Megan McKenna revealed that she was pregnant with her first child last week and now she’s shared her gruelling route to starting a family.
The one-time TOWIE star, now a country music singer, is expecting her first baby with footballer boyfriend Oliver Burke.
And, after trying naturally “for a while”, Megan has now revealed that she went down the IVF route to conceive their baby.
Megan McKenna reveals she got pregnant via IVF
Posting a very emotional video to Instagram, Megan shared clips of the process – from injecting herself with fertility drugs to having their embryo implanted and getting a positive pregnancy test.
She also shared that she was hospitalised during the process with over hyper stimulation of the ovaries – something that is “very painful and dangerous” and can come about as a result of the IVF drugs.
Megan, who once dated Pete Wicks, shared: “We were trying naturally for a while and not falling pregnant. I wanted to make sure everything was okay in there. So we decided to see a fertility clinic.”
She then explained: “When I was younger I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries and knew I should freeze my eggs at some point.
“We went and had a scan and tests and it showed that my ovaries were okay but my womb lining was thin! It was at five when it should be at eight and there were some other issues we needed help with.
“I’m so happy we went to see a fertility clinic or I would never of known as my lining wouldn’t have been thick enough to make a successful implantation,” she said.
Hospitalised for six days
Megan then continued: “We spoke with our doctor and decided to freeze our embryos first and also have one implanted once my lining was at the right thickness and was nice and healthy.
“I started on medication three times a day and injections twice a day and pessaries for extra progesterone. After months of getting my lining good I went in for an egg retrieval. Everything went amazing we got so many eggs and Oli done his part.”
Incredible. What a journey. I love you so much and I’m so proud.
However, she then shared that she started to get “unwell”.
“A few days later I started to get unwell and it turned out I had OHSS. Very painful and dangerous because my ovaries were HUGE! I had fluid leaking inside my stomach which was making my belly swell and I couldn’t walk it was so painful. Some people just get it.
“I was hospitalised for six days and was now on blood thinners to make sure nothing else bad happened.”
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‘I feel so lucky’
Megan then added: “Sadly we didn’t get many embryos in the end. They didn’t survive the thawing process. But we got enough to make this happen…”
She continued: “A few months after getting myself better and fit, we decided it was time to have our AAA embryo implanted! It was incredible. It was the most magical experience seeing it go into me being placed safely with embryo glue to make sure it sticks! And it did!”
Megan then went on to thank her doctors and nurses.
“I feel so lucky to be where I am and couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.
She also paid tribute to her partner, Oliver. “Thank you to Oli for being my rock and my at home doctor and my mum for always being there for me.”
Replying to the video, Oliver said: “Incredible. What a journey. I love you so much and I’m so proud.”
Read more: Megan McKenna in hospital for ‘small procedure on her belly’
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