A woman who lost nine stone to fall pregnant gave birth to a 1lbs 2oz baby 16 weeks early – so tiny he was dwarfed by his octopus toy.

Della Shiel, 32, had always dreamed of being a mum but decided to lose weight after struggling to conceive for a year.

She had a gastric bypass to lose nine stone and was delighted to fall pregnant with her partner Joe Morris, 31, a steel worker, in October 2022.

Della struggled with hyperemesis – severe morning sickness – throughout her pregnancy and went to Rotherham General Hospital, South Yorkshire, after a "gush" of blood in March 2023."

Doctors told her she was 5cm dilated and in labour and two days later she had an emergency delivery when she suffered an umbilical cord prolapse – when the cord slips down in front of the baby.

Her son, Henry Morris, was born March 14, at 8.55am weighing a tiny 1lbs 2oz at Bradford Royal Infirmary, West Yorkshire.

He spent 100 days in hospital battling sepsis, acute kidney injury, jaundice and underwent nine blood transfusions before Henry came home on June 22, 2023 – 12 days before his due date.

Now four months old, Henry is a healthy 9lbs 6oz and settling in at home.

Della, a homeless officer, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, said: "I lost a lot of weight to have a baby."

"When I saw Henry for the first time it was just surreal."

Della was so determined to have a baby she dropped nine stone in the hope it would help her to conceive.

To her delight she found out she was pregnant in October 2022 but struggled with hyperemesis early on in the pregnancy.

Despite feeling ill herself, she was consistently told the baby was fine.

Della said: "On March 12, 2023, I was sat on the sofa, and I felt a gush."

Della went to Rotherham General Hospital to get examined and to her shock was told she was in labour.

The doctors aimed to keep the baby in for as long as they could, but Della’s waters broke, and they decided to transfer her to Bradford Royal Infirmary– where they were better equipped to look after premature babies.

Della managed to hold on until March 14, 2023, when she suffered a cord prolapse – meaning the umbilical cord had slipped in front of the baby.

She was able to meet Henry properly for the first time a few hours later.

Since coming home Henry has had laser eye surgery for his retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) – an eye disease often common in premature babies.

He is monitored for his heart condition - pulmonary stenosis – a heart valve disease.