Stephanie Theobald discovered she actually had cancer and wasn’t pregnant
- Stephanie Theobald was devastated when her baby’s heart wasn’t beating
- The 35-year-old was told she could wait and give birth or undergo surgery
- A biopsy revealed she had suffered from a complete molar pregnancy
- Further tests revealed the abnormal growth of cells was actually cancer
- She underwent chemotherapy, but it could stop her ever having children
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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Stephanie Theobald was told by nurses that they couldn’t find her baby’s heartbeat. A biopsy revealed she had a molar pregnancy – where abnormal cells had grew instead
A newlywed has spoken of her devastation after her rare pregnancy left her without a baby – and instead gave her cancer.
Stephanie Theobald, from Manchester, was left heartbroken at her 12 week scan when the nurse revealed she couldn’t find a baby’s heartbeat.
The 35-year-old was told her only options were to wait and give birth naturally or undergo surgery.
But when doctors performed a biopsy it was revealed it had been a complete molar pregnancy – meaning abnormal cells had grown instead of a baby.
Tests revealed she had a malignant tumour and needed chemotherapy – which could put an end to her ever having children.
Mrs Theobald said: ‘I’m one of six children – the only girl and the last one to have kids. My mum was so excited for me to get pregnant.
‘We didn’t wait until the normal three month mark to tell everyone because we were so excited.
‘It was just awful. When you go for a scan, it’s meant to be a happy time. We both just came crashing down.’
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She added: ‘They took us into a little room, which we knew was the room of bad news. They told us I could wait and have it naturally or have an operation to remove it.
‘You don’t even know where or when it would happen and I couldn’t deal with that.
‘I just wanted it to be over so I picked the operation, which was good because if I hadn’t, I might not have been examined and had the tumour detected.
Tests revealed she had a malignant tumour and needed chemotherapy – which could put an end to her ever having children with her husband Michael, 38
The couple made the decision to remove the growth as soon as possible – allowing doctors to pick up on the fact she had developed a malignant tumour
Mrs Theobald said: ‘It was just awful. When you go for a scan, it’s meant to be a happy time. We both just came crashing down’
‘So I had the trauma of telling everyone the news. No one had heard of it. They couldn’t believe it.’
Mrs Theobald got married to her partner Michael, 38, in 2015 after five years together and had been excited to have children as soon as possible.
But after discovering she had a molar pregnancy, which affects one in every 1,000 pregnancies, the couple were left shocked.
WHAT IS A MOLAR PREGNANCY?
A molar pregnancy occurs when the fertilisation of the egg by the sperm goes wrong and leads to the growth of abnormal cells or clusters of water filled sacs inside the womb.
In a complete molar pregnancy, there’s no embryo or normal placental tissue.
It can have serious complications – including a rare form of cancer – and requires early treatment. However, most pregnancies are benign.
Molar pregnancies are believed to occur in one out of every 1,000 births.
The abnormal tissue is usually removed through surgery, but it can remain and spread past the womb.
Chemotherapy is required to completely get rid of the abnormal cells.
Source: Cancer Research UK
They made the decision to remove the growth as soon as possible – allowing doctors to pick up on the fact she had developed a gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.
Mrs Theobald began her course of chemotherapy in August and will find out if she can try again for children in January.
And in September, she reacted badly to the treatment and needed a blood clot in her arm and appendix removed.
But doctors have told her she will have to wait for a year after that to conceive – meaning the earliest the couple can try is in 2018 – when she will be nearing 37.
However, she worries that if she was to ever fall pregnant again the same thing could happen.
Mrs Theobald added: ‘It’s a massive worry – the fact that I have to wait so long. I really wanted a family for a long time.
‘My husband is apprehensive because he feels it’s his fault. He said, “I don’t want to get you pregnant again if I’ve done this to you”.
‘I would love a family, but if I got pregnant again, I would be constantly worrying until I have the baby in front of me.’
Mrs Theobald began her course of chemotherapy in August and will find out if she can try again for children in January
She added: ‘It’s a massive worry – the fact that I have to wait so long. I really wanted a family for a long time’
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