ITV newsreader Andrea Byrne: 'Infertility made me really feel so responsible'

Information presenter Andrea Byrne has stated she feared her husband can be “higher off” with out her through the couple’s seven-year expertise of infertility.

Byrne, 45, who’s married to former Wales rugby worldwide Lee Byrne, 44, has introduced Welsh and community information for ITV since 2008.

“You are feeling so responsible,” recalled Byrne, who was advised by docs that she would doubtless by no means be capable of carry her personal being pregnant.

“I bear in mind these emotions on a regular basis of pondering [Lee] can be higher off with out me.”

The couple gave beginning to their daughter Jemima, who “defied science” by being conceived naturally, in 2019.

“I really feel very acutely aware once I’m telling my story, that possibly it is simpler to inform as a result of we did get the ending that we had,” stated Byrne.

“However I nonetheless really feel it is essential to speak about, as a result of I understand how lonely we had been throughout that journey.”

After getting married on New Yr’s Day in 2012, Byrne stated she and her husband started attempting to get pregnant right away.

“We had been each at the beginning of our 30s,” she stated. “I didn’t have any cause to assume there can be points.”

After some time, they went to a fertility clinic for assessments.

An ultrasound revealed a difficulty with the thickness of Byrne’s womb lining, which she described in her new guide Determined Rants and Magic Pants as an “unfixable uncommon genetic defect”.

“It’s the type of information that you just don’t count on to listen to,” Byrne advised the BBC.

Years of intrusive assessments and procedures adopted, together with a number of rounds of IVF.

“To be trustworthy, the variety of cycles, I couldn’t even let you know,” she stated.

“We additionally tried a lot of various things on high of the IVF, issues that we had been suggested may work from completely different specialists.

“We additionally had some constructive being pregnant assessments and thought we had been pregnant, however sadly we had losses as properly.

“So it was an actual rollercoaster of emotion.”

Byrne stated the years of attempting to conceive additionally took a toll on her relationship together with her husband.

“I wish to assume that we’re actually sturdy due to it, however boy, on the time it is actually tough,” she stated.

“There are occasions after we questioned how we’d keep collectively,” added Byrne, “as a result of it is so tough emotionally”.

“I bear in mind I used to say to Lee, and he used to get fairly cross with me, as a result of I used to say ‘oh simply go and discover someone else, someone else may do that extra simply, simply go and discover one other lady’.

“And he would say to me ‘goodness, we’re on this collectively’.”

Medical doctors finally advised the couple their solely hope was surrogacy and, in 2018, they started exploring the potential of discovering a surrogate within the USA.

In her guide, Byrne describes discovering out simply minutes earlier than she was because of current the night information that not one of the embryos they hoped to make use of for a surrogate had been viable.

She wrote: “I take a look at my tear-streaked reflection within the mirror, patch up the broken basis, breathe deeply, stroll out of the dressing room, placed on a smile and stroll via a busy newsroom, and on to the set.”

Byrne stated that second felt like the tip of the highway.

“We had a dialog after that information and determined we might transfer on and construct one other life collectively,” she stated.

“I get actually emotional about it, as a result of I felt so responsible about not having the ability to do what each different lady may do.”

However just some months later, towards all the chances, Byrne fell pregnant naturally.

“Amazingly, we fell pregnant once more, and this time it was Jemima. It was unbelievable actually,” stated Byrne.

“We had been with out hope they usually stated the possibilities are you’ll by no means be capable of carry your personal being pregnant.

“So she [Jemima] actually did defy everyone, all of the medical recommendation we’d been given, she got here alongside and stated ‘nope, I will make it via’.”

Byrne, who additionally hosts the Making Infants fertility podcast, stated writing her guide was “emotional” and “in a means cathartic”.

“I do know it’s a little bit of a cliched phrase nevertheless it does present just a little little bit of closure too, I assume,” she stated.

The guide consists of chapters reflecting the fertility experiences of a variety of different celebrities who’ve appeared on Byrne’s podcast, together with presenter Gabby Logan and comic Geoff Norcott.

“I take a look at Jemima each single day and I’m simply so grateful,” stated Byrne.

“I’m glad that I’m ready, hopefully, to make use of my platform to hopefully have a constructive impact and possibly assist different folks really feel much less remoted.”

Requested if she had any recommendation for others experiencing infertility, Byrne stated she wished she had been kinder to herself.

“I believe it’s very simple if you get some unhealthy information a couple of cycle, otherwise you’re having a nasty time coping with it, that you just catastrophise and assume 10 steps forward,” she stated.

“And earlier than it you’ve written off any likelihood of something, which could be very simple to do as a result of it feels so hopeless.

“No one is aware of what’s going to occur 10 steps down the highway, so simply attempt to cope with what’s taking place in that second. I want I might performed that extra.

“And likewise been a bit kinder to ourselves, and your self within the course of. Take that point to seek out little bits of pleasure the place you possibly can and take trip if you must from it.

“As a result of it may be all consuming, friendships-wise, family-wise, it impacts every thing. So you actually should be type to your self.”

When you’ve got been affected by the problems on this article, info and assist about infertility is offered by way of BBC Action Line.

Determined Rants and Magic Pants – Our Fertility Story by Andrea Byrne, printed by Y Lolfa, was launched on 9 October.