A NEWPORT primary school teacher has spoken of her joy at finally becoming pregnant after years trying to conceive, and three failed rounds of IVF.

Lorna Watkins and her husband Jason had been trying been trying to naturally conceive for a year and a half before going to the GP in August 2021.

There they were told that Mrs Watkins had diminished ovarian reserve - a condition affecting a woman's fertility - and were told that In vitro fertilisation, or IVF, was there only realistic chance of having a child.

As if that wasn't shocking enough, the couple were told they would have to wait 18 months to see a gynaecologist to discuss the way forward.

Ms Watkins said: “The NHS said we would have to wait 18 months to see a gynaecologist as I may be too high risk to qualify for the funding due to my diminished ovarian reserve, so we investigated going privately at a clinic in Bristol."

South Wales Argus: Lorna and Jason Watkins

Lorna and Jason Watkins

“The first round of IVF was unsuccessful as we only collected four eggs, but none of them progressed into embryos.

"The news hit us hard.”

The primary school teacher told the Argus her struggles of teaching her year 1 class at a local school after receiving the devastating news.

“It is hard when you spend your day looking after other people's children, which I absolutely adore doing, and love being their teacher.

“But it can be difficult as I teach five and six-year-olds, and it’s the little things they said that used to get to me.

South Wales Argus: Lorna and Jason Watkins

Lorna and Jason Watkins

“Sometimes a child would come over to me and ask me a question, but would accidently call me mum and that would hit me hard.

“Even family events such as Christmas as that is for children - it was really tough last year as we had a failed cycle just before it and it was really hard to get through.”

After three failed rounds of IVF, the couple paid €7,000 - around £6,000 - to travel to a clinic in Prague for a round of treatment with donor eggs.

Now the couple have the happy ending they have always wanted, as this treatment was successful, and now Ms Watkins is 20 weeks pregnant. The baby is due in October 2023. 

She added: “We found out the gender this week and are happy with the news, it still doesn’t feel real after everything we have been through, we are lucky that the last round of IVF was successful.”