Fertility

Actress Brigitte Nielsen reveals long IVF struggle to become pregnant at 54 with her fifth child

Medical professionals had warned her she had only a three to four per cent chance of conceiving.
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Actress Brigette Nielson surprised the world when she announced on social media on May 27 that she was expecting her fifth child at age 54. Just four weeks later, she gave birth to a healthy little girl.

Little did her fans know The Red Sonja actress, now 55, had been trying for more than a decade to get pregnant.

Speaking to PEOPLE and posing with her new bub for the first time, Brigitte revealed she and her husband, Italian model Mattia Dessi, 39, had been trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization for close to 14 years.

She had decided to freeze her eggs at age 40, after meeting Mattia, who was 15 years her junior. Medical professionals had warned her she had only a three to four per cent chance of conceiving with her own eggs.

“My husband and I have been wanting this so much for so many years. I finally have my little princess,” said the actress, who had been told she had only a slim chance of getting pregnant.

Although the couple are over the moon now little Frida has joined their family, their journey to welcome their bub came with a lot of heartbreaking times.

“There was a lot of disappointment,” explained Brigitte. “It’s that phone call going, ‘It’s negative.’ It’s the waiting. At times you can feel lonely, because a lot of women don’t talk to each other about it.”

The actress says she had an easy pregnancy and smooth delivery via cesarean.

She said: “It’s been a long road, and so worth it. We’ve never been more in love.”

The Danish-Italian actress is also mum to adult sons Julian, 34, Killian, 28, Douglas, 25, and Raoul, 23.

Bridgette has been married to Italian TV producer Mattia Dessi, 39, since 2006. Mattia is her fifth husband, she was previously married to Raoul Meyer (1993 — 2003), Sebastian Copeland (1990 — 1992), Sylvester Stallone (1985 — 1987) and Kasper Winding (1983 — 1984).

Bridgette and Mattia tied the knot in July 2006, in Malta, Italy after first having an unofficial ceremony in February 2005.

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