Mum with ‘Britain’s biggest boobs’ is ‘not just walking pair of breasts’ as she fights NHS

Melissa Ashcroft, 30, dubbed the mum with “Britain’s biggest boobs”, says strict NHS BMI rules and long waiting lists have left her in chronic pain and unable to care for her young children

Melissa Ashcroft, 30, is desperate for surgery to reduce her 36M breasts(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

A mum who’s become notable for having “Britain’s biggest boobs” is battling with the NHS, after begging doctors for a breast reduction surgery. Strict BMI rules and long waiting lists have meant she has been left with chronic pain and difficulty exercising without being sexualised.

Melissa Ashcroft, a 30-year-old mum-of-two has recently gripped the nation after speaking out about enduring tremendous pain and distress due to her size 36M breasts. The Scottish woman has been begging for surgery as her heavy chest has been leaving her bedbound for the first hour of the morning.

As a result of fighting for a breast reduction with the NHS, Melissa felt forced to find financial support through crowdfunding.

Melissa has suffered with extreme back pain (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

Now, she’s pushing back against strict Body Mass Index (BMI) rules. The BMI rules for breast reduction surgery on the NHS generally require patients to have a BMI below a certain threshold, usually between 27 and 30, and to maintain it for at least a year.

This is because higher BMIs are associated with increased surgical risks, such as complications with anaesthesia, wound healing, blood clots, and infections. However, Melissa has stated that the size of her breasts, which add about two-and-a-half stone (16kg), means she struggles to exercise which could help her get her weight down, the BBC reported.

She recently told the BBC Radio Scotland’s Mornings programme: “I find it hard to exercise because I have pain in my shoulders and lower back. Then when I go on a treadmill, for example, I feel really embarrassed and sexualised, like people are watching me, and I don’t want that when I’m just trying to exercise.”

She was told by her GP she should wait until she’d had children and breastfed(Image: Melissa Ashcroft / SWNS)

The mum has consequently turned to swimming to keep fit as she said it can be easier on her joints. Unfortunately, this activity has reportedly made her feel sexualised.

She said: “I don’t want the attention. I’m not just a walking pair of breasts, I have a personality, and I am a real human.

“It’s not a joke to me, it’s really serious and really upsetting just like any form of chronic pain.” Melissa has endured severe back pain since hitting puberty, the Daily Star previously reported.

When she turned 20, she sought a breast reduction but claimed her GP advised her to delay until after having children and breastfeeding. Following the birth of her two children, Melissa learned earlier this year that her BMI of 35 exceeds NHS requirements and must drop to 27 to qualify for surgery.

The stay-at-home mum from Blairgowrie said: “I think I’ve got some of the biggest boobs in Britain. I’m a size 36M.

“My back feels like I’m 70-years-old. I don’t want to have rely on the drugs they’ve given me for the pain as they make me dizzy.

“I can’t pick up my daughter and that’s heart-breaking. I want to be able to play with her and pick her up.”

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