BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Ola Jordan has opened up about suffering a 'heartbreaking' miscarriage as she reflected on her IVF journey.
The professional dancer and her husband James Jordan, who she married in 2003, welcomed their daughter Ella into the world through IVF in 2019.
Appearing on Tuesday's edition (March 25) of Vanessa Feltz's new self-titled Channel 5 talk-show, the couple looked back on their journey to becoming parents.
"It’s hard but when we came out with our story that we were going through IVF and struggling to have children, there was so many people who contacted us on social media and friends opening up to us that we didn’t know went through IVF.
"It’s not easy and it’s better to talk about it. I found myself when we going through IVF, because everyone knew I found it easier. With the family the questions were ‘when are you going to have children’. As soon as everyone knew it was like the questions didn’t happen anymore. Those questions come from a good place. Your mum, sister and everyone wants you to have that family… We always talked about it...
"We had been together for a long time and tried for 18 years not to be pregnant because you’re on the show, have this career and life. One day we said 'let’s just take it easy and see what happens. We’re not not trying to get pregnant anymore but let’s not put pressure on it'. Years went pass and nothing happened," Ola said.
After attempting to conceive naturally for 'three years', Ola, who was 37 at the time, was recommended by her GP to try IVF, which worked on the first attempt.
"We had our wonderful Ella, she is wonderful and very clever. I don’t know where she gets it from, neither of us. Very funny, very cheeky, she is just amazing," she said.
With two embryos left 'frozen waiting to use', the couple initially decided to try have a second child naturally after hearing stories from friends.
"We were told by the doctors that sometimes it reboots something in the body and naturally you get pregnant the second time. We’ve heard it from our friends who went through IVF and six months later something happens . That didn’t happen for us," James told Vanessa.
Eventually deciding to go through IVF again, Ola discovered she was pregnant after having an embryo transfer. Sadly after eight weeks they were told 'there wasn't a heartbeat'.
She bravely recalled: "It was very heartbreaking, devastating. I’m okay about it now but if you asked me last year, I wouldn’t be able to sit here and talk about it so openly. We went in and suddenly everything went quiet and I knew something was not right...
"You get choices, you can take a pill or go in and have it removed. We went in and had it removed. You just sit there at home and you’re hoping the heartbeat will come back.. Maybe there’s a miracle. There wasn’t. Since what happened I realised how many people go through miscarriages, that’s why I want to talk about it because it’s okay."
Having to decide whether to 'have another IVF', Ola was told by the doctor that there was a '5% change of her having a healthy baby', which led to her and James deciding not to pursue having another child.
"A 5% chance is not much, do I really want to put my body through the injections, wasting and stress of it all? As much as I would like Ella to have a sibling, I am realising now that isn’t going to happen. It’s hard, but at least I have Ella," Ola said.
