Pindara Magazine 61
mily Jade O’Keefe seemed to have it all
– successful career, loving family, happy
marriage and delightful daughter, Millie.
However, for the past five years, this much-loved
Gold Coast media personality has struggled
with fertility. She spoke often about the long
and often painful journey to become pregnant
on her hit 102.9 Hot Tomato radio program and
now with new baby, Teddy, in her arms, Emily
Jade has spoken to Pindara Magazine about her
experience with pregnancy, birth and becoming a
mother for the second time.
1. You have been very open and honest about
your struggles with fertility, when and how
did your journey into IVF start?
After Gerard and I were married we pretty much
started trying for kids straight away. About 12
months in, and after no baby, I went to see the
doctor. Because of my age and Endometriosis
diagnosis, I was sent off to a fertility clinic
straight away. We tried a few other methods
before considering IVF as it was very expensive
and, of course, it’s good to try everything else on
the list first. It really is the last thing to try. About
12 months later after an operation to remove
my endometriosis, and before we did IVF, I fell
pregnant with Millie. I wasn’t so lucky with
Teddy and after 12 months of trying naturally we
went straight to IVF.
2. How long did it take you to fall pregnant
with Teddy?
Teddy was a longer journey, he took five years to
come to us. We had one miscarriage, three rounds
of IVF and 32 failed embryos before we held him
in our very thankful arms.
3. Through the really difficult times along
your IVF and pregnancy journey how did you
manage to stay the course?
I kept reminding myself that I was lucky to have
Millie, as many others are on this path and don’t
have the success of even one child. I also stayed
grateful for everything else in my life – my
marriage, my family, friends and my job. I’m
very lucky in so many other parts of my life that
I kept telling myself everything can’t be perfect,
so this was just the un-perfect part of my life.
4. How did you feel when you found out you
were pregnant?
There was relief and gratitude, both times. When
it takes so long, and you are forever peeing on
sticks or trucking around to appointment after
appointment, haemorrhaging money from your
bank account, it gets so fatiguing and you just
want it to finally work. I cried tears of utter relief
that finally it was successful, but then worry set
in. It’s hard to give yourself over to a lot of joy
after a pregnancy loss because you know all
too well that anything can happen. Obviously
though, there was the little seed of joy there and
it grew as each day passed.
5. How did you share the news with Millie?
Did you do anything special to let her know
she was going to be a big sister?
We waited until I was quite far along as we didn’t
want to get her hopes up too much. Christmas
was around the corner and she started writing
letters to Santa asking for a sibling, and then
she sat on Santa’s knee at Pacific Fair in Myer
and asked him for a brother or sister! So we
thought that would be a perfect gift from Santa.
We bought a book called “You are Going to be
a Sister” and wrapped that up with a picture
of Teddy from an ultra sound and when she
opened it, she laughed and cried and was so
overwhelmed with joy. It will be one of my most
treasured memories for life and even thinking
about it now, my eyes well up with tears. All the
hard work to make Teddy was worth it just for
her and that moment.
6. How did your other children – your co-hosts,
Flan and Christo – react to your news?
Haha, yes the radio uncles were thrilled. I really
have to give them so much credit. The whole
time we have been a team I have been doing IVF.
They have held my hand, wiped my tears and
waited with anticipation after each transfer for
E
Emily Jade
O’Keefe
pindaramagazine.com.au