A COUPLE who suffered four miscarriages and were told by doctors they had a three percent chance of having children have welcomed their miracle “rainbow girl” into the world - after ten years of trying.

Braiswick residents Dawn and Mark Peacher had resigned themselves to the fact they were never going to have their own children and had started the process of adoption after being advised by doctors expensive IVF treatment was unlikely to work.

They were shocked when Dawn fell pregnant last year, but still faced an agonising wait due to concerns the baby wouldn’t make it past 12 weeks.

However, on July 4 the delighted couple welcomed little Erin Lilly Peacher into the world at Colchester Hospital, weighing six pounds three ounces.

Gazette:

  • Erin weighed six pounds three ounces when she was born

Dawn, 41, said: “When we first got together ten years ago we lived in Lincolnshire and we had every treatment possible, but we had no answers. We just knew I couldn’t get pregnant.

“We had endless tests and investigations on both of us.

“We then moved back to Colchester and we had to do everything again. I had to go through all the heartache all over again. They said there was nothing else they could do.”

Dawn and Mark, 39, paid for further tests, which discovered Dawn’s hormone levels were so low she was unlikely to ever have her own children.

Gazette:

  • Miracle baby Erin was born on July 4

She said: “I was told there was almost no chance of me getting pregnant and if I did there is a three per cent chance it would get to 12 weeks. They said to go full-term would be pretty much impossible.”

The couple were offered £15,000 IVF treatment as well as €16,000 fertility treatment in Spain - neither of which were guaranteed to work.

Dawn said: “We eventually thought there are plenty of children who need adopting so we would go down that route.

“We were about to go to an induction day when 48 hours before I started to feel unwell.

“Mark joked and said maybe I was pregnant. I got a test and I nearly passed out when I saw it said positive. I had to do six or seven tests before I believed it.”

The couple then faced an agonising 12 weeks wait, and intense check ups at the hospital to see if little Erin would make it.

Dawn said: “We took it one step at a time and she made it.

“But at 22 weeks I started bleeding and I went into panic mode. I got rushed straight up to the hospital who looked and said I had a polyp on my cervix.

“They scanned her then and found she had a strong heartbeat and was perfect in every way.

“They continued scanning her every week and she was doing amazing. She wasn’t giving up for anybody.”

She did and at 39 weeks, Dawn went into hospital to be induced.

Gazette:

  • Mark and Dawn Peacher are the proud parents to Erin Lilly

She said: “My husband could not be there for the last few scans due to coronavirus and I had to do everything on my own. But the team in Lexden Ward at Colchester Hospital were absolutely outstanding.

“Our little lady was born on July 4. She was slightly yellow so we had to take her back to the hospital but she is doing amazingly now.

“She is my miracle rainbow girl. She doesn’t know at the moment everything we have been through to get her here. We were blaming ourselves and asking why it was happening to us.

“When she finally arrived we both burst into tears. It has all been worth it in the end.”

Dawn hopes the couple’s story can help others going through similar things. She said: “No matter how desperate things seem, do not give up hope.”