Mother-of-five who has ‘the worst luck ever’ with contraception reveals how she fell pregnant three YEARS after her husband had a vasectomy – and her first two children were conceived while she was on the pill
- Kate Harman, 39, a beautician from Bedfordshire fell twice pregnant on the pill
- She then had ‘miracle baby’, son Buddy, 2, after husband Dan had a vasectomy
- A home fertility test showed Dan had a normal sperm count after the operation
- Now Kate has vowed to get sterilised after deciding that fives kids is enough
A mum-of-five with the ‘worst luck ever’ with contraception has vowed to get sterilised – after she fell pregnant twice while on the pill and had a third ‘miracle’ baby after her husband had a vasectomy.
Kate Harman and her business owner partner Dan Harman, of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, decided he’d have a vasectomy in July 2015 after she fell pregnant with their fourth child Lottie Harman, despite being on contraception.
But three years later the 39-year-old had the ‘shock of her life’ when she discovered she was expecting, and a subsequent home fertility test revealed Dan actually had a normal sperm count despite the procedure.
The beautician sadly miscarried but believing it was fate that they were meant to have more children the pair tried again and she fell pregnant with Buddy, who is now two, just weeks later.
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Kate Harman and husband Dan Harman from Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, with their children Buddy, 2, Alfie, 14, Lottie, 7, Stanley, 8, and Charlie, 20
Beautician Kate Harman, 39, and her business owner husband Dan Harman, of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, had two babies while Kate was on the pill and once after Dan’s vasectomy
Kate with her ‘miracle baby’ Buddy – who she conceived three years after her partner had a vasectomy
Kate, pictured with her five children, said it was the ‘shock of her life’ when she discovered she was pregnant three years after her husband Dan had had a vasectomy
The family-of-seven celebrating at Christmas. Mother Kate described the series of events that led to having such a large family as ‘absolutely crazy’
Kate has nicknamed him their ‘miracle baby’ given he was conceived after the vasectomy – which is supposed to be more than per cent effective – and survived numerous complications, including Group B Strep.
At one point doctors urged Kate to have an abortion and warned that she could die, but she refused.
After the ‘absolutely crazy’ series of events, the devoted mum said she’ll be getting sterilised early next year, although her business owner husband said that if she falls pregnant again after that then ‘it’s meant to be’.
Kate, said: ‘The chances of having another baby after the vasectomy, and then having the miscarriage, I just think he is my miracle baby.
‘I think we could definitely be the most unlucky couple when it comes to contraception, that’s why I’m getting sterilised.
Kate has branded herself and husband Dan as ‘the unluckiest couple ever’ when it comes to contraception. Pictured: The couple with their youngest child Buddy, now two
Beautician Kate on holiday with her husband. The couple claim they’ve had ‘the worst luck’ with contraception
The couple, pictured on their wedding day, discovered via a home test that three years after having a vasectomy, Dan had a normal sperm count
Kate, pictured with Lottie, Buddy, and Charlie, said Dan complained about the pain of his vasectomy, but she told him to ‘man up’ as she’d given birth five times
‘I’ve read up on it and not all sterilisations are 100 per cent effective either, so Dan’s already said that if I do fall pregnant after the sterilisation, it’s meant to be.’
The beautician of 12 years claims she fell pregnant with her eldest son Charlie, 20, while on the pill and assumes her IBS symptoms or medication interfered with the contraception.
The 39-year-old was unsure about trying it again but after reassurance from a doctor gave it another go.
Kate said: ‘I went on the pill and fell pregnant with Lottie six months after having Stanley.
‘Because we’d had our little girl who was also a surprise, I said: “I’m not going on any more birth control, I’m done’ and he said ‘I’ll have a vasectomy”.
‘He had that done. He was in a lot of pain as you can imagine a man going on and on about it. I was just like, “I’ve pushed four babies out, man up”.
‘He was meant to send a specimen off to get his sperm count checked and I was on his case all the time saying, “Get it checked, you’ve got to send it off” and he was like “No, the doctor said it’s 99.9 per cent effective, I’m OK”.
‘So we carried on as usual and I’ve been having unprotected sex for three or four years then I was late on my period. I’m never late, I’m always early usually.
