Joy for couple with '˜amazing' IVF baby after beating medical condition

A woman who waited almost four years to hold her first child has spoken of her joy at giving birth to her '˜amazing' baby daughter - after successfully undergoing IVF treatment which worked first time.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Jul 2016, 11:00 BST
Updated 25th Aug 2016, 20:03 BST
Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig (pictured) had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster.Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig (pictured) had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster.
Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig (pictured) had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster.

Hayley Ollerenshaw, aged 32, of Belle Vue, started trying for a family with her husband, 36-year-old Craig, in September 2012.

By August 2014, the couple had failed to conceive and went to their doctor for help. After having blood tests, Hayley was told that she had polycystic ovary syndrome.

Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in DoncasterScarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster
Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster
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The condition, which affects five to ten per cent of women, means that the ovaries contain lots of small cysts, making it very difficult in some cases for sufferers to conceive. Symptoms can include irregular periods, weight gain and acne.

Hayley said: “When I got the diagnosis it made sense. I’d always had acne and I’d put on weight rapidly. I’d gone up from a size eight to a size 16 in a year, but I just thought it was because I was comfortable in my marriage.

“It was hard because, as a woman, you think you will just be able to have a child. I was so upset, I told my husband to leave me and go and find somebody who could give him a baby - but of course he didn’t.”

Hayley was offered free IVF treatment, funded by the NHS, in June last year. She underwent the procedure at the CARE Fertility Clinic in Nether Edge, Sheffield.

Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in DoncasterScarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster
Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster
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Last August, Hayley was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant, and little Scarlett Rose was born in April.

“I felt very lucky. We couldn’t have afforded IVF ourselves, and without it we wouldn’t have had Scarlett.

“There’s no guarantee it’s going to work either, we were so fortunate that it worked first time for us.”

Hayley’s elation was somewhat short-lived, as the pregnancy and birth brought problems.

Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in DoncasterScarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster
Scarlett Rose Ollerenshaw, of Belle Vue, who was born after her parents Hayley and Craig had free IVF on the NHS in Doncaster
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“I had morning sickness right up until I went into labour and she was overdue by a week. I had a very long, difficult labour and she was poorly when she was born. She got an infection and we couldn’t hold her for three days.”

Luckily, Scarlett made a full recovery and her proud parents took her home three days after she was born.

“I still can’t believe she’s here. We love her so much. She’s amazing.”

n Visit www.nhs.uk for details of polycystic ovary syndrome and IVF.