A firefighter hung up her fire hose and became a fertility expert after being told she would have to have surgery to get pregnant.

Juliet Owen-Nuttall, from Henfield, was a firefighter with West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

She said she was always proud of her job as a retained firefighter and said it was a “lifelong dream”.

“Starting a family was not on my radar at all,” Juliet told the Argus.

“But I found being on call 24/7 really difficult.

“I was tested by my male colleagues on callouts. They would hand me the heavy cutting tools and push me forward to be the first on the scene.”

Juliet lived on her own at the time, and said she found it very difficult to return to an empty house.

She said: “I was afraid to show any weakness, my instinct was always to put rescuing above my own health.”

“I absolutely loved the job but was finding it very difficult.”

The Argus: Juliet was a firefighter at West Sussex Fire and Rescue ServiceJuliet was a firefighter at West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (Image: Juliet Owen-Nuttall)

She suffered with PTSD after callouts which meant she could no longer be a firefighter.

Then 41 years old, she turned her attention to starting a family.

“I suffered a major infection in my fallopian tubes and was told I would never be able to get pregnant naturally, that surgery was the only option,” said Juliet.

But she was determined to become a mother and turned to her training in Chinese medicine.

She became naturally pregnant at the age of 44.

Now 47, Juliet lives with her partner Daniel and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

She has started her own company, called The Non-Invasive Method, which helps “career women” aged 35 and over become pregnant without IVF.

The Argus: @hayleykimhallphotography@hayleykimhallphotography (Image: Juliet Owen-Nuttall)

“My daughter is an absolute joy I love motherhood," said Juliet.

“It has caused a whole shift in my perspective. This career is totally life-changing - I thought there wouldn’t be anything better than being a fire fighter but this is it.”

Juliet says she has a drive to help people, and providing fertility treatment is “serving in a different way”.

"I would like to do more with women to show them how being in these masculine roles can affect their fertility," said Juliet.