'Something we looked forward to for so long:' Rosanna Davison on Christmas with three kids

The mother of three has been open about how the holiday was a difficult time while she was struggling with fertility issues
'Something we looked forward to for so long:' Rosanna Davison on Christmas with three kids

Rosanna Davison pictured at the start of the festive season at Carrickmines Park with the turning on of the Christmas lights. Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Rosanna Davison is reliving her childhood through her children this Christmas and after a difficult road to motherhood, she still can’t quite believe that she is now celebrating the holiday with three very excited toddlers.

Her twins Hugo and Oscar recently turned two while daughter Sophia celebrated her third birthday just a few days later, so it is fair to say the 38-year-old has a very busy house this festive season.

“We’re just really enjoying the run-up to Christmas now. The magic of it all for them is lovely and I get to sort of relive my childhood again through them so they’re at a lovely age now,” she says.

“The twins just turned two, Sophia just turned three so that’s a lovely age now to understand a little bit more about Santa and Christmas.” 

The mother of three has been open about how the holiday was a difficult time while she was struggling with fertility issues. But after many years of trying for children, multiple miscarriages, and international surrogacy, she and her husband Wes Quirke still find it hard to believe that they now have three children.

“We even still say to each other, 'God we can’t believe we have three.' Obviously, they all arrived within a year of each other, and it’s been so intense since then,” she says.

The family have already had their first Santa visit and were about to pick up their Christmas tree when I spoke to the former Miss World.

“We’re doing any sort of winter wonderland-style Santa things. I’ve booked into everything just to bring them and it’s something we looked forward to for so long when we were trying to have a family. We’re just really enjoying all of it now.” 

In 2019, she and her husband became parents to their first child Sophia, who was born via gestational surrogate in Ukraine but in 2020 Rosanna conceived naturally and give birth to healthy twin boys, Hugo and Oscar.

Earlier this year, her gestational surrogate Anastasiia Berezan came to Ireland after fleeing the war in Ukraine with the help of Rosanna and her family. Now, the pair have regular play dates with their children, and Anastasiia and her family have settled in Ireland.

 “They’re enjoying the run-up and this time of year and all of the decorations but they’re great. I’ve just been blown away, amazed by their independence and just their strength and their courage," says Rosanna.

Rosanna Davison is in encouraging the Irish public to consider their own fertility as we move towards the end of the year. Rosanna has teamed up with Thérapie Fertility to shine a light on fertility issues facing one in five couples in Ireland. Picture Jason Clarke
Rosanna Davison is in encouraging the Irish public to consider their own fertility as we move towards the end of the year. Rosanna has teamed up with Thérapie Fertility to shine a light on fertility issues facing one in five couples in Ireland. Picture Jason Clarke

Prior to her journey to motherhood, Dublin native Rosanna admits she was “ignorant to fertility issues” and “shocked” by her lack of awareness around fertility, miscarriage, and the options available.

“When we first started trying, I got pregnant immediately in the first go and we were delighted. We were 30 [and] 31 and just thought, what could possibly go wrong? We’re young, we’re fit, we’re healthy," she says.

Along with Richie Sadlier, Rosanna has joined ThĂ©rapie Fertility to encourage the Irish public to consider their own fertility after new research showed that nearly two-thirds of Irish people don’t know that 20-25% of heterosexual couples struggle to conceive naturally. The research also gives an insight into the perceived barriers when accessing fertility treatment in Ireland, with 83% of people believing that it’s down to cost.

“It’s a privilege to be in this position first of all but it’s so important to talk about our experiences with fertility," says Rosanna, "and really just contribute to the conversation about fertility and about the options available now for people who do want to start a family because we’ve both had our own difficulties and different experiences.”

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