I lost six stone to qualify for IVF and to be the mother I had always longed to be

A woman who turned to comfort eating after struggling to conceive lost an incredible six stone after being told she needed to lose weight to qualify for IVF.

Natalie's Dykes situation was complicated by the fact she was born with spina bifida which coupled with her weight had confined her to a wheelchair.

Natalie, 39, said: "We had been trying for about eight years to have a child. I had always wanted to be a mother and I just turned to comfort eating to help me cope.

“I was eating pizzas, take-aways and lots of junk food. Anything to comfort the fact I hadn’t fallen pregnant and wasn’t a mam.

“My weight increased and at my biggest I was 18 stone and six pounds.” 

Natalie, from Thorney Close, eventually got referred for IVF but was told she must lose weight before she could commence the treatment. Longing to be a parent, there was no better motivation.

She added: “I was told I needed to lose 10lbs in order to qualify for IVF as you need to be at a certain body mass index for your body to be healthy and cope with pregnancy.

“I joined Lakeside Slimming World in Sunderland and ended up losing six stone. Two weeks after hitting my target weight of 12-and-a-half stone I found out I was pregnant.”

After a normal pregnancy, complications arose when Natalie developed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in her leg.

In 2015, Natalie welcomed her longed for son, Peter, and lost four stones of fluid which had built up due to pregnancy and the DVT.

Having shed her excess weight and with the arrival of baby Peter, Natalie had at last become the mother she had always longed to be.

However, with the challenges of a new born baby, Natalie's weight began to once again rise.

She said: “I was just enjoying being a mother and my weight started to creep back up. It was hard when Peter was two and at the age of three he was diagnosed with autism.

“It was difficult. We didn’t really get the support we needed and I had fallen back into the habit of eating the same types of food as before Peter was born.

“Eventually my weight went back up to 18-and-a-half stone.”

Natalie had also been helping to look after her grandmother and as her weight increased she once again struggled with her mobility and in particular being the active mother she wanted to be.

She said: "I was going shopping for my grandmother and the pain I was getting in my legs was horrific - I couldn't move and was struggling to get from A to B."

In 2021 Natalie decided to return to Lakeside Slimming World. She was due to be a bridesmaid at her brother's wedding, but the overriding motivation was once again "being a mam".

She said: "I wanted to make sure I was there for Peter and be the most active mother I can possibly be. I went back to Slimming World and also started taking part in aquafit classes with Silksworth Everyone Active.

"My weight had gone up to 18-and-a-half stone but it's now down at 12 stone 3lbs."

Natalie will now typically enjoy fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, a chicken sandwich for lunch and a pasta dish for dinner.

She said: "It's not about dieting but about changing habits and living a healthier lifestyle. I feel amazing and can do so much more now.

"It's all credit to Slimming World and Everyone Active. I would recommend anyone struggling with their weight to go to Slimming World.

"The hardest thing is walking through the door but it's like a family. We support each other and the help you get is second to none."

Details of Slimming World classes in Sunderland can be found on their website.