I couldn’t have sex because of rare condition, now I’m having baby at 41
A WOMAN battling a rare condition that stopped her having sex is now expecting her "miracle" baby after falling pregnant naturally at 41.
Saffron Mullen, 41, struggled to have intercourse due to a rare anatomical problem causing a blockage in her vagina - which required surgery.
But the procedure to open the blockage, aged 23, made it worse and left her with severe scar tissue - meaning sex was still impossible.
She had to wait years for a sexual therapy to become available that would fix it.
In the meantime she had found herself battling debilitating fatigue and immune problems - a symptom later found to be caused by undiagnosed endometriosis.
She also suffered with a neurological problem in her oesophagus, called achalasia, which made eating and swallowing difficult.
Over the years Saffron contended with the conditions - which took a toll on her mental and physical health, relationships, and career.
She began changing her diet, mindset and lifestyle choices over time to improve her health in the hope that one day she could become a mum if she met the right man.
I conceived naturally days before turning 41 - I feel like I manifested it because I believed strongly and I was determined to prove the statistics wrong
Saffron Mullen
In June 2023 she had a surgery to remove lesions caused by her endometriosis, and in April 2023 underwent an operation to help her manage the symptoms of the achalasia.
At the same time, she met her partner, who doesn't want to be named, and they decided to try for a baby - despite doctors warning her it would be difficult because she was 40.
Most read in Health
But Saffron said she "just knew" she'd be OK and decided to turn down IVF to try getting pregnant naturally.
Within four months she was expecting - and now, aged 41, her "miracle" son is due mid-October.
Saffron, a wellness coach, from Glasgow, said: "I couldn't have sex at all until I was 29.
"But at that time I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome after years of debilitating fatigue and illness.
"It was later discovered that the syndrome was a side-effect of extensive endometriosis.
"Luckily the endometriosis hadn't affected my ovaries but I was so ill because of the achalasia that I couldn't even think about family planning.
"I had my endometriosis surgery then my achalasia surgery in summer of 2023, around the time I met my partner and we decided to start a family.
"Doctors suggested I do IVF or freeze my eggs because of my age - but something told me I needed to follow what nature intended.
I was dealing with health problems as well as sexual ones. Previous partners found it too much - it made me feel like I had nothing to offer
Saffron Mullen
"I conceived naturally days before turning 41 - I feel like I manifested it because I believed strongly and I was determined to prove the statistics wrong."
Saffron's anatomical problem preventing her having sex involved a partial blockage in the vaginal canal which wouldn't go away on its own.
Saffron learned the same issue had caused the death of her grandmother's sister, Sarah, who died at 14 in the 1930's when she suffered toxic shock syndrome after being unable to bleed freely on her period.
Saffron's first surgery should have fixed the issue but she still ended up unable to have sex because scar tissue developed when she wasn't given the right aftercare.
Saffron said her sexual difficulties resulted in her being cheated on in multiple past relationships.
She said: "There's only so much understanding a person can have, and I was dealing with health problems as well as sexual ones.
"Previous partners found it too much - it made me feel like I had nothing to offer."
At 29 she began having a form of sexual physiotherapy called pelvic floor therapy, which allowed her to eventually recover and have a normal sex life.
But by then she began dealing with then-undiagnosed endometriosis.
She said: "It was just one thing after the other - it was like a comedy script."
The reproductive condition, which causes womb lining to grow elsewhere in the body, caused pain and heavy periods.
She had had the condition for years, but the pain was chalked up IBS and chronic fatigue until diagnosis in 2019.
I'm proof just because someone is older it doesn't mean they'll have problems naturally conceiving... if I hadn't kept a strong mindset this wouldn't have happened
Saffron Mullen
Saffron had separately been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, after experiencing extreme fatigue and ill health, which had actually turned out to be side effects linked to the endometriosis.
She ended up changing her whole lifestyle in a bid to improve the symptoms she was experiencing.
These included switching to a plant-based diet to reduce digestive inflammation, and cutting out chemical exposure by using only natural deodorant and skincare, and using only organic products.
She also took up hobbies such as meditating, reading self-help books and going for nature walks with her dogs to improve her mental wellbeing.
She was then diagnosed with achalasia, an oesophageal condition, in early 2023.
After having her surgeries in April and June 2023, she met her current partner and they felt ready to try for a baby.
What you need to know about fertility and IVF
MORE than eight in 10 couples will get pregnant within a year if they're having regular unprotected sex.
For others, however, it may take longer.
It's a good idea to see a GP if you have not conceived after a year of trying.
Women aged 36 and over, and anyone who's already aware they may have fertility problems, should see their GP sooner, the NHS advises.
They can check for common causes of fertility problems and suggest treatments that could help.
Infertility is usually only diagnosed when a couple have not managed to conceive after a year of trying.
There are two types of infertility:
- Primary infertility – where someone who's never conceived a child in the past has difficulty conceiving
- Secondary infertility – where someone has had one or more pregnancies in the past, but is having difficulty conceiving again
Treatments for infertility include medical treatments to make ovulation more regular, surgical procedures such as treatment for endometriosis, repair of the fallopian tubes, or removal of scarring within the womb, as well as assisted conception such as IVF.
What is IVF?
During vitro fertilisation (IVF), an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory.
The fertilised egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop.
It can be carried out using your eggs and your partner's sperm, or eggs and sperm from donors.
Who can have IVF?
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines recommend that IVF should be offered to women under the age of 43 who have been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for two years.
It's also available to women who've had 12 cycles of artificial insemination, with at least six f these cycles using a method called intrauterine insemination (IUI).
What are the chances of success?
Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy through IVF.
It isn't usually recommended for women over the age of 42 because the chances of a successful pregnancy are thought to be too low.
In 2019, the percentage of IVF treatments that resulted in a live birth was:
- 32 per cent for women under 35
- 25 per cent for women aged 35 to 37
- 19 per cent for women aged 38 to 39
- 11 per cent for women aged 40 to 42
- 5 per cent for women aged 43 to 44
- 4 per cent for women aged over 44
Source: NHS
She now has a normal and healthy sex life now after years of struggles, surgery and therapy.
Saffron said: "Doctors said because of my age, I should think about freezing my eggs for going through IVF.
"I knew the biology wasn't in my favour but I thought if I'm doing everything to keep my reproductive system healthy, it might happen.
"I didn't want to hear about the chances of miscarriage - we just put it in the hands of the universe.
"In February I found out I was pregnant, and I found out at the gender scan we're having a boy.
"I'm proof just because someone is older it doesn't mean they'll have problems naturally conceiving.
"I'm confident if I hadn't kept a strong mindset this wouldn't have happened.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"I'm sharing my story to raise awareness of long diagnosis journeys and how medical professionals can understand this better.
"As well as the assumptions made about women and their biological clock and how we can try to manage our lives better around chronic conditions."