Megan McKenna Details Difficult IVF Journey and Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
The former TOWIE star revealed her struggles with OHSS during fertility treatment and her eventual successful pregnancy.
Megan McKenna recently shared details of her challenging journey through fertility treatment, including a hospital stay due to a rare condition called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). McKenna, who is now a mother to two-year-old Landon, spoke about her experiences on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast.
McKenna, 34, and her husband, footballer Oliver Burke, 29, faced difficulties conceiving their son. After being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as a teenager and considering freezing her eggs, McKenna met Burke, and they decided to try for a family.
During the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) process, McKenna's womb lining was found to be too thin for implantation. This led to months of medication and injections, during which she developed OHSS. "It was awful. Basically, it's like you're pregnant, but there's nothing in there," McKenna explained. She was hospitalised for two weeks as her ovaries became overgrown and she experienced fluid in her abdomen, a condition that can, in rare cases, lead to rupture or be life-threatening.
The experience of OHSS caused significant stress and delayed her pregnancy. "I was going through therapy, and I was also going through a lot of pregnancy acupuncture to calm my body, and to get my body ready to have all these injections because I didn't want it to stop what I was doing," she said.
Ultimately, after two high-graded embryos survived the thawing process, one was implanted, leading to her pregnancy with Landon, who was born in October 2024. McKenna described the implantation as "the best experience."
OHSS is a condition that can affect women undergoing fertility treatments, particularly those using injectable hormones to stimulate egg development. While mild cases involve symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea, severe cases can include rapid weight gain, vomiting, blood clots, shortness of breath, and kidney failure. In about 1-2% of cases, OHSS can be life-threatening, potentially leading to fluid accumulation in the abdomen or chest, blood clots, kidney failure, ovarian twisting, rupture of an ovarian cyst, breathing problems, miscarriage, or even death. Treatment for severe cases may involve hospitalization, IV fluids, and medications, with surgery sometimes required for complications like cyst rupture or blood clots.