Three Special Gifts

Laura Aitchison had been warned she might not be able to have children at all

- Kara O'neill And Joe Cusack

This Christmas Eve, as I stuff three stockings with brightly wrapped gifts and set them around the tree, I'll be deeply thankful and picturing the trio of excited faces that’ll greet me in the morning. Spending Christmas with your children is always magical, but for me and my husband, Louis, 46, it’s more than that – it’s a miracle. Only a few years ago, we thought we’d never have one child to spoil – never mind three.

I’d wanted to be a mother since I was a child myself, and when I met Louis online in February 2013, I was very clear about my intentions for our future.

‘I love kids and can’t wait to have a family,’ I admitted one evening. I wasn’t sure how Louis would react. He already had a daughter from a previous relationship, who was 10 at the time – what if he didn’t want more children? To my relief, Louis grinned.

‘I’d love to be a dad again,’ he said.

By the end of 2013, I’d moved from my home in Luton to Louis’ place in Barrowin-Furness, and we started trying for a baby straight away. But six months later, nothing had happened.

Heartbreaking loss

‘Do you think something is wrong?’ I asked Louis anxiously one evening.

‘I don’t know,’ he admitted. We booked an appointment with our GP, just in case, who sent us for an ultrasound scan.

‘You have cysts on your ovaries,’ the sonographer said, explaining it could be why I’d had difficulty getting pregnant, and that I’d need more tests.

The news came as a shock, but as I was scheduled for another appointment in a month’s time, I also felt a little relieved. At least now we knew what the problem was.