Eighteen miscarriages, and then a 'little miracle'

(PA)

A woman who suffered 18 miscarriages trying for a baby has described her joy after giving birth to a "little miracle". Angie Baker gave birth to a 7lb daughter, Raiya, in December following pioneering treatment and 13 years of trying.

Ms Baker, 33, from Peacehaven near Brighton, said: "It seems like a dream and I still have to pinch myself. She's perfect in every way."

From the age of 20, Ms Baker had a series of miscarriages, between five and eight weeks after conception. Doctors told her it was "just one of those things" but Ms Baker was convinced she must have a treatable problem. She said: "I never gave up. I was desperate for a baby so I persevered," although she did discuss the possibility of adoption with her partner, Lee Gibson, a martial arts instructor.

Eventually she heard about a specialist treatment and had a test only available at Epsom and Liverpool in the UK, which showed her body was mistaking the foetuses for foreign bodies and attacking them. She was prescribed a £20 steroid by Dr Hassan Shehata, who knew Ms Baker must be suffering from some condition because, he said, a person was "more likely to win the lottery than have 18 miscarriages through bad luck".

One in five women will suffer a miscarriage, one in 25 will have two, one in 100 will have three, one in 600 will have four and one in 15,000 will have five.