Kate Silverton opens up on her fertility struggles in a bid to help other women

Kate Silverton has opened up about her struggles to get pregnant in the hopes of helping other women with issues conceiving.

The former BBC News presenter, 52, shared that she went through several rounds of failed IVF before welcoming her daughter Clemency Florence Rose, 11, and son Wilbur, eight, with her ex-Royal Marine husband Mike Heron.

In 2020, she unexpectedly took a step back from her broadcasting career to train as a children’s counsellor.

She has since worked with hundreds of families who struggled to get pregnant and advises them to ‘take care’ of themselves during the difficult process, while crediting therapy with helping her conceive.

Speaking to The Mirror, Kate insisted: ‘Take care of you. Because the process of IVF takes its toll physically as well as mentally. I did a lot of therapy, and I’m convinced that’s what helped me to conceive.’

Family: The former BBC News presenter, 52, shared that she went through several rounds of failed IVF before welcoming her daughter Clemency Florence Rose, 11, and son Wilbur, eight, with her ex-Royal Marine husband Mike Heron

Kate had been told that she was unlikely to ever conceive naturally after losing an ovary at the age of 29 when she underwent an operation to remove a cyst.

She said: ‘I got to the point where I accepted that we weren’t going to be able to have children, so we went the full journey. I understand the heartache, I really do.’

She admitted that her highly-demanding job exacerbated her fertility issues and that she got ‘caught up’, advising others to avoid potential stressers to create the ‘best environment’ for getting pregnant.

She added that they should stay ‘open’ and that ‘nutrition and sleep were also key’ during the journey.

After welcoming her daughter, Kate suffered a miscarriage at six weeks, admitting that her attempts to try and move on quickly from the tragic event were harmful to her recovery.

New career: In 2020, she unexpectedly took a step back from her broadcasting career to train as a children’s counsellor

Thrilled: Kate also gushed about her former Strictly Come Dancing partner, Aljaž Škorjanec and his It Takes Two hostess wife Janette Manrara, who are expecting their first child together after struggling to conceive

She said: ‘Another important thing in these circumstances is being able to grieve if things don’t go according to plan. We have to learn how to grieve, because all that stress has to come out somehow. I’ve counselled lots of women who phoned to tell me they’d had a miscarriage, and I’d tell them, “You’ve got to grieve. You can’t just do what comes naturally and say that you’re fine, because you’re not.”

‘I know I definitely did that, but I tell these women that I want to see snot and tears, because getting those things out clears the way for the next stage.’

Kate also gushed about her former Strictly Come Dancing partner, Aljaž Škorjanec and his It Takes Two hostess wife Janette Manrara, who are expecting their first child together after struggling to conceive.

She declared that the couple were going to be ‘amazing parents’ and that ‘it meant the world’ when she found out they were having a baby.