Former Biggest Loser host Fiona Falkiner reveals ‘traumatic’ truth of IVF ‘loneliness’
Former Biggest Loser host Fiona Falkiner has lifted the lid on the harsh realities of trying to start a family using IVF treatments. Behind the happy snaps on Instagram, Falkner described feeling “lonely” despite her partner Hayley Willis by her side. Here’s why.
Confidential
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Fiona Falkiner has detailed the “really quite traumatic” process of undergoing IVF treatment.
The former Biggest Loser contestant and host has opened up about her fertility journey in a new podcast with partner, Hayley Willis.
The podcast, What the IVF?, was released on Monday.
“Obviously you have your partner but it can actually feel like a really lonely process,” Falkiner told Confidential. “It is you and your body against all odds. Women don’t really talk about it until after the fact. It can be really quite traumatic.”
The couple were due to get married later this year but have pushed their date back due to coronavirus and to give themselves time to try for a baby.
They both want to carry a child, although with Falkiner aged 37 she will go first.
“Fi is going first because she is older,” Willis, 30, laughed. “I really want to carry a bub too but Fi will go first just because of the body clock on fertility so her going first is best. I will give it a crack after we have our first child.”
Falkiner added: “Our hope is that once I fall pregnant we don’t want to wait too long, we want to have the babies quite close to each other because we figure, let’s get it all out of the way and lose the sleep all at once.”
Issues they will discuss in the podcast include the medical procedure itself, as well as subjects like cost, counselling, egg freezing and known donor vs unknown donor.
“People don’t really talk about the trials and hurdles that you go through as women to be a mum,” Willis said. “It is one of those big things in life we certainly have a better appreciation for now than we ever did.”
Usually super private Falkiner said she wanted to share their story to help others going through similar issues.
“If I am sharing our stories of what we are going through, the ups and the downs, the funny bits and the not so funny bits, if it makes someone going through it feel less alone, then it is worth it.”
As for their wedding plans, the pair were due to wed in October.
“We had to make the call to push it back,” Falkiner said. “All my family are in Victoria, Hayley’s are in Perth and my sister is in South Australia and the border closures don’t look like we are going to get all of the family to NSW. We don’t want to spend all of this money on our beautiful day and not have everyone there.”