Kate pictured with her children after giving birth to ‘miracle baby’ Buddy – who she conceived years after her husband Dan had a vasectomy
Dan, 38, a business owner, pictured with his fifth child Buddy, who was born after Dan had a vasectomy
When Kate first discovered she was pregnant with Buddy (pictured) after Dan’s vasectomy, she worried about how they would survive in their five-bedroom house
Katie and her son Buddy. The mother-of-five revealed she was advised to have an abortion while pregnant due to serious complications that put her life at risk, but refused to do so
‘My twin sister said to me , “You’re pregnant” and I said “No I’m not, I can’t be pregnant, Dan’s had the vasectomy”.’
But the following day, since Kate was five days late, she did a pregnancy test which came back positive.
Kate said: ‘I had the complete shock of my life when I looked at the test. I was shocked and scared and thought ‘”How are we going to survive?” because we only live in a four bedroom house.
‘I sent him a photo of it and he was like “what?” and I said “I’m pregnant” and he was like “You can’t be, I’m a jaffa” and I was like “You’re not, clearly”.
Kate persuaded her husband to try for another baby after suffering a miscarriage, and fell pregnant with Buddy
At first, when Kate said she was pregnant, Dan said she couldn’t be, as he should have been unable to procreated following his vasectomy
Doctors told Dan that the vasectomy definitely worked as they’d been protected for around three years, but that they thought his tubes had rejoined
‘I said “I’ve not had an affair” and he was like “No no no, I believe you haven’t had an affair”.
‘I went out to get another pregnancy test and a men’s home fertility test and we both did them and mine was positive and his sperm count was normal.
‘He was like, “I can’t believe I’ve had this effing operation and it didn’t work” and we were both just laughing in the bathroom. He said, “I went through all of that pain for nothing” and I was like “Oh well, never mind”.’
Kate said that Dan phoned the doctors who advised him that the vasectomy definitely worked because they’d been protected for around three years, but that they thought his tubes had rejoined.
Buddy was even more of a ‘miracle baby’ as he faced numerous complications including Group B Strep, which left Kate so poorly in hospital that doctors urged her to have an abortion
But Kate refused to abort Buddy – describing the situation of being alone in hospital getting this advice from doctors as ‘absolutely awful’
What is a vasectomy and what are the risks?
A vasectomy, or male sterilisation, is a procedure to cut the tubes that carry a man’s sperm to permanently prevent pregnancy without further contraception.
It can usually be done under local anaesthetic and takes about 15 minutes, according to the NHS.
The procedure is only usually carried out on older men, and surgeons are often reluctant to carry it out on people under 30 in case they regret it later.
The NHS lists possible complications as being a collection of blood inside the scrotum (haematoma), hard lumps called sperm granulomas (caused by sperm leaking from the tubes) or an infection.
Long-term testicle pain is another possible complication, which may need further surgery to deal with.
The percentage of men who experience this pain is debated, with different figures cited by various sources.
Kate said: ‘I miscarried that pregnancy. I was so excited thinking I was going to have another baby and at this point Dan was getting excited after we got over the shock.
‘I said to Daniel, “This is God telling us that we can have more children. This miscarriage happened for a reason” and he was like “No, I’m really sorry but we’ve not having any more”.
‘I worked my magic and convinced him to try again and he agreed, so two weeks after I had my first period after the miscarriage I fell pregnant with Buddy. I was so happy and Dan was really excited.
‘In the first lockdown I tried to convince him with baby number six and he did agree to it and then I had a really bad couple of weeks with Buddy and then I changed my mind.
‘I’m really maternal, just love babies and having a big family.’
Buddy was even more of a ‘miracle baby’ because he faced numerous complications including Group B Strep, which left Kate so poorly in hospital that doctors urged her to have an abortion or she ‘could die’ but she refused.
Kate said: ‘They urged me to abort him but I said no. It was awful.
‘I was on my own because Dan was at home with all the other children and having all these doctors around me saying ‘it’s either you or you need to get rid [of baby] basically because you could die’.’
Kate, pictured here with Buddy, says she is ‘really maternal’ and ‘just loves babies and having a big family’
Baby Buddy will be the final child in the family, vows Kate, who now plans to get sterilised after conceiving multiple children despite using different methods of contraception
While Kate thought she may want to have a sixth child after having Buddy (her fifth child, pictured), she later changed her mind
After conceiving Buddy, Kate told Dan she hadn’t had an affair – and he believed her straightaway
The couple’s five children Charlie, 20, Alfie, 14, Stanley, 8, Lottie harman, 7, and Buddy, 2. Kate does not plan on having any more kids
Kate, who says she loves having a big family, says that she is getting sterilised next year, but that not all sterilisations work, so if she falls pregnant after that, it is ‘meant to be’
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