Olympian Jana Pittman chose to undergo IVF to fulfill her dream of having a baby girl… just weeks before she fell in love.
Jana, 32, is over the moon to be four months pregnant with a little sister to her son Cornelis, 7, conceived with an IVF donor, and also blissfully happy in a relationship with a fellow athlete.
“I feel extraordinarily lucky,” she says, smiling broadly.
As she proudly shows off her baby bump, Jana admits this is the child she thought she may never have, after a series of heartbreaking miscarriages and the end of her marriage.
“I’ve wanted this part of my life so badly, and I’m so full of love for my son and future daughter,” she says.
“I can’t wait to meet my baby girl – she’s my little miracle!”
Related:Celine Dion speaks for the first time about her IVF miracle babies
And to complete the blissful picture, she has recently fallen head over heels for fellow athlete James Gurr, who is sharing in her joy.
“With James beside me, I feel more confident about what lies ahead and whatever it is, I know we’ll cope,” she says.
“It won’t be easy for him taking all this on! He’s been in my life for years, but in the last couple of months we’ve stepped it up. I adore him – and he’s really great with Cor.”
Jana reveals that when she and James started dating two months ago, she’d already decided to forge ahead with a pregnancy via an anonymous sperm donor.
Jana says “I can’t wait to meet my baby girl – she’s my little miracle!”
Related: Ten things you should know about IVF*
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Jana made the decision to get pregnant alone following her miscarriages and a diagnosis of high-grade cervical dysplasia – the stage before cervical cancer.
“I was alarmed but not distraught because my medical training taught me it’s not a death sentence,” explains Jana, who’s studying to become an obstetrician.
“But I decided to hurry up and have another child, because it might be my last chance. I rang a fertility clinic the next day and went right on the IVF donor list.”
Related:After seven boys, we finally had a girl through IVF!
Jana says the torment of miscarrying almost made her give up on being mum again: “With each failed pregnancy I was heartbroken and started doubting I was meant to have more children at all.”
Jana, who’s been both loved and scorned by the Australian public, knows her decision may polarise opinion, but says it was made out of love for her son, and his wish to have a sibling.
“Cor was upset when I lost my last two pregnancies. He kept asking, ‘When am I going to have a brother or sister?’?” she says.
“Now he kisses my belly, talks to her and says goodnight. I’ve told him he can pick her middle name and he’s chosen Cora, after himself! He also picked the first pink outfit the day we found out she was a girl.”
Read more about Jana as she moves into this exciting new stage of life only in Woman’s Day, on sale 24th November.
