STACEY Dooley has opened up about experiencing an ectopic pregnancy and the dramatic operation she faced in the wake of the news.
The TV star has got candid in a new interview discussing the hugely difficult time in her life.
Stacey is mum to daughter Minnie with her partner, Strictly Come Dancing star Kevin Clifton, 43, but the 38-year-old was left heartbroken last year when she went through an ectopic pregnancy.
It affects one in every 80 – 90 pregnancies, or 11,000 pregnancies each year, the NHS says.
It happens when a fertilised egg implants outside the womb and tragically means the unborn baby cannot survive.
Speaking on the “What’s the Tea, Amy?” podcast with model and actress Amy Jackson Westwick, Stacey – who has been open about her maternity struggles in the past – said: “I fell pregnant last year, and it didn’t go brilliantly.
“I couldn’t talk about it for such a long time without bursting into floods of tears.
“But now I can. It was ectopic and it was all dramatic.”
She said: “It happened in Liverpool. And I was at Liverpool Women’s Hospital this time.
“Everything was quite dramatic and it was like ‘you’re bleeding internally’ and I had to go for immediate surgery.”
Stacey added: “I remember I was lying on the bed, about to go under, because it was all going t*** up,” before she told how she felt she was in “capable hands”.
The BBC documentary-maker, who lives in Merseyside with her family, added: “That environment, you know the Women’s hospital, they are renowned for being absolutely amazing.”
STACEY’S BATTLE
Previously, the Luton lass choked back tears as she revealed her personal news on her Stacey Sleeps Over TV show.
“I have experienced what it is like to struggle to have a child,” she said in a confessional after speaking about surrogacy with Barrie Drewitt-Barlow.
Barrie was Britain’s first legally recognised gay father, who praised surrogacy in the episode.
“We obviously wanted to expand our family, and last year I fell pregnant and it didn’t go brilliantly,” Stacey added in her confessional moment.
Ectopic Pregnancy – what is it?
STACEY Dooley has bravely opened up on her ectopic pregnancy. Yet what is it, and how common is it?
An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilised egg implants outside the womb.
Fertilisation, when the sperm meets the egg, happens in a fallopian tube, and usually the egg should travel to the womb where it implants.
In an ectopic pregnany, the fertilised egg attaches itself somewhere it cannot grow.
Most of the time this is on the fallopian tubes, but it can also happen on the ovaries, the cervix (neck to the womb) or another organ inside the pelvis.
The pregnancy does not usually last longer than 12 weeks, as symptoms will occur before then.
Sadly the pregnancy always has to be terminated. The egg will be removed in an operation or using medicine.
It affects one in every 80 – 90 pregnancies, or 11,000 pregnancies each year, the NHS says.
Getting emotional, she added: “It was ectopic.”
Stacey went on: “I am so sorry because this is so predictable.
“I am sat here, crying on a bed.
“It was ectopic, and it was really f***ing difficult.”
Reflecting on the ordeal, Stacey said: “Of course, when you go through something like that, you are forced to think of alternatives.
“S**t happens, and if you want a bigger family, you have to think how you’re going to do that.”
FAMILY LIFE
Stacey is in a relationship with professional dancer Kevin whom she met in 2018.
The TV presenter and broadcaster met Kevin, 42, when they were paired up with each other on Strictly.
They even lifted the Glitter Ball trophy together when they won the series.
Stacey and Kevin started dating the following year.
They welcomed their first child in January 2023, a daughter named Minnie.