A midwife and an obstetrician have welcomed their longed-for second daughter in the hospital where they both work after using a £30,000 lottery win to pay for IVF.         

Ellie Hinton, 32, gave birth to Matilda in Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where she first met her husband Cameron, 39, when they were delivering babies together on Christmas Day a decade ago. 

The couple, who married in 2018, faced a fertility battle but were able to fund IVF treatment with support from their parents and had their first daughter, Hattie, in February 2021. 

They hoped to try for another child but were worried about the cost of paying for multiple rounds of IVF before their lottery win in August 2021 gave them the financial security they needed. 

Matilda was born in November 2022 weighing 8lb 9oz.

Mrs Hinton said: ‘Due to the jobs we do it always seemed unimaginable that we wouldn’t be parents one day – it’s all I ever hoped for, so we were just over the moon that it worked. 

‘Matilda is a very happy baby. Hattie is not best pleased about having to share me, but she’s getting used to the idea. 

‘I realise how lucky we were that it worked in the end, and I have so much respect and sympathy for those going through infertility, it’s not easy.’   

The Hintons, who live in the Bristol suburb of Downend, won £30,000 out of a total prize of £360,000 which was shared between them and their neighbours when their street was drawn in the People’s Postcode Lottery. 

They spent £3,000 of their winnings on an embryo transfer, and in March last year were thrilled to discover it had been successful. 

‘It was so exciting and also a relief to know we wouldn’t have to go through the whole cycle again and that was our last embryo in storage,’ Mrs Hinton said. 

‘Once the process gets started you can begin to feel hopeful but it’s so full of ifs and buts, you’re always careful to not get too excited!’ 

Giving birth to Matilda at Southmead Hospital was ‘straightforward and drama free’ – helped by the familiarity of the staff and surroundings. 

‘It was great. We were so well looked after and it just felt like home,’ said Mrs Hinton.

‘We knew everyone there and my friend who looked after us with Hattie was on shift to look after us again with Matilda. 

‘I felt excited, knackered, happy and nervous. I couldn’t wait to introduce her to Hattie. Thankfully we got to go home six hours after delivery, so when Hattie woke in the morning she had a baby sister to meet.

‘Our whole family were chuffed to bits too, no one could believe it.’ 

The Hintons recently moved to a larger semi-detached house on the same road to ensure they had extra space for their growing family, which they say is now complete.

Mrs Hinton said: ‘No more kids for us, it would mean starting the IVF again, and we’re happy with our two girls.’

They also bought a VW campervan for family trips when Hattie, two, and five-month-old Matilda are bigger. 

‘We’ve got lots more space, which meant we could host Easter weekend for all the family including 10 adults and six kids,’ Mrs Hinton said. 

‘It was also great that we got to stay on our road as it’s super friendly – and obviously lucky!

‘When the girls are older, we’d like to go to Cornwall – it’s beautiful there and we love going to Mother Ivey’s Bay. We’d also love a European road trip.’ 

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