'It's amazing to finally be part of the mum group'

Lydia Collins has had plenty of "pinch-me moments" since she finally became a mum to Rylo

"When you're trying to get pregnant and you want to be part of the mum group and you're finally where you've always wanted to be – that's amazing," said Lydia Collins.

The 34-year-old from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome when she was 17 and left to deal with a range of symptoms, from weight gain to excess hair.

It was only when she and partner Ben Link wanted to start a family that she received treatment she needed for the condition, which can also make it hard to conceive.

It took Miss Collins two years to lose four stone (about 25kg) and, after IVF treatment, she had a son, Rylo, in 2022.

Lydia Collins and Ben Link knew they might struggle to have a family due to her diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome

Even that was not straightforward, because Rylo arrived very early, at just 29 weeks.

When Miss Collins was given her diagnosis, babies were the last thing on her mind and she initially regarded her symptoms as being "just a hassle".

"I had an answer for the problems I had, but there was no support around anything else. I was told to come back when I wanted a baby," she said.

"My period turned up when it turned up, and I also had classic symptoms such as excess hair, acne and difficulty losing weight."

Dr Nausheen Mawal, lead clinician in Norfolk for Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic, said: “Women with PCOS often have elevated insulin levels, which can make weight loss challenging, and higher levels of testosterone – the 'male' hormone."

The imbalance results in multiple fluid-filled follicles on the ovaries, resembling cysts, which contain immature eggs. These are not released, leading to irregular periods.

The care Lydia Collins received when the couple were struggling to conceive included advice on targeted weight-loss to deal with the condition's insulin spikes

Miss Collins was in her late 20s when she and Mr Link began trying for a family.

After her GP referred them to Bourn Hall, she was advised to lose weight before treatment, which was "one of the hardest things" to do.

"It's not as easy as healthy eating and exercises. It's to do with insulin levels, so it's hard to lose weight," Miss Collins said.

The couple were entitled to two rounds of NHS-funded IVF, but the treatment worked first time and Rylo is now a thriving two-year-old who is at the "talk, talk, talk" stage.

Miss Collins decided to go public because "going through the whole journey – polycystic ovaries, IVF and a premature baby – is really lonely".

"If you look on the internet, so many things are negative, so it's nice to get a positive story of someone who's gone through so much and got a nice outcome," she added.