Simon Reeve, an author and travel documentary maker, has addressed his heartache after fertility doctors told him and his wife Anya they had little to no chance of having children. The BBC travel journalist was left devastated by the news.
The 49-year-old explained that it had always been his life purpose to have children.
Simon revealed that when he began dating his now-wife, Anya, in 2004, he told her he would compromise on everything else in their relationship but children.
The couple first met when the presenter was 32 and his other half was just a year older.
Anya warned Simon that she didn’t want to “pressure him” about having children but added her fears of being over 40 and trying to get pregnant as becomes “harder” to conceive with age.
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“My sperm were swimming around in circles, or moving energetically without going anywhere.
“Ironically enough, considering my day job, they were not good travellers.”
Despite the daunting diagnosis, Simon’s wife Anya was not ready to give up their journey into parenthood.
The doctors urged the BBC presenter to overhaul his diet and make some big changes.
Simon also decided to see a nutritionist, who banned him from eating chocolate and drinking wine.
“She told me I had to dramatically reduce caffeine, chocolate, wine, sugar, salt and a lot more besides that made life tasty.
“She prescribed berries for antioxidants and a healthy new diet. I started necking zinc tablets and other pill-sized treats, and later started taking Wellman fertility supplements.”
After a few months, he and Anya began their IVF journey, and it wasn’t long before they received some good news.
The couple went for a scan after Anya revealed she was pregnant and Simon admitted he “wept”.
He wrote: “Nine months later, a tiny baby was born.
“The strength of my love for Jake was unlike anything I had experienced before. I wasn’t remotely prepared for the moment it became a reality.”
Simon and Anya are proud parents of their now 10-year-old son Jake.