A mum lost her baby in a miscarriage caused by a stroke just days after getting pregnant.
Emma Raven thought strokes were "an old person thing" before she had one aged 33. For three years, she'd been trying to get pregnant, eventually succeeding on the first round of IVF. But the following week, the woman from Netherton started vomiting in work, with a headache so painful "you want to hit yourself".
Colleagues suggested it was morning sickness, but unknown to her, it was actually a stroke she believes was likely caused by IVF. The hormones used in preparation for the treatment can rarely cause strokes, which is when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, killing brain cells. The day after leaving work sick, Emma went to a doctor who suggested it was stress, so she went home.
