“That nearly broke me” – Spice Girl Emma Bunton opens up about infertility
In her mid-twenties Spice Girl Emma Bunton was told that she’d likely never have children due to damage caused by endometriosis.
Endometriosis battle
Speaking to Stellar Magazine recently, the now mum-of-two says she was devastated at the prospect of never becoming a mother.
“That nearly broke me,” she admits. “I knew I had the right partner; I knew I wanted to be a mum. I didn’t give up hope, but it wasn’t happening.”
Five years after her diagnosis, Emma began work on Strictly Come Dancing. It was while she was competing in the popular and very sparkly show that things shifted.
Read more stories about endometriosis:
- “Pregnancy did not cure my endometriosis”: A new mum shares her story of endo
- Endometriosis: The silent disease that can affect a woman’s fertility
- Endometriosis: Emma Wiggle was “freaking out” over deteriorating health
“Emma’s doctor watched her competing on Strictly Come Dancing and called to ask … if she was pregnant,” Metro UK reports.
“She’d seen me on the television holding my hands over my stomach and she just had a feeling I was pregnant,” Emma recalls.
“Strictly got me pregnant”
Curious about her theory the Spice Girl followed up on this hunch.
“I did a test straight away and I was. I have no idea whether it was doing all that exercise but I was so happy. Strictly got me pregnant.”
Emma and partner of 20+ years Jade Jones are now parents to eleven-year-old Beau and seven-year-old Tate.
Emma says she’s not totally shut up the baby shop yet at 43. In 2017 she told The Sun that her youngest was lobbying for a sibling.
“Tate wrote the sweetest little note to the storks the other day, saying: ‘Please can I have a new baby?’ It’s adorable. He said to me: ‘I’m not sure the storks are real, but I’m going to try!’”
“We’re so close as a family and do everything together, so they would really love another member.”
One in ten women
Emma’s not the only high profile woman who’s been struggling with the pain and side-effects of endometriosis. Nor even the only high-profile Emma. Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins has detailed her own battle with the debilitating condition which sees the tissue that usually grows in the uterus spreading to other areas in a woman’s body causing pain, bleeding, fatigue, digestive issues and sometimes infertility too.
Bachelorette Sophie Monk has also struggled with the condition. Girls star Lena Dunham has also suffered acutely from endometriosis, having a hysterectomy in an effort to reclaim some quality of life.
Around 176 million women worldwide suffer with endometriosis – which is a staggering one in 10 women. There are a number of treatments available, but sadly an actual diagnosis often takes a long time to obtain. The average woman suffering from endometriosis endures SEVEN YEARS of ill health before securing a diagnosis.
You can access resources and support – or find out more about this condition, symptoms and treatment at Endometriosis Australia.
