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Mother's pride: Julie tried for a baby for five years and finally succeeded... by giving up bread
Julie Cummings, 37, met her husband in 2004 while in the military Was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome a year later Couple were about to try IVF and visited a nutritionist She diagnosed an infection exacerbated by foods containing yeast After two months of eating no bread Julie was pregnant Gave birth to daughter Maisie who is now two years old
By Larisa Brown PUBLISHED: 23:53 GMT, 4 October 2013 | UPDATED: 23:57 GMT, 4 October 2013

7 shares 23 View comments

After five years of trying for a baby, Julie Cummings was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. She had taken fertility drugs for two years, to no avail. Eventually, she and her husband David decided to resort to IVF. But weeks before the treatment was due to begin, Mrs Cummings became pregnant after giving up bread.

Julie Cummings was told IVF was her only chance of conceiving a child following five years of trying with no success

The result was the couples daughter Maisie, now two, who was born two weeks late in January 2011 after a healthy pregnancy. Mrs Cummings, a 37-year-old engineer, stopped eating foods containing high levels of yeast on the advice of a nutritionist, who she went to see because she wanted to adopt a healthier lifestyle before starting IVF. She explained: I cut out potatoes, bread, garlic bread, toast from my diet, and mainly ate just vegetables and fruit. I also took some health supplements. Two months later that was the only change I had made for five and a half years and I was pregnant. Now we are just very happy, especially after everything we went through, that Maisies come into our life. She and David, 50, met in Germany in 2004, when they were both in the military, and started trying for a baby a year later.

After nine months with no luck, Mrs Cummings went to see an army medic and was eventually diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, which stops eggs being released. Mrs Cummings, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, said: They said Id need extra help to get pregnant and that it wouldnt go away on its own. They recommended I go to a fertility clinic in Hertfordshire, where I started on a course of treatment.

Julie was pregnant with her daughter Maisie within two months and she was born in 2011 after a healthy pregnancy

Mrs Cummings took clomid, a fertility drug used to help re-balance the bodys hormones to increase the chance of ovulation, for more than two years without success. Doctors told her the next step would be IVF. But when she visited Caroline Sproule, a nutrition and fertility consultant at Bromsgrove Allergy and Nutrition Centre, she was told she was suffering from an infection caused by an overgrowth of a fungus called Candida albicans. This is encouraged by eating foods that contain yeast, such as bread. One of its side effects is menstrual problems, including the stopping of periods altogether, which in turn prevents pregnancy. In March 2010, Mrs Cummings had her first period in six months and by April the same year she was pregnant. She added: I didnt really go to the centre to get pregnant, just to stand me in good stead for IVF but thankfully we didnt have to go down that route.

It just shows what years of abuse drinking too much and eating the wrong things can do to your body.

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Comments (24)
Share what you think Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all Report comment AM, London, United Kingdom, 6 minutes ago Her daughter looks like she was born Chinese then turned into a white girl.

0 0 Click to rate Report comment yeahiknow987, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 19 minutes ago Headline should read: "Woman trying to get pregnant draws improbable conclusion from coincidence..."

1 3 Click to rate Report comment Thirty something mum, Bucks, 23 minutes ago What a beautiful baby photo - and the baby blanket is lovely - well done grandma?

0 1 Click to rate Report comment Ana, Dublin, 40 minutes ago Interesting is the fact in the Bible is written to eat bread, but without yeast. Coincidence?

4 1

Click to rate Report comment kdu, London, United Kingdom, 1 hour ago PCOS is one of the biggest causes of infertility in the UK. The best way to control PCOS is diet. Wheat and sugar are big parts in affecting PCOS so if she gave up bread this is more likely why she ended up pregnant.

0 6 Click to rate Report comment DrMallard, West Palm Beach FL USA, 1 hour ago Maybe she stopped eating bread and started doing something else?

2 5 Click to rate Report comment Anny, Bedford, United Kingdom, 1 hour ago It happens to many couples without them dropping anything! A friend of a friend tried for a baby for 20 years,had IVF etc and fell pregnant naturally at 42,just like that.Let this woman repeat it now....it is a coincidence what happened.

5 11 Click to rate Report comment Truth Speaker, East Midlands, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago More natalist whaffle from the DM. Who cares?????

12 6 Click to rate Report comment Emz2013, London, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago I'm really happy for her but I seriously doubt that bread was the reason she didn't conceive. I tried for my second for 6 years and as soon as I stopped obsessing I fell pregnant - at a time when we'd written off having a second child and disposed of all our baby items! Two very close friends of mine don't drink or smoke and really watch what they eat - they have both been unsuccessful in having children, to the bewilderment of doctors they have seen.

9 18 Report comment welshleo, Cardiff, United Kingdom, 1 hour ago

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Perhaps you should read 'Wheat Belly' by Dr. William Davis. Wheat can cause infertility amongst a host of other ailments. Read the article about it only in last week's DM. 11 13 Click to rate Report comment me67, Albert, France, 2 hours ago 11 years ago after 8 years of trying for a child I was sort nutritional advice and was told I had an intolerance to yeast and diary products. I now have a beautiful 10 year old daughter, nobody should dismiss what food can do to your body.

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