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BBC Sport presenter bravely opens up on miscarriage heartbreak
BBC Sport presenter bravely opens up on miscarriage heartbreak
The GAA Social Podcast with Oisin McConville and Thomas Niblock spoke to former Galway All-Ireland-winning hurler Johnny Glynn about his and his wife Serena's fertility issues
Thomas Niblock opened up about the miscarriages his wife Kirstie has had to go through
(Image: thomasniblock/Twitter )
BBC Sport presenter Thomas Niblock has opened up about the personal anguish of miscarriage and fertility complications following his revelation that his wife Kirstie tragically lost three pregnancies.
In an emotive segment on the GAA Social Podcast, Niblock and fellow host Oisin McConville invited ex-Galway hurling champion Johnny Glynn to share his harrowing experiences. Living in New York with his wife Serena, Glynn faced similar sorrows in his journey to parenthood.
Only recently, after steering New York to victory in the Lory Meagher Cup at Croke Park, Glynn learnt that their latest IVF attempt had failed.
During the podcast, McConville described it as a "privilege" to hear such candid and heartfelt discussions about the struggles of fertility, pregnancy loss, and ectopic ruptures, reports Belfast Live. Niblock laid bare the trials he and his wife Kirstie have endured.
"It is not an exaggeration in any way - my family and friends would know this - we were very close to losing Kirstie," he disclosed. "So that shapes you. You go from your fertility after that and I am thinking, it would be amazing and I'd love to have kids, like most people would.
"Not all - but certainly most. But at the same time when you nearly lose your wife that's the game changer for me and that's the priority. That shapes you as well.
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Johnny Glynn joined Oisin McConville and Thomas Niblock on the BBC's GAA Social podcast
"Then time passes by and you definitely do want kids. So that's where we're at, at the minute. We haven't tried IVF. That may be coming down the pathway. My wife is very lucky. She has a great set of friends - been really supportive towards her. She's a very strong person.
"She doesn't take things too seriously whereas everybody I would find would be quite different in this scenario. She has a good head on her shoulders. But it still is heavy stuff. I just feel it would be hypocritical if I didn't put myself out there, even though it's a bit weird to be talking about it."
Glynn's experience echoed similar sentiments, as he disclosed: "Unfortunately we've had a few miscarriages. We've had an ectopic pregnancy. We've done a few rounds of IVF.
"We are after finishing our fifth round of IVF transfers and they've all been unsuccessful so far. To be honest with you, where we are at I don't know exactly. I don't know how we are going to get there yet but we are going to get there.
Thomas Niblock opened up about the fertility issues he and his wife Kirstie have endured
(Image: thomasniblock/Twitter )
"When we do have kids and if they grow up to be healthy and fine, do you know what I'll take these two years. I'll take this tough time because it's only going to be for a little bit of time. We are going to get over it. We are going to be fine.
"Not to sound soft or anything, but as long as myself and Serena have each other, we'll be okay. What upsets me is seeing her so upset. I firmly believe, I will be ok, if she is ok. It's not being able to fix this for her, it's the one thing that is out of my control, that I can't do for my wife. It's a f*****g killer."
The pair opened up about their fertility journey, including sperm testing and confronting the discomfort caused by questions about starting a family.
Niblock shared an anecdote of common enquiries he faces: 'No kids yet Tommy?' before adding: "I would have known, even not going through our experience, if someone is married a year or two and they are in their 30s and there's no kids, there might be a wee issue there. Don't maybe say something to them.
"So I push back and say: 'To be honest, we've had three miscarriages' and the face just drops. But I feel that's important to say that. It's not me being guarded. It's just maybe more: 'you should have a wee think about that.' I am grand with it and it doesn't bother me, but I definitely know of other people it does.
The BBC presenter revealed his wife had gone through three miscarriages
(Image: thomasniblock/Twitter )
"I am always amazed by the response of so many people. Once you tell people you've had a miscarriage, they'll say: 'Tommy, know all about it, one or two myself.'
"Now their stage is different. This is what I think, my whole thing is if you have two or three kids and you have two or three miscarriages before, I'd be 100 percent with that.
"It's not mitigation against what happened in the past but your journey is a past tense one. But I think if you are in the midst of it and you don't have any kids and your story to tell is - in my case three miscarriages - you are in a very different place.
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"Not in a mean way but because so many people have no history of talking about it. It is bit weird for me even talking about this. In my life I'd say this is the most I've ever put myself out there so I am at fault as much as anybody else, because it's not talked about. It's not normalised and people don't really know what way to deal about it.
"We're still clinging on to hope and hope is a very powerful thing. If hope was gone, then you're realigning yourself - adoptions, fostering, no kids whatsoever. Me and Kirstie will have a brilliant life, no matter what way that goes, as long as she's there."
The full podcast is available on BBC Sounds here.
