A woman who tried for a second baby for 18 years gave birth to two children through IVF and says their family is finally complete. Kim Barrett, 40, gave birth naturally at aged 17 to her daughter, Yasmin, now 22, and desperately wanted another child.
She then met her husband James, 46, who kept trying but were unable to conceive as Kim had irregular periods and was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) aged 18. PCOS is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work.
For years, the couple considered IVF as a last option and tried different treatments including a laparoscopy - a surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to access the inside of the abdomen and pelvis - to try and conceive. After exhausting all options the couple went to the TFP Simply Fertility in Chelmsford for help.
They welcomed their son, Harrison, four, before then going on to have their son William, two. Kim, a business owner, from Tollesbury, Essex, said: "We felt so lucky with our first cycle.
"When Harrison was born, I just can't describe the feeling, it was magical. I never thought I would fall pregnant again, having him in my arms was a magical moment."
Kim fell pregnant naturally when she was 17 and gave birth to her daughter Yasmin Cook, 22, in 2000. Yasmin's birth was considered a "miracle" as Kim wasn't experiencing regular periods and was later diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome when she was 18.
After the diagnosis, the couple confronted many obstacles when it came to trying to expand their family. 18 years after their natural pregnancy, Kim and James, a business owner, decided to start IVF treatment after all other options failed.
Kim said: "I saw IVF as a last resort, we had a laparoscopy which was not a success. I felt like IVF wouldn't work so I didn't want to go through it but we had no other option. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome when I was 18, I wanted children close together but it soon became clear that would not happen."
In July 2017, Kim and James went to TFP Simply Fertility in Chelmsford to start their IVF journey. In their first cycle of IVF, Kim got 19 eggs and considers herself "extremely lucky" and still has nine eggs frozen.
Kim fell pregnant in May 2018 but felt "fearful" during the pregnancy. She said: "It sounds horrible but there was a lot of fear. I was so scared about losing the baby. There was a lot of fear - I was worried all the time.
"It has to be the most stressful thing I have ever done. The clinic offered counselling but I am not someone who goes for that. It was a straightforward pregnancy apart from the worry."
Kim gave birth to her son Harrison, on January 16, 2019, in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, weighing 7lb 7oz. The pair later got the good news that Kim was pregnant with her second child through IVF in April 2021.
Kim said: "I would say, if you have the chance to do IVF then you should do it and not hold off. I saw it as a last option, if you have it as an option do it rather than thinking it is your last one.
"The clinic was amazing and really supportive. When I took the boys back in the see them they wanted to hold them and see them."
William was born in April 2021 at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, weighing 7lb 11oz. Kim said: "I had another normal pregnancy.
"There were some times when I couldn't feel him moving but then we went into the hospital for monitoring and everything was fine. Being a mum I block out all the bad stuff, but, my husband remembers all of that stuff and how stressful it was. I was happy to have my baby, it is a magical experience for me now."
