She’s been through a miscarriage, unsuccessful IVF treatments and even ended up in the ER after being given a contaminated hormone treatment — so it’s no wonder Jenni Pulos, costar of Bravo’s hit reality series Flipping Out, is on cloud nine after welcoming her second daughter, Georgia, in June. “It feels amazing, especially because we went through a lot with this pregnancy,” she declares. “When I look at her, I just think, ‘Wow, miracles are possible!’ ”
Jenni, 44, has rarely spoken about the obstacles she had to overcome. Now, in an exclusive interview with Star, she opens up about the heartbreak behind her against-the-odds pregnancy, the faith that got her and her husband, Dr. Jonathan Nassos, through the ordeal — and how she’s gotten back in shape so quickly! “We really fought to have this little girl, and now she’s here,” Jenni says of 2-month-old Georgia, who was conceived through IVF. “Giving birth is always a miracle, but circumstances like these make you even more grateful — and more in love.”
close call
Jenni’s journey started two years ago, when she attempted unsuccessfully to get pregnant via IUI (placing sperm inside the uterus to facilitate fertilization). She and Jonathan, a Beverly Hills orthopedic surgeon, decided to try IVF. The first round didn’t work, but “the second time we had one embryo,” she recalls. “I’ll never forget the day the doctor told us that it was viable — and that it was a girl.” The embryo was implanted, but Jenni’s emotional roller coaster was far from over. “When I finally did get pregnant, I had to start injecting myself with progesterone to make sure the pregnancy stayed strong. Crazily enough, I was given a contaminated batch, and it gave me a really bad infection called cellulitis. I had to go to the ER and was on IV antibiotics for 10 days. I thought I was going to lose the pregnancy!”
Her baby, however, was meant to be. “One day after I got back home, the radio came on by itself — it sounds crazy, I know — and the song ‘Georgia on My Mind’ was playing,” says Jenni. “My aunt was named Georgia and had passed away the year before, and she was like a second mom to me. Over the next four days I heard that song everywhere. It was definitely a message, saying, ‘Don’t give up on this little girl.’ Of course we were going to name her Georgia.” Finally, on June 7, after carrying breech for most of her pregnancy, Jenni gave birth via C-section. “It was such a long, long road,” she adds. “When we got to the finish line, Jonathan and I felt as though we were living in a dream.”
double blessing
Amazingly, it was the second miracle birth for Jenni. Their daughter Alianna, 4, was conceived just weeks after she suffered a devastating miscarriage in 2013. “They say you need some time before you can get pregnant again, but it happened for me in no time at all, which was another serious miracle,” she says. “It was very emotional because I was grieving for the loss but overjoyed about the new pregnancy.” What’s more, Alianna’s over the moon now that she’s a big sister. “This is what she’s always wanted,” adds Jenni. “Alianna likes to show things to Georgia, hold her and even change her diapers. It’s so sweet. They already have a soul connection, and I can just tell they will have a powerful bond for life.”
After all she’s gone through, Jenni is eager to share her experiences to help other women who are considering IVF. “What’s most important is being emotionally in the right place and being absolutely committed,” she says. “It’s really scary to put everything you have in a procedure without knowing how it will turn out. You have to have faith. I did, and look at the result!”
