Woman unable to have children after staying in birth control coil for 29 years

A woman has been unable to have children after being left in her birth control coil for 29 years after being told it had fallen out.

Jayne Huddleston was told by a family doctor in 1990 that the device she had fitted about a year earlier had fallen out.

She had another device put in, but when she and her husband David, 61, decided to have children two years later, the second device was removed but the first stayed.

For years, Jayne, from Wistaston near Crewe, suffered from symptoms including heavy periods, bleeding, abdominal pain and infections.

She couldn’t conceive, so between 1995 and 2002 Jayne and David underwent eight failed rounds of IVF – including six privately funded rounds that cost them thousands of pounds – in hopes of having a baby together.

Jayne’s remaining copper IUD was removed during scans she underwent in 2019 after complaining of back pain.

She underwent surgery under general anesthesia to remove the device.

Jayne, now 63, said: “After what I now know was the second IUD inserted in 1990, I began to experience symptoms.

”It wasn’t nice at all. I remember visiting my GP several times and being told it was just hormonal.

“However, after the second device was removed, we had difficulty conceiving. I remember the GP checking my hormone levels and being told they were normal.

“David and II tried everything we could think of but nothing happened and we were referred to specialists who suggested IVF.

“Even after the first few failed cycles, the doctors didn’t seem overly concerned. They said we had good quality embryos and I had proven fertility too.

“I remember David once asking the doctor if they were sure there wasn’t another IUD there? We were told no, it showed up on a scan.

“Despite further attempts, I did not get pregnant. We gave ourselves a cut-off point and decided we couldn’t face the emotions to try any further.”

Jayne, who had a son Darren, 38, from a previous relationship, had the copper IUD inserted in May 1989.

After a routine swab in June 1990, she was told there was no evidence and Jayne was referred for an ultrasound, which was clear.

Jayne sought medical advice for back pain in 2019.

A swab was also taken at one appointment where a doctor thought she saw a coil and a scan confirmed the device.

After discovering the coil, Jayne hired experienced medical negligence attorneys at Irwin Mitchell to investigate and has since received a six-figure settlement from the family doctor’s insurers.

Jayne added: “When I was told after the scan in 2019 that they could see the IUD, I couldn’t believe it.

”I was devastated. I cried and could only think of the babies that me and David should have had. It was just a total shock.

“All me and David wanted was to have one child together to make the family complete. I couldn’t believe we had so many IVF cycles.

“Everything we went through, all the emotions, and then having to pick ourselves up to try again just felt like a waste. It felt like it was all for naught because I was still on an IUD.

“While my symptoms have disappeared after IUD surgery, I’m not sure we’ll ever get over the mental pain of the past 30 years.

“I just hope that by speaking my mind, I can raise awareness of the issues we’re facing, to hopefully mean others don’t have to go through what we’re going through.”

The comparison will help compensate for the private IVF treatment that Jayne and David underwent.

It will also allow them to get professional support to try to cope with the psychological impact of not being able to have children together.

Zoe Donohue, Irwin Mitchell’s Medical Negligence Attorney representing Jayne, said, “This is an incredibly unusual but equally disturbing case that has had a devastating impact on both Jayne and David.

“Not only did Jayne suffer from serious physical complications for more than 25 years, tragically we believe that she and David were denied the chance to have the baby they so longed for and have had to deal with the psychological issues more numerous as a result endure failed IVF attempts.

“We believe that if Jayne had been given more thorough evaluations and sent for an X-ray, her IUD would have been found and removed, meaning she would not have had to go through the ordeal she is going through.

“While nothing can make up for what Jayne and David have been through, we are pleased that we were able to reach this agreement so that they can access the specialized support they need to try to get through what happened as best they can . ”

SWNS