'A baby at 19 was my only hope of becoming a parent': Teenager gives up university after doctors said she needed a hysterectomy



Amy McStein, 22, was diagnosed with severe endometriosis after surgery to remove an ovarian cyst - it was so bad that the pain caused her to faint

Doctors said she would need a hysterectomy as soon as possible

They told her to have a baby immediately if she wanted to be a mother

She had three miscarriages before giving birth to Ava Grace in 2011

The baby was born at 35 weeks and Amy spent 13 weeks of the pregnancy in hospital - she also haemorrhaged twice during the labour

Ms McStein is now preparing for her hysterectomy



A young mother says she has no regrets after doctors told her to have a baby aged 19 - or lose her chance of parenthood.



Amy McStein, from Liverpool, gave up her university education and job prospects to fulfil her dream of becoming a mother.

She took the drastic decision after doctors told her a gynaecological condition she was suffering from was getting worse - and it was only a matter of time before she would need her womb removed.

Amy McStein (pictured with baby Ava Grace), 22, was diagnosed with severe endometriosis when she was just 19 and was told she would need a hysterectomy as soon as possible

Ms McStein, now 22, was suffering from endometriosis - a painful condition in which small pieces of the womb lining are found elsewhere in the body.

Her condition was diagnosed after she suffered years of agony, resulting in her suddenly collapsing during a family meal in the summer of 2010.



‘Despite going back and forth to the doctors, I was told time and time again that it was just normal period pain. I felt totally helpless,’ she said.



‘Then one day, I was out for dinner with my family when I felt a sudden, sharp pain in my stomach. It took my breath away and before I knew it, I woke up on the floor. I had fainted.



‘I spent all night in accident and emergency and doctors finally dismissed it as trapped wind.

Doctors warned Amy that if she wanted to be a mother she should start trying immediately so she dropped out of university to try for a child with her partner, Jack

Ava will be two in December and Amy is now preparing for her hysterectomy which is expected to take place within the next year

‘A few weeks later, in July 2010, I collapsed again and doctors found a five centimetre diameter cyst on my right ovary.’



Ms McStein was transferred to Liverpool Women’s Hospital where she had a minor operation to drain the cyst. Waking after the procedure, she was told the news.

She said: ‘I had severe endometriosis, and had to be started on a drug to induce menopause straight away.



‘The bombshell utterly floored me. I was just 19 years old. They gave me injections and told me I needed to have a hysterectomy as soon as possible.

Medics explained that if she wanted children, she had to get pregnant immediately, or she might never get another chance to be a mother.

‘My doctor turned to me and said: “I would never usually say this to a 19-year-old, but if you want to have a family, you need to start trying straight away”.

Amy was diagnosed with endometriosis after having surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. The condition caused so much pain that she would faint

Before Amy (pictured with her partner, Jack) conceived Ava, she had three miscarriages

‘I was stunned. I was still just a teenager and I faced losing my womb. I thought I had my whole life ahead of me.

Ms McStein , who was studying forensic science at Liverpool John Moores University, was then faced with the heart breaking choice - a baby or her education.

‘I was suddenly forced to rethink my future. I’d always assumed I’d be a mother one day but I was told I needed to make a choice and there was no time to lose.



‘I sat down with my partner Jack, who I’d been going out with for two years, and explained what the doctors had said. I told him that if he ever wanted to have a child with me, it was now or never.’



Ava was born at 35 weeks weighing just 4lbs 10oz. During the labour Amy haemorrhaged twice

During the pregnancy, Amy spent 13 weeks in hospital and suffered two major bleeds - she was twice told that Ava would not survive

‘I realised I did want a family one day, and I knew I loved Jack. I could see myself spending my life with him. Jack agreed to start trying, and I cried out in relief.’



The teenager gave up university and then faced a traumatic eight months as her race for a baby began.



She suffered three miscarriages, two of which happened at eight weeks, and one at 17 weeks.



She recalled: ‘I was starting to lose hope. I didn’t have time to grieve for my unborn babies. I spent weeks in hospital.



‘I was really ill and always in pain but, finally, in April 2011, I got pregnant for a fourth time.

Ms McStein said: 'She was a little fighter. She will be two in December and never cries. Everyone says that she is paying us back for all the pain we went through to bring her into the world'

Ms McStein said: 'Conceiving Ava was one of the hardest things I've ever done but she brightens my world, and I honestly can't imagine life without her'

‘This time, I spent 13 weeks of my 35-week pregnancy in hospital. I was determined to give my unborn little girl the best possible chance at life.



‘I had two major bleeds and twice I was told I’d lost her. The doctors warned me I wouldn’t make it to 30 weeks.



‘The labour, in December that year, was also traumatic. My uterus just couldn’t stretch because of all the scar tissue. I haemorrhaged twice.’



Their daughter, Ava Grace, was born with the umbilical cord wrapped round her neck and weighed just 4lbs 10oz.

Ms McStein says she always knew she wanted to be a mother which is why she decided to give up on her education to try for a baby (image shows a scan of Ava)

Amy and Jack got married in April this year with Ava as a flower girl

‘Medical complications aside, she was perfect,’ said Ms McStein.



‘She was a little fighter. She will be two in December and never cries. Everyone says that she is paying us back for all the pain we went through to bring her into the world.



‘Conceiving Ava was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but she brightens my world, and I honestly can’t imagine life without her.’



The couple got married in April 2013, with Ava as a flower girl.



Ms McStein, who has become a full-time mother, is currently preparing for her hysterectomy which will be carried out in the next 12 months, and spends her free time raising awareness for endometriosis.