EXCLUSIVE Kristis Prior feared she'd never become a mum after multiple IVF clinics turned her away due to her high BMI caused by Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). Now, she's the proud mum of an adorable nine-month-old, all thanks to a life-changing jab08:03, 11 Jul 2026From an early age, Kristis Prior dreamt of becoming a mum, but was told her hopes were out of reach because of her weight.‌The 34-year-old, who has Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), previously known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), had tried in vain to manage her weight for many years, pursuing methods such as Weight Watchers, Slimming World, and general calorie counting without success.‌When Kristis and her partner of nine years decided to start a family, they began looking into IVF, but were met with hurdles from the get-go. Doctors informed Kristis that her BMI of 38 was significantly above the 34 BMI threshold to even be considered for IVF.‌There was nothing they could do until Kristis lost weight. But PMOS causes insulin resistance, which promotes fat storage, and elevated male hormones that cause weight to accumulate on the abdomen, meaning she was facing an uphill struggle. The advice from other clinics was the same, and she was also warned that, with such a high BMI, it was unlikely she'd be able to conceive with or without IVF. It was then that she decided to make what would prove to be a life-changing decision.Determined to get to the required BMI, Kristis, from Chelmsford, Essex, began taking GLP-1 injections to manage her weight. Initially, Kristis was sceptical, having been disappointed by previous methods, but she soon she began to see dramatic results.‌Speaking with the Mirror, Kristis, who works as a manager at a car body works shop, shared: "I thought I've tried everything, nothing works, this isn't going to be any different. Then I tried it, and it was literally just dropping off. I was just losing four, five, six pounds a week."It took six months for Kristis to reach her target BMI, and she was astonished to see that it had dropped to 32, lower than she'd needed it to be. While she did experience some side effects, including stomach pain, these weren't particularly severe and were far outweighed by the benefits.‌Kristis went from 16 stone and size 20/22 clothes, to 11 and a half stone and size 12 jeans. "I just felt so much better for losing the weight, so much better. And I never thought I would lose it, and then when I dropped like three dress sizes." she said.Kristis stopped the injections and headed back to the IVF clinic, where, after undergoing tests and starting treatment, she became pregnant on the very first try.It's a moment she's unlikely ever to forget. "It was just crazy, I just felt like I was dreaming. [...] It just didn't seem real. Still don't believe it now sometimes. I'm like, how did it happen? How have I actually got a baby?"‌All throughout her pregnancy, Kristis found herself worrying that something would go wrong, and that she'd have to go through the gruelling process all over again.Thankfully, on October 14, 2025, she and her partner welcomed little Freddie to the world via a planned C-section.‌Looking back on the "crazy, mad, amazing" moment she first clapped eyes on her son, Kristis recalled: "I just remember when the consultant was doing the procedure, and he pulled him up, and he said, 'Do you want to see your baby?" And then you see his little head, and it just makes it all everything worth it."Now a mum to a nine-month-old, Kristis can't quite believe her luck, and says Freddie is "a very good baby". And while parenthood has gotten tougher over time, she "wouldn't change it at all, it's been the best year of my life."Some have been critical of her decision to turn to so-called weight loss jabs, but for Kristis, they got her everything she had ever dreamed of.‌"Nothing worked for me. Literally nothing worked. And then when I got the injection, it just changed my life. I say this to people all the time, so many of my friends have started it from me saying it," she said."Everyone's worried to speak about it, and I'm like, it's honestly once you start it and you lose the weight, it doesn't matter again, it doesn't matter how you lose it, you're losing it, and you feel so much better for it. I say it to everyone, if it wasn't for the injection, then Freddie wouldn't be here, that's how I see it."‌Dennis Ouko, Superintendent Pharmacist at Phlo Clinic where Kritis got her injections, said it's vital that those embarking on fertility treatment stop weight loss injections beforehand, but said it's heartening to see the differences that are being made to people's lives."It's wonderful to hear how GLP-1 medications have helped patients, like Kristis, to have life-changing experiences. In this case, GLP-1 medication enabled Kristis to lose weight to meet the required BMI to qualify for IVF," he said."Whilst it was important that she stopped taking GLP-1 medication during IVF and pregnancy, she has now restarted the medication to maintain her weight loss. It’s brilliant to see how GLP-1 medication has helped her along her fertility journey, and to hear how happy she is now feeling as a new mum.”Article continues belowDo you have a story to share? 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