‘I’m showing off my bump with pride’

Cassandra Prior had lost hope of being a mother. Now, she’s celebrating her body as she carries her longed-for child

When I look down at my bump, I still can’t believe it’s there. When these pictures were taken, I was 28 weeks pregnant. Every time I feel my baby move, I’m filled with a love I never thought I’d experience. I can’t stop looking at myself in the mirror!

The road to having a child has been difficult. My partner, Paul, already has two daughters, now aged 17 and 13. After his younger child was born, he had a vasectomy. We began to investigate our options, and learnt that the chances of a vasectomy reversal working were extremely low. Our GP and numerous fertility clinics all advised IVF but, as Paul already had two children, we would have to pay for it. Our longed-for child seemed out of reach.

By my 40s, I’d almost given up on pregnancy. Then I heard about women going abroad to have treatment, as it was more affordable than in the UK. I researched hungrily and eventually found a clinic in northern Cyprus. Fittingly, it was called Team Miracle. We had been told that our best chance of success was doing IVF and TESA, when sperm is extracted from the man’s testicles. Medication was posted to me and I started taking it at home. Flights were booked on the first day of my period and we flew out 10 days later. My own eggs didn’t fertilise, so we ended up using donor eggs. Four embryos were implanted to give us the best possible chance – two fertilised with Paul’s sperm, and another two which were donor eggs and sperm. Back home 15 days later, I got a phone call to say I was pregnant. I couldn’t stop crying. Paul was delighted, too.

We told his two girls after the 12-week scan. Our baby is due on 25 April, and I’ve loved every stage of pregnancy. I’ve been lucky to feel healthy throughout, with no sickness and more energy than I expected. Both Paul and I love looking at how my shape is changing – I look in the mirror in awe, not quite able to take in that there’s a new life growing inside me.

Taking off my clothes... In my younger years, I’d always cover up my body. I wasn’t hugely shy, but like all of us, I hid my imperfections, and I didn’t like the fact that I carried all my weight around my stomach. As I’ve got older, that has changed. I no longer care what people think. When it came to the photo shoot, I found I wasn’t nervous at all. I felt relaxed and humbled to be included among this group of amazing, inspiring women. I don’t mind who sees my body, and I enjoyed showing off my boobs and my bump with pride. When our baby is born, these photos will be a memory to cherish for ever.

‘I can hardly believe there’s a new life growing inside me’