I flew to Prague to spend £55,000 on IVF after UK doctors told me I was too overweight for treatment

A mother has revealed how she spent £55,000 on IVF in Prague after UK doctors told her she was 'too overweight for treatment'. Rebekah David, 33, from Cwmbran, Wales, was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) at 19 - and knew that if she wanted to be a mother, it would be a struggle.

In 2016, Rebekah met her husband, Ryan, now 39, and the couple wanted to start a family within the first five years - but after two years of 'trying naturally' and not conceiving, the pair sought NHS-funded IVF treatment. However, Rebekah, who was clothes size 18-20 and weighed 17 and a half stone, did not qualify for the treatment - and she was told by doctors that her 'BMI was too high' and that she 'needed to lose weight'.

According to the NHS, a person must have a BMI of 19-30 to be eligible for IVF - however, the healthcare professional had a BMI of 41. In 2019, Rebekah lost three stone - but her pleas continued to fall on deaf ears - and was told that 'more weight needed to be lost' by her gynaecologist.

Feeling 'hopeless', Rebekah and her husband began seeking private IVF treatment - and in 2021 the pair jetted off to Fertility Port in the Czech capital to undergo treatment - costing £55,000. After three years of experiencing several complications - including three miscarriages - the couple finally welcomed their son, Evan, in November 2024.

Rebekah David, 33, from Cwmbran, Wales, spent £55,000 for IVF in Prague - after UK doctors told her she was 'too overweight for treatment'. 'All I ever wanted was to be a mum,' Rebekah said. She added: 'When I was told I had PCOS, I was only in university, and it was like a punch to my stomach and the worst possible thing I could have heard - I knew from then that if I ever wanted kids it was going to be difficult.'.

PCOS is where fluid-filled sacks form on the ovaries and - although it affects individuals differently - it can cause infertility and obesity. 'My husband and I started trying for almost three years, I had all the ovulation tracking apps too, but it never happened naturally, ' Rebekah added.

'For us, it seemed IVF was the only option.'. In 2018, Rebekah was referred to a gynaecologist to explore the possibility of IVF funded on the NHS. 'They told me they wouldn't be able to do anything for me because of my BMI,' Rebekah said. 'I wasn't eligible for any IVF treatment and they just told me to lose weight and come back.

In 2016, Rebekah met her husband, Ryan, now 39 and the couple wanted to start a family within the first five years. After three years of experiencing several complications - including three miscarriages - the couple finally welcomed their son, Evan, in November 2024.

'I have always battled against my weight ever since I was young,' Rebekah added. 'And now it was potentially stopping me from having kids - I was just left devastated.'. Rebekah started going to the gym the following year - and eventually lost three stone, dropping her BMI down below 40.

'I went back to the doctors feeling more confident, but I was told my BMI was still too high and that more weight needed to be lost,' Rebekah said. 'I felt completely deflated and frustrated, especially when that's all I've been told to do my whole life.

'For others, it's "quit smoking" or "quit drinking", but for me, it was always to lose weight.'. The doctors prescribed Rebekah six rounds of Clomid - a tablet that helps the body produce eggs for pregnancy - but that didn't work. That year, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving all the fertility clinics out of action - and Rebekah felt she was 'back to square one'.

A family friend of Rebekah's husband had just come back from Prague after getting IVF treatment and recommended the pair should go. Feeling 'hopeless', Rebekah and her husband began seeking private IVF treatment - and in 2021 the pair jetted off to Fertility Port in Prague (pictured) to undergo treatment - costing £55,000.

The couple's many pregnancy tests in their determined quest to become parents. In May 2021, the couple jetted off to Prague, and by December 23, Rebekah was pregnant with her first child after her second round of stimulation and egg retrieval procedure - which cost £6,000 per round, including medication.

However, two weeks later, on January 3, 2022, Rebekah miscarried - but knew she 'couldn't give up'. In June 2022, Rebekah started a third round of stimulation which resulted in four eggs collected and one blastocyst transfer - she was pregnant again but miscarried at seven weeks.

Over the next year, the 33-year-old underwent two more rounds of IVF in January and March 2023. 'It was an emotional rollercoaster, ' Rebekah said. 'We did round after round of stimulation and egg collections but had no embryos. 'My husband and I were contemplating if this was worth it and we started looking at other options like embryo donation. because it was getting expensive.