A woman who thought she couldn’t have children naturally was overjoyed to fall pregnant with her first child - after losing nine stone.<br /><br />Jodie Griffiths, 28, dreamed of starting a family with husband, Phil Griffiths, 36, a procurement, but found out she had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - a condition that affects how the ovary's work - in 2019 and struggled to conceive.<br /><br />She started gaining weight in her teens but really saw her waistline ‘balloon’ after battling depression and while undergoing fertility treatment.<br /><br />The pair even looked into adoption, but Jodie claims she was turned down because of her overweight frame.<br /><br />She found herself turning to food for comfort - spending up to £300 a month on nightly takeaways including McDonalds, kebabs and pizza.<br /><br />At her biggest, Jodie was tipping the scales at 22st 6lb and struggling to squeeze into a size 24.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Just two months after the operation, Jodie fell pregnant naturally and the excited couple welcomed their little girl, Freya Griffiths, June 17 2022, weighing 5lb 8oz at<br /><br />Leighton hospital, Crewe.<br /><br />Jodie, a sales service coordinator, from Northwich, Weaverham, Cheshire, said: "I would never have believed a year ago that I would be having my own baby.<br /><br />"For a while, I thought being a mum wasn't on the cards for me.<br /><br />“I often ate to feel better - having a takeaway every night and a full family-sized galaxy bar to myself.<br /><br />“I was easily spending £300 a month on takeaways.<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />"I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat to have Freya in our lives."<br /><br />Jodie started gaining weight in her teens and saw her weight go up and down over the years.<br /><br />She met her partner, Phil, in 2013, and the pair were excited to start a family after getting engaged in 2016.<br /><br />For the next few years, Jodie struggled with her mental health and battled anxiety and depression.<br /><br />She often turned to food for comfort and saw the weight starting to creep on.
