A woman has given birth to a child after suffering 13 miscarriages over the space of 12 years.
The new mum, who was named by her surname Liu, gave birth to her baby on 22 March after first trying back in 2010 when she got married.
Liu, 32, who comes from the district of Xinzhou in Wuhan, China, recalled how she had tried to get pregnant each year after tying the knot.
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However, she tragically always had miscarriages during her first trimesters, leading to her seeking medical advice.
Doctors eventually diagnosed Liu with an autoimmune disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 2017.
With SLE, the person’s immune system attacks its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs.
Liu’s doctor explained to her that the condition was most likely the reason for her miscarriages, as the disease attacks every system in the human body.
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Although she was advised not to keep trying to have a child, Liu didn’t give up on her dream and continued getting pregnant and, unfortunately, miscarrying.
Quite understandably, the process certainly took its toll on the mum-to-be’s body over the years.
After going through so many pregnancy losses, medical staff noticed her body had weakened and she started to suffer from hypothyroidism.
This is a relatively common condition where the thyroid doesn't create and release enough thyroid hormone into the bloodstream.
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As well as making the person’s metabolism slow down, it can also make them feel tired and be unable to tolerate cold temperatures.
But against the odds, Liu fell pregnant again in August 2021 - and this time, she made it past the one month mark.
In her fifth month of pregnancy, Liu went to hospital worried about having another miscarriage after suffering bleeding, abdominal pain and other discomforts.
The doctors managed to treat her with miscarriage protection and anti-infection procedures, and a delicate foetal protection treatment plan was prepared for her.
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In March, she gave birth via cesarean section to her baby at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, and although the newborn was premature, she was released from hospital just three days later.
Images show the staff members congratulating Liu with bouquets of flowers, while others show the new mum holding the hand of her child.
According to Dr Guo Juanjuan, although SLE is prone to causing miscarriages, it is possible for pregnancies to be seen to term safely, but only with the proper medical care.
Daisy Phillipson