A woman who thought she couldn't have children finally fell pregnant after losing nine stone.
Jodie Griffiths dreamed of starting a family with husband, Phil Griffiths, 36, but found out she had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in 2019 and struggled to conceive. She started gaining weight in her teens but really saw her waistline "balloon" after battling depression and while undergoing fertility treatment.
The 28-year-old 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.
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She and Phil even looked into adoption, but Jodie claims she was turned down because of her overweight frame.
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 of this year Leighton hospital in Crewe.
Jodie, a sales service coordinator, from Northwich, Cheshire, said: "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 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.
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 heart-breaking 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 fertility treatment but was still unable to have a baby. In July 2021, Jodie found a private clinic in the UK to undergo a gastric sleeve operation and was approved for a personal loan of £8,500 towards the procedure.
The extreme weight loss operation involved removing 80 percent of her stomach. She said: "I lost two stone leading up to the operation and after the weight started dropping away. 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 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."
Jodie's diet before
Breakfast - nothing
Lunch - nothing
Dinner - McDonald's, pizza, kebabs
Snacks - family-sized bar of galaxy and crisps
Jodie's diet now
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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