Strictly’s Ola and James Jordan Share Emotional Path to Parenthood via IVF
Strictly Come Dancing personalities, Ola and James Jordan, have recently revealed the poignant details of their emotional journey to becoming parents. Following years of challenges in conceiving, the couple embraced IVF, ultimately welcoming their daughter Ella in 2019. The dancers, married in 2003, initially prioritized their professional lives before considering family expansion.
Years Focused on Careers Before Fertility Journey
Ola explained, “We had been together for a significant period and for 18 years actively avoided pregnancy due to career commitments and life on the show. There was a point when we decided to relax and see what would naturally occur. We ceased actively preventing pregnancy but also didn’t apply pressure to conceive. Years passed, and pregnancy did not happen.”
Navigating Fertility Challenges and IVF Success
The Jordans disclosed they attempted to conceive naturally for three years before seeking medical advice. Their general practitioner recommended In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Fortunately, their first IVF cycle proved successful, leading to the birth of Ella. Speaking about their cherished daughter, Ola proudly stated, “We have our wonderful Ella, and she is truly amazing and intellectually gifted. I’m unsure from whom she inherited those traits! She is also very funny, very cheeky, simply incredible.”
Sharing Their IVF Story and Finding Support
During an interview on Vanessa Feltz’s new Channel 5 talk show, a visibly moved Ola continued, “It’s difficult, but when we publicly shared our IVF experience, numerous individuals, both friends and strangers, confided in us about their own similar experiences. Discussing it proved therapeutic. Previously, we frequently faced the question, ‘When are you planning to have children?’ However, once our situation became known, those inquiries ceased. While these questions originated from a place of kindness, openness made things easier.”
Optimism and Subsequent Heartbreak
Buoyed by the triumph of their initial IVF attempt and with two cryopreserved embryos remaining, the couple felt optimistic about the possibility of natural conception, inspired by positive anecdotes from acquaintances. James elaborated, “Doctors mentioned that sometimes IVF can initiate changes within the body, enabling some couples to conceive naturally subsequently. However, that wasn’t the case for us.”
Recurrent IVF and Devastating Loss
Eventually, they proceeded with another IVF cycle, and Ola became pregnant again. However, at the eight-week mark, they received devastating news: the pregnancy was not viable. With courage, she recounted, “It was profoundly heartbreaking, truly devastating. I am coping better now, but if you had asked me last year, I wouldn’t have been capable of discussing it so openly. We attended the appointment, and suddenly everything became silent, and I instinctively knew something was wrong…”
Openly Discussing Miscarriage
Ola further explained, “You are presented with choices; you can opt for medication or undergo a procedure for removal. We chose to proceed with the removal. You are left at home hoping for a miraculous return of the heartbeat, but it did not happen. Following this experience, I realized the prevalence of miscarriage among women, which is why I am compelled to talk about it; it’s important to acknowledge it’s okay.”