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Emma Barnett reveals she had miscarriage after five rounds of IVF
She decided to share her experience in the hope it would help other women who have had similar struggles
May 16, 2022 12:43
She decided to share her experience in the hope it would help other women who have had similar struggles
May 16, 2022 12:43BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour host, Emma Barnett, has shared details of her challenging IVF journey.
Ms Barnett, 37, said that her second attempt at trying to conceive had not been plain sailing resulting in a miscarriage after several rounds of the fertility treatment.
In an interview with The Times, she explained how she had managed to have her son four years ago after a single round of IVF, but five attempts since then have failed.
She told The Times: "Over the past 18 months I have been struggling with secondary infertility.
"I have had five rounds of IVF, one miscarriage and more internal examinations than I care to recall. There is still no second baby."
She said she had decided to share her experience in the hope it would help and support other women who have had similar struggles to get pregnant.
The former BBC Newsnight presenter said stories of unsuccessful IVF treatment were rarely shared."
My womb is definitely empty, and I am reporting to you live from the front lines of failure in the hope that it may be helpful and to be honest," she told The Times.
"I am not looking for sympathy or pity – I am sharing my story in the hope it will help more people understand and to explore what motivates us to keep trying."
Ms Barnett was diagnosed with endometriosis, at the start of her IVF journey four years ago.
The condition is painful and debilitating for sufferers and causes tissue similar to the lining of the womb to grow in other places, such as the ovaries.
She explained that she would continue with IVF treatment despite the struggles and is approaching her seventh round of IVF.
She said: "Casting my mind back, I used to read those stories of women who had been able to endure and afford six, seven or eight rounds of IVF and think, 'How on earth could they keep going?'
"That question is front of mind as I potentially embark on what will be our seventh turn on the IVF merry-go-round.
"I only hope that sharing my experience while it is happening may help someone else trying, failing and trying again."