Reality TV star Jess Impiazzi, 36, has spoken candidly about the anxiety surrounding her high-risk pregnancy, which she describes as a 'miracle' after a difficult IVF journey. The former 'Ex on the Beach' star is expecting her first child, a baby boy, in May with her partner, racing driver Sam Bird, 39.
Impiazzi, who also appeared on 'Celebrity Big Brother' in 2018, suffers from the autoimmune condition lupus, which has complicated her pregnancy. She requires scans every two weeks to monitor the baby's heartbeat due to a risk of fetal heart block caused by a Ro antibody. 'Only about 1% of people with lupus have it – and of course I do!' she said. 'The first and second trimesters were quite stressful. If I couldn't feel him move for a while, I'd totally panic.'
The couple turned to IVF after Impiazzi's fertility struggles linked to her condition. She revealed she was upfront with Bird from the start about the likelihood of needing treatment. 'I told Sam from the minute we met that I had problems and would probably have to do IVF,' she said. Bird, she added, has been her 'absolute rock' throughout the process, despite his fear of needles during the injections.
Impiazzi shared that the pregnancy test result came as a 'happy shock' after a nerve-wracking wait. The couple took a holiday to distract themselves before testing, and a faint positive line led to cautious optimism. 'We didn't quite believe it, because we'd had such a struggle,' she recalled. 'We were in shock, but it was a happy shock!'
Now at seven months, Impiazzi says she is finally starting to 'calm down', feeling her baby move regularly. 'He's been absolutely fine so far. He's a bit on the smaller side, but that's normal with my condition and the medication I have to take,' she explained. She credits her stable relationship with Bird for giving her the security to face the challenges, saying, 'I've hit the jackpot.'
