‘I feared I had cancer ... but I was pregnant’

Janie Furner, 45, has been reintroduced to the world of nappies, breastfeeding and sleepless nights two decades after her first child.

With her 20-year-old daughter Mia fleeing the nest earlier this year, both Janie and husband Gary, 43, were looking forward to entering a new chapter of their lives.

But in April, Janie noticed she was becoming incredibly nauseas. Believing she had a cyst on her ovaries, she went to her GP who then referred her to have a scan. But a week later, during an ultrasound scan, Janie was told she didn’t have cancer and was instead almost half-way through with her second child. Oliver

Janie, a teaching assistant, said: “I completely forgot about the tiredness that comes with a newborn. I’m back to sleepless nights, endless nappy changing and breastfeeding. I didn’t picture my year to turn out the way it has but I’m now spending Christmas with my miracle baby.”

Having suffered from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome all her life Janie was always told her chances of conceiving were incredibly slim.

After having trouble conceiving her daughter Mia, Janie and Gary, who live in Grays, resigned themselves to the fact they would only have the one child.

Janie said: “I Googled my symptoms as you do and it was all pointing to ovarian cancer. I had a bad back, I was constantly needing the toilet and was being put off my food. Mentioning it now it seems so obvious I was pregnant. But I only have two periods a year so I’m really not fertile.

“It just never crossed my mind that I would be. I walked into the doctor’s surgery fearing the worst. I hadn’t even told Gary what I was going in for. He just drove me there and assumed I had women’s problems. I was just in complete shock. When I went to the first appointment the doctor felt my stomach. There was no mention of pregnancy. You would think if I was 17 weeks gone he may have suggested it.

“Gary was standing outside having a cigarette at the time.

“He’s a bit of a joker so when the nurse went up to him and said: ‘I think you better come in’, he joked saying: ‘I thought you were going to tell me she was pregnant’. We walked out there like a pair of zombies. We were just getting ready to start a new chapter and then we were dealt this bombshell.

We waited a few weeks until telling Mia. She was in Turkey so we arranged a Skype call. I was quite nervous as to how she would take it but she just burst into tears.

“Thankfully they were tears of joy - she said she always wanted a little brother or sister.”

Baby Oliver was born in October at 36 weeks via caesarean-section weighing 5lb 7oz.

Husband Gary, said: “I did notice Janie was getting a bit bigger but it was nothing worth pointing out. Another baby just wasn’t on the radar.

“We’ve gone 20 years without Janine falling pregnant again.

“When we went to the doctors I didn’t even consider it as an option. I thought it was impossible.

“It took a few days for it to sink in but once I got my head around it I just thought it was incredible timing.”

In October 2017, Gary lost his dad Philip to a short illness which proved difficult last Christmas.

But with the surprise arrival of his son, Gary was determined to celebrate the festivities.

He said: “Last Christmas was really hard as it was the first one without my dad.

“He was told by doctors it was pretty serious and 16 days later we lost him.

“And almost a year to the day of losing my dad I welcomed the son I’d never thought I’d have into the world. He’s like a little miracle sent from heaven.

“One of Oliver’s middle names is Philip. Although he’s small he even looks like my old man.”

Now ten weeks old, Oliver celebrated his first Christmas with Janie, Gary and older sister Mia at their home in Grays.

Gary added: “I’m honestly over the moon.

“We’re a bit older and are completely knackered but it’s great doing the whole dad thing again. Now I’ve got someone to carry on the family name.

“I’m not religious but he couldn’t have come at a better time. He’s our little Christmas miracle.”