Jools Oliver opens up about PCOS and her miscarriages

Jools Oliver is a mother-of-five

For many suffering from infertility, this statement could be a trigger but please keep reading. Jools, 46, has polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS) and we hope she offers some light at the end of the tunnel.

The wife of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, Jools has been open about her struggle with the condition and, in recent months, about the secret miscarriages she had.

The children’s author and former model was diagnosed with PCOS aged 17 and always knew it would be difficult to have children.

She told UK media: “Even when I was 17, I thought there might be a problem and that I’d have trouble conceiving because my periods were irregular. I was quickly diagnosed with PCOS, which meant that I wasn’t ovulating each month like normal.”

Jools tried for over a year to have a baby and eventually was prescribed medication to help her ovulate.

Jamie and Jools now have five children, Poppy, 19, 18-year-old Daisy, Petal Blossom, 12, and sons, Buddy, ten, and five-year-old River, but what has not previously been revealed is the miscarriages Jools suffered, the first one happening before River was born.

Jools explained the second of the four miscarriages she had was life-threatening.

She said as a guest on the Life and Soul podcast, hosted by Saying Goodbye founder and CEO Zoe Clark-Coates MBE: “Miscarriages can be so damn dangerous, they can take your life.

“I get flashbacks that I’m going to have to live with for the rest of my life and that is really hard.”

The podcast discusses the need to recognise post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from miscarriages and calls for change on how the medical profession deals with it.

To listen to the full podcast, click here

To find out more about the work of Zoe Clark-Coates MBE, visit the Saying Goodbye website.

Diagnosis is key when trying to conceive. If you feel you have any of the symptoms of PCOS read our guide here and why not get a test here to find out if you have PCOS. If you do have PCOS, there are supplements and specialists courses to guide you at Babble Fertility shop.

PCOS Explained