774 ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast presenter Sharnelle Vella has revealed she is expecting a baby girl in March, sharing the news with listeners during her program this morning.
Vella opened up about her and husband Nicholas Koutrigaros’ deeply personal battle with infertility, saying she chose to speak publicly in the hope of supporting others experiencing similar challenges and to raise awareness about endometriosis — a condition affecting an estimated one million Australian women.
Their journey included a miscarriage and several unsuccessful rounds of IVF. Vella said progress only began when a nurse encouraged her to request additional testing.
“A simple blood test showed mild inflammation in my pelvic area,” she explained. “Doctors recommended a laparoscopy to investigate further, with a suspicion of very mild endometriosis.”
The reality was far more severe.
Following the surgery in March, Vella recalled the confronting moment her surgeon delivered the diagnosis.
“I asked, ‘Did you find anything?’
He half-laughed and said, ‘Sharnelle, you have stage four endometriosis — we were cutting it out of you for three hours.’
I asked how many stages there were. He said four.”
Vella described the diagnosis as shocking, but ultimately pivotal. Just three months later, in June, she fell pregnant naturally.
“We are beyond overjoyed — and we are also terrified,” she said. “When you’ve lived with infertility, you constantly brace for bad news. You stop making plans, turning down travel, jobs and opportunities because everything revolves around the next step, the next cycle, the next ‘what if’.”
Vella encouraged others going through the emotional strain of infertility to know they are not alone.
“If you’re listening and this feels familiar, you are incredibly strong.
And if you’re supporting a partner, even when you feel helpless, you matter. Make her tea, make her toast, and hold her when she cries. You’ve got this.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one in seven Australian women have endometriosis. Many, like Vella, experience few or no symptoms and only discover the condition when trying to conceive. Endometriosis Australia reports diagnosis can take between 6.5 and 8 years on average.
Vella says ongoing conversations about women’s health are essential.
“We need to keep talking and listening. Women deserve to be believed, supported and taken seriously.”
She will begin maternity leave at the end of February and plans to return to the Breakfast program before the end of 2026. ABC Radio Melbourne will confirm a temporary co-host to join Bob Murphy in the new year.
Also Read This: The Great Aussie Sunscreen Stuff-Up: Too Little, Too Late
