, but Jodie claims she was turned down because of her overweight frame.
She found herself turning to food for comfort - spending up to £300 a month on nightly takeaways including McDonalds, kebabs and pizza. At her biggest, Jodie was tipping the scales at 22st 6lb and struggling to squeeze into a size 24.
Desperate to turn her life around, Jodie forked out £8,500 on a private gastric sleeve operation and lost a whopping nine stone - dropping down to 13st 6lbs and slipping into a size 12-14. Just two months after the operation, Jodie fell pregnant naturally and the excited couple welcomed their little girl, Freya Griffiths, on June 17, 2022, weighing 5lb 8oz at Leighton hospital, Crewe.
Jodie, a sales service coordinator, from Northwich, told Cheshire Live: “I would never have believed a year ago that I would be having my own baby. For a while, I thought being a mum wasn’t on the cards for me. I often ate to feel better - having a takeaway every night and a full family-sized galaxy bar to myself. I was easily spending £300 a month on takeaways.
“I pay back less a month on my loan for the surgery than I used to spend on food, so it was worth every penny. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat to have Freya in our lives.”
Jodie started gaining weight in her teens and saw her weight go up and down over the years. She met her partner, Phil, in 2013, and the pair were excited to start a family after getting engaged in 2016. For the next few years, Jodie struggled with her mental health and battled anxiety and depression. She often turned to food for comfort and saw the weight starting to creep on.
Jodie said: “I tried everything to lose weight, but I was a constant yo-yo dieter. I had some really difficult times including some family loss and depression. Food really helped me feel better.”
At her biggest, Jodie weighed 22st 6lbs and wore a size 24. She struggled to conceive and even looked into adoption, but the couple hit another hurdle.
She said: “My mum was adopted, so I always liked the idea of doing that. But I was told my BMI was too large and I couldn’t have a child due to ‘health concerns’. It was really heartbreaking to hear.”
After years of trying and failing to fall pregnant naturally, Jodie went to the GP for help. She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in 2019, a condition that can make it difficult for women to conceive. She started undergoing WHAT fertility treatment but was still unable to have a baby.
Jodie said: “I couldn’t have my own baby and I wasn’t able to adopt. I was sick of my weight being an issue and I had to do something about it.”
Jodie found a private clinic in the UK to undergo a gastric sleeve operation in July 2021. She was approved for a personal loan of £8,500 towards the procedure. The extreme weight loss operation involved removing 80 percent of her stomach
“I lost two stone leading up to the operation and after the weight started dropping away,” she said. "I cut out the junk food and just eat very small portions lean meat and vegetables. It’s very keto style and I even make my own healthy ‘fakeaway’ versions of food.”
Two months after the operation, Jodie was delighted to discover she had fallen pregnant in October 2021. Despite being pregnant, she continued to lose weight and dropped a whopping nine stone in 11 months.
Jodie dropped to a healthy 13st 6lbs and now wears a slender size 12-14. She was induced on Thursday June 16 2022 and the couple welcomed the little girl Freya Griffiths, at Leighton hospital, Crewe, who weight 5lb 8oz.
She said: “It can be a bit tricky falling pregnant so quickly after this operation. But my little girl was monitored closely and despite losing weight, she was growing and healthy.
“It was an easy labour all round and midwives couldn’t believe she was my first child with how quickly I delivered her. She’s just perfect and I’m so excited to finally be a mum.”
Supportive husband Phil recalls the difficulty Jodie faced to become a mum and the pride he felt after the arrival of their little girl. He said: “It was heart-breaking watching your wife blame herself after many failed meetings with various people who never seemed to offer any type of constructive help.
“It took a huge toll on our marriage as she felt she couldn’t give either of us what we both wanted and often referred to herself as a ‘broken woman’. The strength and will power I have seen my wife have and the troubles she has overcome in the past year has been truly breath-taking.
“Now we have little Freya to love and adore due to Jodie’s determination and will power. Freya will never truly know the full extent of how much she was wanted for so long. But we have made it through the other side happier and stronger than ever and I am looking forward to what the future brings.”
DIET BEFORE
- Breakfast - Nothing
- Lunch - Nothing
- Dinner - McDonald’s, pizza, kebabs
- Snacks - Family-sized bar of galaxy and crisps
DIET AFTER
- Breakfast - poached eggs
- Lunch - Chicken or salmon and vegetables
- Dinner - ‘fakeaway’ burger and chips or small portion of homemade spaghetti Bolognese
- Snacks - fruit
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