(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Penny Lancaster decided to speak about her battle to become pregnant in an effort to inspire other women.

The 39-year-old is currently expecting her second child with 65-year-old rocker Rod Stewart. The pair have four-year-old Alastair together, and revealed Penny turned to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) this time round earlier this week. It took three rounds of treatment for Penny to fall pregnant, and she is keen to show women in the same boat as her its important to stay strong.

Its the emotional, the physical all the injections and hormones you have to take its a long and hard journey, she explained. I thought by speaking about it I could hopefully give other women some hope and inspiration to keep trying because here are other avenues.

Penny expected to fall pregnant quickly when she and Rod decided to start trying again, and couldnt believe it when things didnt happen naturally. It took three rounds of IVF for things to work, and Penny also changed her diet. She was warned her mercury levels were too high so steered clear of fish, and is convinced it helped.

I was in disbelief because I thought, If we cant do it naturally Ive been pregnant before, my bodys been through that, IVFs bound to work. When I was told it hadnt worked and then the second time around the same story, I thought, Theres got to be something wrong with me, theres got to be another answer to this. It cant just be, Im sorry the office is closed.

Alastair is thrilled to be having a new sibling, and was delighted when his parents told him the baby will be a boy. Hes absolutely over the moon. He said, I hope the doctors not wrong about it being a boy. I said, I think its pretty sure by that scan. (C) Cover Media