Trini always had incredibly painful and heavy periods, but it wasn’t until her early twenties that she was finally diagnosed with PCOS. In the meantime, the PCOS hadn’t just left her in physical pain, but also wreaked havoc on her body image and confidence.

Hannah was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 14. Despite an early diagnosis, a lack of understanding from teachers and her peers made it difficult to navigate life at school. In addition, the question of how endometriosis might impact her fertility has been on Hannah’s mind since she was a teenager, and has impacted her dating-life and relationships.

Danielle was first diagnosed with PCOS when she was at university. She was promptly put on the pill and told to lose weight, with no more information or guidance. Years later, an unrelated health-scare prompted Danielle to do her own research and take back control over her PCOS symptoms.

When Katie started to get some random spotting, she had no idea it was the start of perimenopause. After struggling with night sweats, brain fog, exhaustion and heart palpitations, she finally started to get some relief after taking HRT.

It took Zara eight years to get a diagnosis of endometriosis. And even then, it took a fertility nutritionist and a privately paid for laparoscopy to get the diagnosis. ‘I’d explained my symptoms over and over again, only to be told these were ‘normal’ period pains.'

When Heather was 23 she started experiencing pain in the left-hand side of her abdomen. Every other month. When the pain got worse she went to see a doctor, who insisted that it was kidney stones. Then followed a saga of missing scan results, emergency surgery and the question: could Heather’s ovary have been saved if someone had listened sooner?

Kathryn was 11 when her period started and right from the start they were heavy, painful and very irregular. But it wasn’t until almost a decade later that Kathryn finally got diagnosed with PCOS. Whilst grappling with how to manage her symptoms, she started to notice that something else didn’t seem quite right. Armed with her trusted journal she approached her GP, who agreed that it appeared that Kathryn also suffers from PMDD.

It took a move to a new city, and a new GP, for Carol-Anne to finally have her reproductive health taken seriously. Investigations showed that the reason for her debilitating pain, heavy flow and extreme fatigue was PCOS.

When Caitlin was in her early twenties, her and her partner decided to start a family of their own. Unfortunately, the road to becoming parents was bumpy, with the label: unexplained infertility, and multiple trips abroad after their NHS funded IVF failed them.

Ever since she was a young teenager Betty suffered with excruciating period pain, but she believed that painful periods was just normal and she didn't want to make a fuss. It wasn't until years later Betty finally understood that no one should be passing out from period pain, and that she shouldn't just have to find a way to deal with the pain, in private.

Struggling with infertility, Laura and her partner went through several rounds of IVF, one including a donor egg, trying to have a baby. All rounds failed whilst Laura and her husband have come to terms with not having children, the experience of infertility never leaves you as Laura says.

For years Sally has suffered with extreme period pain, sometimes ending up in A&E. To this day she does not have a diagnosis, but is now on a medical management plan which has given her her life back. At least for six months, as that is as long she's been told it's safe to take her medication.

Hayley who is diagnosed with PCOS, is undergoing IVF in the hopes of a successful pregnancy. But IVF is not a straightforward road as Hayley and her husband, sadly, discovered when she suffered a missed miscarriage after her first round of treatment.

Hannah was in her early twenties when she was told that the excruciating pain she was feeling during sex might be linked to endometriosis. But it would take several more years before she was finally given a diagnosis and even then, the information she was given was close to none.

In her mid twenties Victoria was diagnosed with PCOS, after she and her partner struggled to conceive. With her new diagnosis she felt her life-long dream of becoming a mum slipping away. Fast forward, Victoria, now in her 40s is still fighting to become a parent - but now she's going at it solo. Using IVF and a donor-sperm.

Sheree was only 15 when she was told by doctors that she was going through menopause. Diagnosed with POI, she at an early age, had to grapple with early menopause, infertility and how to be an advocate for herself to ensure she got the right medical care.

Our founder Majken shares her own story of infertility and multiple miscarriages - and how she ultimately came to be a parent, without having carried a pregnancy to term.

‘I felt like I was going up a hill - in a snowstorm’ - that is how Gaby describes life before she understood that she suffers from PMDD, and finally got the help she needed. 

From her early teens Becks struggled with very painful periods. Then a couple of years ago, things started getting increasingly worse. Becks spent months trying to get her GP to listen to her and take her seriously. When she finally managed to get a referral to a gynaecologist she finally got some answers: she has endometriosis. But the journey did not end there.

In her early 30s Dawn was diagnosed with two uterine fibroids. At the time, her GP didn’t believe the fibroids were any cause for concern and asked Dawn to manage the pain with painkillers and hot water bottles. It wasn’t until six years later, with access to private health insurance that Dawn finally got the help she needed - and 16 fibroids removed from her uterus.