Jana Pittman: Fertility fears, miscarriage, sperm donors and a rainbow family, I’ve experienced it all

Jana Pittman has experienced the sadness of miscarriage four times. And after one of her past relationships ended, she feared she wouldn’t ever find someone to have children with.

Jana Pittman is a mum of six and a doctor

Fertility is a tough topic. For so many – myself included – it can be confronting, terrifying and can also give you the most rewarding gift.

I’m a retired athlete, a practising junior doctor and a mother of six. Not everything about my journey has been “conventional” but why should it? Times have thankfully changed so much since I was competing but there is plenty more that needs to be done to ensure female athletes and women everywhere understand that having children does not have to define any other part of your life.

When I got pregnant with my first child I had no doubts I would return to competitive sport. I was very head strong, I knew I wanted to have a baby very soon after I got married and that was my choice. My mum had struggled with fertility for a decade so I was worried I would have the same issues. Luckily I fell pregnant very quickly – on honeymoon in fact!

At the time I spoke with as many sport doctors as I could to ask what was safe from a training perspective, what I could and couldn’t do but there was hardly anything out there.

Jana Pittman and her rainbow family of children

Pittman is a mother of six

The majority of doctors would not give me advice because they didn’t know.

Being pregnant and training was taboo; I would run down the street and people would shake their heads at me with clear disdain on their faces.

I remember my sponsors shook my hand and said ‘well done so what’s next, becoming a coach or TV and media?’ They assumed I was done with competing. No one asked when I was coming back to training. It was not on the cards for them.

For me though it was obvious and I came back and won a world title eight months after giving birth and changed the history of what women could do. There is more than just retirement for women who want to have a child in sport. It can be the end and if that’s what you would like it to be then fantastic, but children don’t have to end sporting careers or any careers.

MY FERTILITY JOURNEY

Thankfully I did not encounter the fertility issues I feared I would inherit but I have had a lot of experiences when it comes to pregnancy and parenthood. We call ourselves a rainbow family because it’s such a different and eclectic way of having children.

I experienced the sadness of miscarriage four times, I conceived my first child then turned to sperm donors for the next two and have three with my current husband. I also donated my eggs for my best friend and his husband to have their daughter.

Jana Pittman is proof that becoming a mum doesn't mean athletes must retire

One of my past relationships did not survive the devastation of baby loss and it was at that stage in my life I feared I wouldn’t find someone with whom to have any more children.

That’s where the plan to use a donor came in. It removed the pressure of having to find someone. Women have a biological clock and dating in your 20s for a lover quickly becomes dating for a husband and the father of your children in your 30s.

I had always wanted a lot of kids and it’s important that women know they have options beyond meeting someone, falling in love and having babies. You can then date because you love someone and find the right person rather than have a sticky divorce or expedite a relationship to parenthood before it’s ready.

PLANNING AHEAD

If I could offer current and emerging athletes any advice it would be to have no fear about speaking to your doctor about your fertility – the earlier the better. There is nothing wrong with exploring your fertility and knowing what your body is doing. They can check your follicle count, look for anything that might make conceiving a little tougher such as endometriosis or premature menopause.

Jana Pittman balances six children and being a doctor

Just like with regular jobs, there is never the perfect time to fit in having a baby. Breaks in the sport cycle are few and far between so identifying ‘better times’ is ideal. Women don’t just fall pregnant at the drop of a hat either so knowing and planning what you want is important.

Speaking from experience, I’d like to gently warn that being an athlete is often a self-indulgent career, it has to be if you are aiming to be the best in the world. As soon as kids come around that head space becomes impossible. Your mindset changes.

It’s also important to recognise that in sport you have so much control on your environment but that doesn’t translate to being a mum. You feel like you go from being top of your game in one thing to a complete novice, it’s hard. This is true in all careers.

The shock of a newborn is impossible to know until you have one but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Another wonderful part of combining motherhood and sport is that the little person waiting for you at home will love you irrespective of your performance or the medals you win. That’s a lovely and reassuring aspect of competing. There are smiles waiting for you at home whatever happens.

Pittman is a true inspiration

Jana Pittman had her twins in 2022

Support and help for expecting athletes these days is infinitely better than when I competed – but there is still a long way to go. I would like to see contracts extended for pregnant athletes and ensure they have the means to plan the pregnancy and train safely within a team environment to optimise a comeback.

Being a mum brings me such a great amount of joy and I know that I am one of the lucky ones to have children around me. Talking about fertility is important and I thank the athletes that share their stories in this edition of Insight Sport.

It is also important that we celebrate everyone on Mother’s Day. It’s not just for the biological mums, it’s about stepmums, maternal figures and the dads that play both roles. We should celebrate women, fertility, those who aspire to become mothers and always think of those who are perhaps struggling.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone.