Emma Weymouth opens up about her surrogacy journey following hypophysitis diagnosis

Viscountess Emma Weymouth has said she feels it important to be open about her journey to motherhood as she hopes it will help others struggling to conceive

Emma, 33, revealed she had to turn to surrogacy to expand her family after having complications in childbirth with her first child due to a rare brain condition.

The marchioness, who is one of the celebrities on this year’s BBC Strictly Come Dancing show, has spoken in the past about having her children but in recent days has revealed she suffered a condition known as hypophysitis, which is a swelling of the pituitary gland.

She told the Daily Mail Weekend Magazine that following the birth of Longleat heir, John, she suffered a bleed on the brain and was told it was too dangerous to carry another child.

She said it was important to be open but the topic is a difficult one

She said: “It’s a hard topic to talk about. I’ll cry my make-up off. So many people struggle to have children and it’s not unusual to go down a slightly different path if you need to.”

Emma and husband, the Viscount Weymouth, Caewlin Thynn, travelled to the US to engage the help of a surrogate and welcomed second son, Henry, in 2016.

The couple married in 2013 at Longleat, in Wiltshire and divide their time between the stately home and London.

What is hypophysitis?

According to Dr Paul Carroll, of the Royal College of Physicians, hypophysitis is an inflammation of the pituitary gland that can lead to pituitary dysfunction.

He said the condition is rare and poorly understood and is linked to pregnancy, called lymphocytic hypophysitis, but men can have it too.

Symptoms include severe headache with no relief, nausea and vomiting and extreme thirst.