'To feel your baby move must be amazing'

Sophie Lewis, pictured with her fiance Tilden Lamb, is hoping to be a recipient of a womb transplant

The prospect of British women without wombs being able to give birth to their own babies has moved a step closer with the announcement of a clinical trial for the first womb transplants in the UK. One of those women, Sophie Lewis, has been watching the developments closely.

Sophie, 30, is one of the women hoping to be selected as one of the first 10 recipients of a womb transplant.

She was 16 when she was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome - a condition which meant her womb did not develop - and told she would not be able to give birth.

Sophie is now preparing to marry her long-term partner Tilden Lamb next year and says the desire to have children had increased as she has grown older.

She says: "We have been together five-and-a-half years now and he feels the same as I do.

"I was always open with him from day one and we have discussed surrogacy and adoption. We are very much 'what will be, will be', but he is excited about the opportunity offered by a transplant.

"When I was 16, I was told that I would never have children or that I would need to use a surrogate or look at adoption. But then this whole other opportunity opened up to me."

Sophie and Tilden plan to marry next year

Sophie says she realises a womb transplant is still relatively experimental, but that she has faith in the doctors leading the clinical trial.

She says the birth of a baby in Sweden through the technique had made her cry.

"It's a huge operation but it's very exciting to be given this opportunity.

"To be able to carry my own child would be amazing.

"If I don't get picked, then we will go down the surrogacy route."

Sophie's parents are supportive of her plans to be involved in the trial, but her mother worries about the implications of the surgery.

"She's worried because it's a big operation," Sophie says. "But then on the other side she understands why I would want to do it.

"I think carrying your own child would be amazing.

"With a surrogate, you wouldn't feel the baby kick or move around. To be able to feel your baby move must be amazing.

"I want to experience the love you have for your child. It makes a family really."