Sara Pascoe, 42, welcomes a baby boy and reveals his adorable name as she admits ‘I can’t believe my luck’ after conceiving via IVF amid fertility struggles

Sara Pascoe has revealed she ‘can’t believe her luck’ after welcoming her second child.

The comedian, 42, who has been open about her fertility struggles, shared the adorable first pictures of her newborn on Thursday, revealing she and husband Steen Raskopoulos had welcomed a son called Albie. 

Taking to Instagram, Sara shared a slew of snaps of her newborn and elder son Theodore, 19 months, and penned: I’ve been in a hormone hole for three weeks so excuse my lateness- allow me to introduce baby Albie. 

‘As a 42 year old infertile woman I can’t believe my luck to have had two children (IVF). I also can’t believe how much washing there is. 

‘I’ll see you at gigs later in the year when I’ve stopped crying every three minutes, lots of love ❤️❤️❤️ ps last photo is @steenrasko I think his face sums up the post partum period very well.’ 

‘I can’t believe my luck’: Sara Pascoe, 42, who has been open about her fertility struggles, shared the adorable first pictures of her newborn son on Thursday

Adorable: Taking to Instagram, Sara shared a slew of snaps of her newborn Albie and elder son Theodore, 19 months,

Sara shared: ‘As a 42 year old infertile woman I can’t believe my luck to have had two children (IVF). I also can’t believe how much washing there is’

The news was announced earlier in the day by The Great British Sewing Bee’s social media page, as they tweeted: ‘Sending lots of love to Sara and her new baby!’, while confirming that Kiell Smith-Bynoe would step in to host the Christmas Special.

Sara revealed the news earlier this year that she was pregnant after experiencing fertility issues while trying for a baby.

She revealed the happy news on Instagram, sharing a snap in which she showcased her growing baby bump in a rainbow coloured knitted dress. 

Her husband Steen delightedly beamed alongside her while holding a beer next to her stomach. 

Captioning her post, Sara penned: ‘Here we go again. Eating for two and drinking for no one.’ 

The couple are already parents to a son, who they welcomed in February 2020 through IVF.

Sara looked overjoyed in her post as she flashed a dazzling smile while snapping a bathroom selfie on her phone.

And a host of the Out Of Her Mind star’s showbiz pals were quick to share their joy and elation at her baby news.

Duncan James wrote: ‘Awww massive congrats to u both xixixi.’

Ellie Jane Taylor penned: ‘Ah congrats dolly!! (And what a great frock!!).’

While Harry Style’s sister Gemma simply put: ‘Yay!’

Cute: She share pictures of her husband and their sons and she admitted ‘I’ve been in a hormone hole for three weeks’

Cheeky: She shared a snap of her husband and quipped ‘think his face sums up the post partum period very well’

Congratulations! The account’s tweet, read: ‘Sending lots of love to Sara and her new baby!’, while confirming that Kiell Smith-Bynoe would step in to host the Christmas Special

Baby joy! Sara Pascoe, 42, has become a mother for the second time, it was announced on the BBC show’s official Twitter page

In April, Sara opened up on her fertility issues impacting her stand-up comedy and her fear of turning down work after her baby was born.

Before giving birth, she had struggled to conceive and centered a lot of her comedy around being infertile.

After having her baby, she then changed her material to reflect being a mother, admitting to being ‘complex’.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Sara explained: ‘As human beings, we’re all inconsistent. Something can be true at one point in your life or career, but not true later on. 

‘When I did Out of Her Mind [the BBC2 sitcom in 2020], I was at a stage of my life where I’d got my head around the fact that I was infertile and I really leant into that in the show.

‘Then a year later, I had a baby [via IVF]. People who felt close to my narrative said, ‘Who are you, then?’ And it was like, ‘Sorry, people are really complex!’ 

‘When I was infertile, I was really defensive and now I’m a mummy, I do mum jokes. I’m an over-sharer – I’m comfortable with it, and with the discussion that comes after.’

She also spoke about her worries concerning work, feeling as though she had to continue working very soon after giving birth to ensure she didn’t miss out on future opportunities.

Sara said: ‘The advantage of having some money in the bank is that you don’t have to take a job to pay next month’s rent. But the fear is – if I don’t say ‘Yes’ to a job now, what if they don’t ask me again? 

‘I did QI when the baby was five weeks old. My agent had said, ‘Don’t you want a bit more time? Because you’re swollen, mad and leaky.’ I was afraid that if I missed it, they wouldn’t ask me next year.’

It comes after earlier this year, Sara opened up on her determination to ‘normalise IVF’ after struggling to conceive in her thirties.

Announcement: Sara revealed the news earlier this year that she was pregnant after experiencing fertility issues while trying for a baby (pictured in September 2023)

Delighted: A host of the Out Of Her Mind star’s showbiz pals were quick to share their joy and elation at her baby news

‘Tough’: Sara described how failing to conceive had a negative impact on her, exacerbated by the ease in which other couples around her fell pregnant.

Opening up to Women’s Health UK, she said: ‘What bothered me in my thirties was not knowing if I was going to have kids. 

‘My worry was: my life is really great now, but I don’t want to regret [not being a mum] when I’m 50. 

‘It was like making a hypothetical decision based on a sadness I hadn’t felt yet. The way society ties women’s success to marriage and babies weighed heavily on me; I think women are complicit in reinforcing it.’

Sara described how failing to conceive had a negative impact on her, exacerbated by the ease in which other couples around her fell pregnant. 

How does IVF work?

In-vitro fertilisation, known as IVF, is a medical procedure in which a woman has an already-fertilised egg inserted into her womb to become pregnant.

It is used when couples are unable to conceive naturally, and a sperm and egg are removed from their bodies and combined in a laboratory before the embryo is inserted into the woman.

Once the embryo is in the womb, the pregnancy should continue as normal.

The procedure can be done using eggs and sperm from a couple or those from donors.

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that IVF should be offered on the NHS to women under 43 who have been trying to conceive through regular unprotected sex for two years.

People can also pay for IVF privately, which costs an average of £3,348 for a single cycle, according to figures published in January 2018, and there is no guarantee of success.

The NHS says success rates for women under 35 are about 29 per cent, with the chance of a successful cycle reducing as they age.

Around eight million babies are thought to have been born due to IVF since the first ever case, British woman Louise Brown, was born in 1978.

Chances of success

The success rate of IVF depends on the age of the woman undergoing treatment, as well as the cause of the infertility (if it’s known).

Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy.

IVF isn’t usually recommended for women over the age of 42 because the chances of a successful pregnancy are thought to be too low.

Between 2014 and 2016 the percentage of IVF treatments that resulted in a live birth was:

29 per cent for women under 35

23 per cent for women aged 35 to 37

15 per cent for women aged 38 to 39

9 per cent for women aged 40 to 42

3 per cent for women aged 43 to 44

2 per cent for women aged over 44

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