A woman from Northampton, who doctors gave no chance of having a baby, is celebrating after her gastric band operation helped her get pregnant for a second time.

Charlene Cooper, aged 24, was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries about six years ago which saw her weight shoot up to 20 stone.

Although polycystic ovaries dramatically decrease the chances of a woman getting pregnant as it affects hormone levels, she managed to conceive daughter Ellie in 2007.

Now, after undergoing a gastric band operation in front of TV cameras to reduce her weight, she and partner, Jon, discovered last week the surgery has helped her fall pregnant again.

Amazed doctors believe the weight loss must have stimulated hormones which increased her fertility.

Miss Cooper, of Kingsthorpe, said: “When I was pregnant with Ellie they said she was a one-off and even called her my ‘little miracle’ so I don’t know how to describe this one.

“When I looked at the test I just went: ‘wow!’ I was really happy and shocked at the same time.

“I wanted to have the operation to lose weight so I could be more active and help Ellie enjoy herself, I never thought I’d end up giving her a baby brother or sister too.”

Miss Cooper underwent the operation in October last year and was featured on Channel 4’s The Hospital programme.

The surgery helped her lose about four stone but she will now have to undergo another operation to loosen the band.

The operation works by creating a small pocket which allows the food to touch a special nerve in the stomach quicker, sending a message to the brain that the patient is full and helping stop the intake of more food.

But in pregnant women their baby takes so many nutrients from the mother that, with small portions of food allowed by a gastric band, Miss Cooper would be in danger of starving.

But she said: “It means I will have to be careful what I eat again because I don’t get that full feeling that I’ve been getting since October.

“But I know that’s not going to bother me so much now.”

Source: Northampton Chronicle & Echo

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