A young mother says she has no regrets after doctors told her to have a baby aged 19 – or lose her chance of parenthood.
Amy McStein, from Liverpool, gave up her university education and job prospects to fulfil her dream of becoming a mother.
She took the drastic decision after doctors told her a gynaecological condition she was suffering from was getting worse – and it was only a matter of time before she would need her womb removed.
Ms McStein, now 22, was suffering from endometriosis – a painful condition in which small pieces of the womb lining are found elsewhere in the body.
Her condition was diagnosed after she suffered years of agony, resulting in her suddenly collapsing during a family meal in the summer of 2010.
Ms McStein was transferred to Liverpool
Women’s Hospital where she had a minor operation to drain the cyst.
Waking after the procedure, she was told the news.
She said: ‘I had severe endometriosis, and had to be started on a drug to induce menopause straight away.
Medics
explained that if she wanted children, she had to get pregnant
immediately, or she might never get another chance to be a mother.
‘My
doctor turned to me and said: “I would never usually say this to a
19-year-old, but if you want to have a family, you need to start trying
straight away”.
Ms McStein,
who was studying forensic science at Liverpool John Moores University,
was then faced with the heart breaking choice – a baby or her education.
‘I
was suddenly forced to rethink my future. I’d always assumed I’d be a
mother one day but I was told I needed to make a choice and there was no
time to lose.
‘I sat
down with my partner Jack, who I’d been going out with for two years,
and explained what the doctors had said. I told him that if he ever
wanted to have a child with me, it was now or never.’
hospital and suffered two major bleeds – she was twice told that Ava
would not survive
‘I
realised I did want a family one day, and I knew I loved Jack. I could
see myself spending my life with him. Jack agreed to start trying, and I
cried out in relief.’
The teenager gave up university and then faced a traumatic eight months as her race for a baby began.
She suffered three miscarriages, two of which happened at eight weeks, and one at 17 weeks.
She recalled: ‘I was starting to lose hope. I didn’t have time to grieve for my unborn babies. I spent weeks in hospital.
‘I was really ill and always in pain but, finally, in April 2011, I got pregnant for a fourth time.
will be two in December and never cries. Everyone says that she is
paying us back for all the pain we went through to bring her into the
world’
hardest things I’ve ever done but she brightens my world, and I honestly
can’t imagine life without her’
‘This
time, I spent 13 weeks of my 35-week pregnancy in hospital. I was
determined to give my unborn little girl the best possible chance at
life.
‘I had two major bleeds and twice I was told I’d lost her. The doctors warned me I wouldn’t make it to 30 weeks.
‘The
labour, in December that year, was also traumatic. My uterus just
couldn’t stretch because of all the scar tissue. I haemorrhaged twice.’
Their daughter, Ava Grace, was born with the umbilical cord wrapped round her neck and weighed just 4lbs 10oz.
‘Medical complications aside, she was perfect,’ said Ms McStein.
‘She
was a little fighter. She will be two in December and never cries.
Everyone says that she is paying us back for all the pain we went
through to bring her into the world.
‘Conceiving
Ava was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but she brightens my
world, and I honestly can’t imagine life without her.’
The couple got married in April 2013, with Ava as a flower girl.
Ms
McStein, who has become a full-time mother, is currently preparing for
her hysterectomy which will be carried out in the next 12 months, and
spends her free time raising awareness for endometriosis.
culled from DailyMail
