It was only when things started going wrong that I realised that I didn’t. I had my daughter at 28, so I always had in my head that I have lots of time to have another.

“For me, it was the assumption that I had one child so therefore, could have another one whenever I choose to. The concept of 'secondary infertility' – having a pregnancy previously, but difficulty conceiving again – is a less talked about issue. I am lucky to have a healthy little boy, as well as my daughter.” After having my first child, I never expected to have to go on such a journey to try and have a second. I couldn’t let myself be happy until I knew all was okay. I was warned that if I got pregnant, there could be complications. This was a shock as I presumed once the fibroid was removed, there would be no more issues. The consultant said that my chances of getting pregnant were reduced and if I didn’t get pregnant in a year, I should look at fertility treatments. One of my fallopian tubes was completely blocked from the scar tissue. “After the myomectomy, I had to wait six months for my uterus to heal. This was very serious and I spent a long time in hospital and at home recovering. The recovery from the operation wasn’t as smooth as I’d hoped – I got post op sepsis. I waited one year from my first appointment to having the operation. “This put family planning on hold for us. This is a big operation where the surgeon cuts into your uterus, usually through the same place that you would have a C-section, and then cuts out the tumour. In order to remove the fibroid, they would have to do an open myomectomy. He told me I couldn’t get pregnant until the fibroid was removed, as it would be too risky on the baby. “The gynaecologist confirmed that the fibroid in my uterus had grown to 10cm about the size of a cantaloupe. During this time, I started having extremely heavy periods and sometimes a lot of bloating – like a cantaloupe in my lower stomach. I set up a business and knew I was going to be pretty focused on that for a while.

“I knew I wanted an age gap between my kids and I wasn’t in a rush to get pregnant again. For anyone who like me had never heard of it, a fibroid is a benign tumour that grows in the uterus. At my first scan, they mentioned that I had a fibroid but it was quite small and nothing to worry about. My issues getting pregnant happened when I was trying for my second child. “I went through my first pregnancy and had my daughter without any issues. Tell us about your fertility journey – the highs, lows and how you're doing now. In my 20s, I just presumed I would get pregnant whenever I chose to.” When I became pregnant, I was excited and nervous at the same time. Was becoming a mother something you always wanted and did you ever consider that it might not be a simple journey? Karina Hughes, Founder, Executive Search Agency

Bumpy road 20 weeks pregnant