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Home And Away star Emily Symons says she ‘owes everything’ to partner Paul Jackson after 'soul-destroying' IVF...and is now celebrating life as mum to baby Henry

By Megan Pustetto For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 21:29 EST, 6 September 2015 | Updated: 02:42 EST, 8 September 2015

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She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on August 3 – just one week before her 46th birthday.

And for Emily Symons, the gift of her son Henry was all the more precious, coming after two unsuccessful IVF attempts.

Speaking to New Idea magazine on Monday, the Home And Away actress revealed there were many times she would have given up without the support of her partner Paul Jackson, 45,

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New mum: Emily Symons has revealed how much she relied on the support of her partner Paul Jackson, 45

‘I couldn’t do it anymore, but we preserved,’ she told the publication. ‘I’m so glad we did.’

While the soap star called the IVF process 'gruelling' and 'soul-destroying' when things don't work out, she confessed the elation when it succeeds is worth the battle.

The actress, who has newborn Henry Richard Francis Jackson in her arms at last, says she owes her strength to Paul - who persuaded her to make one last attempt to have a baby.

‘He wanted us to have a baby together almost from the day we met,' she told the magazine.

'I think I said: “Are you out of your mind?” – And he was so confident this would work.’

Heartache: The star struggled to conceive via IVF but fell pregnant and is seen showing off her bump in 2015

Best known as Marilyn Chambers on the Australian soap, Emily – who spent years longing for a child - feared she would never fall pregnant, but says she was ‘extremely grateful’ when her greatest wish finally came true.

The proud first-time mother is currently taking time off to spend with her precious boy at home in Sydney.

The glowing Home And Away favourite delivered Henry two weeks early via caesarean at Sydney’s Mater hospital on August 3, weighing 2.6kg.

She later announced the happy news via her agent.

'Emily Symons and Paul Jackson welcomed a beautiful little boy into the world,' a statement from the couple said. 'Mother and baby are both doing well.'

Mother at last: The star says she is truly blessed to have baby Henry Francis Jackson in her arms at last

Emily announced the news that she was expecting her first child back in February, and that her bouncing baby boy was due around the time of her 46th birthday, on August 10.

The blonde beauty revealed the batch of eggs collected on her first attempt weren't fit to be used as they were deemed lower-quality, but eventually the process succeeded.

She also confessed she impatiently took a 'forbidden' home pregnancy test, just days after the embryo transfer, instead of waiting for the blood test two weeks later.

Not sure if the faint pink line on the stick was her eyes deceiving her, the actress then took a second test a day later to confirm the news.

Long road: The soap star called the IVF process 'gruelling' and 'soul-destroying' when things don't work out

Soon after the actress announced her happy news, she graced the red carpet at the 57th TV WEEK Logie Awards in May, proudly showing off her baby bump in a figure hugging black gown.

At the time Emily gushed about how excited she is to be giving Paul’s three children another member of the family to play with.

‘We’re all excited – it’s going to be great for our family!’ she told TV Week.

The bubbly blonde and the Sydney radio executive have been dating for more than two years, but are quite private about their relationship.

Paul is the DMG Radio Australia program director and oversees all content on the Nova and Smooth FM radio networks.

Glowing: The first-time mother is taking time off to spend with her precious boy at home in Sydney

Emily has been open about her battle to have children and admitted her marriage to second husband Lorenzo Smith broke down in 2005 following two unsuccessful IVF attempts.

In a 2012 interview with the Daily Telegraph, she said her mother's death from breast cancer had made her come to terms with the possibility of never having children.

'When you spend a lot of time on a cancer ward, it makes the baby thing seem irrelevant,' she said.

'But the flip side is that IVF can take over your life. It gets to the point where you're so desperate to have a baby, everything else falls by the wayside.'

In character: Emily plays Marilyn on Home And Away, seen here cradling another character's baby in 2011

Soap star: Emily has appeared on Home And Away on and off for 26 years playing ditzy Marilyn Chambers

Emily has appeared on Home And Away on and off for 26 years, making her debut back in 1989.

The Sydney-born star moved to England in 2000 to appear on the British soap, Emmerdale where she played Louise Appleton.

Moving back home in 2010, Emily reappeared in Summer Bay and has been on the soap since.

Having to trade in her heels for flats on the set of the soap, the pregnant actress joked to The Irish Examiner, 'Being Marilyn in flats is very weird, I tell you. It’s just wrong.’