TOO BIG TO BE A MUMMY

Jo Calver-Henshaw, 45, knew she had to make drastic changes...

- JENNY ACKLAND, EMILY PHILLIPPS

Scrolling through pages of pregnancy advice online, I despaired. ‘There must be something we can do,’ I sighed to my partner Paul. ‘We’ll get there,’ he comforted. We’d met in 2016 and, desperate to be parents, had been trying for a baby for a year and a half. It was now 2019 and Paul and I were beginning to lose hope. Even though I seemed to get pregnant easily, maintaining those pregnancies was proving impossible. With every positive test, our excitement was tinged with worry. Over the years, I’d suffered three miscarriages, and we were devastated that we might never become parents.

A few months later, Paul proposed and planning a wedding gave us both something to look forward to. Meanwhile, my doctor ran a series of tests to see what could be causing our pregnancy struggles. They couldn’t say for certain, but the doctor believed my age, 41, and my BMI were part of the problem.

It was a shock to hear the truth. Even though I was 5ft 8in and weighed 18st 3lb, I hadn’t connected my size with my miscarriages. ‘I can’t believe my weight could be what is stopping us from having a baby,’ I cried to Paul, feeling hopeless.

My issues around food and eating had begun when I was a teenager. I snacked on chocolate and crisps instead of eating healthy meals, and problems at home were making me worried and stressed. By 15, I was a size 16-18.