I’ll definitely be saying it to my children – I never assumed we’d have any difficulties, Rosanna Davison says
ROSANNA Davison has urged people to begin thinking about their fertility sooner rather than later.
The mum-of-three has been open about her own experiences after having 14 miscarriages, having daughter Sophia through gestational surrogacy before falling pregnant with twins Oscar and Hugo naturally.
Former Miss World Rosanna said fertility wasn't on her "radar" when she and husband Wes Quirke began trying for a baby, as they were both young, fit and healthy.
She said: "I'd always thought I'd be a mother. I always wanted to be a mother. I had never assumed that we would have any difficulties and fertility and pregnancy loss wasn't on my radar.
"I had had a couple of friends who had had early miscarriages but had gone on straight after to have healthy full-term pregnancies, so that's what I assumed happens."
Rosanna and Wes welcomed their first child Sophia through surrogacy in November 2019.
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Rosanna shocked the country in 2020 when she announced she was pregnant with twins who were born in November of that year.
The twins - Hugo and Oscar - were deemed a medical "miracle" when they came into the world.
Rosanna previously revealed that after Sophia's birth and before falling pregnant with the twins, she suffered another miscarriage.
And Rosanna told how for some couples struggling with fertility issues, shame, fear and embarrassment can hold them back from seeking advice.
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She said: "A sense of fear or embarrassment or shame does tend to put people off seeking fertility treatment."
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She added: "It's increasingly common to see couples face fertility issues, unfortunately, and there are really fantastic treatments available.
"There is support available, therapy. I would encourage people to really start thinking about their fertility as soon as possible and particularly if like us, you think it will happen immediately.
"It can take a few years for it to actually all come together if it does.
"You know, I'll definitely be saying to my children when they're older to think about their fertility. Maybe plan ahead. I think for women, it's important to track your cycles to know what's normal for you."
Infertility affects up to one in five couples in Ireland and is classed as a disease by the WHO.
Despite this, Ireland is one of the last EU countries to offer financial assistance to those who may need to access fertility treatments.
New research by Thérapie Fertility found that almost two thirds of people were unaware that 20 to 25 per cent of heterosexual couples struggle to conceive naturally.
The research also found that 26 per cent of those surveyed don't think fertility impacts men and women equally.
While 69 per cent weren't aware that female fertility begins to decline from the age of 35.
Barriers facing those accessing fertility treatment in Ireland were also examined in the study, with most people citing costs, waiting lists and fear of judgement or embarrassment as hurdles when seeking treatment.
Some 79 per cent of people think fertility treatment in Ireland is too expensive and 83 per cent believe feel that cost is one of the biggest barriers to accessing fertility treatment.
Speaking on the findings, Grainne Doyne, Chief Operations Officer at Thérapie Fertility, said: "We conducted this research to get an insight into what information the Irish public were aware of when it comes to their fertility and to encourage those thinking about starting a family to consider any factors that may be working against them.
"Whether that's age, lifestyle, or financial restrictions, we're encouraging people as we move into a new year to stop and think about what their next steps might be.
"We want to empower couples to take charge of their fertility potential sooner rather than later."