Infertility affects both men and women and can be challenging to deal with. While treatments are available, they don’t always work, and the process can be emotionally and financially draining.
Some celebrities have been open about their struggles with infertility, and their stories may help other couples facing the same issues.
Chrissy Teigen
It took years of trying and failing to conceive before Teigen was allowed to become a mother for the first time. She currently has a daughter Luna and a newborn son, Miles, but she had to go through many challenges before she could do so.
“We were having trouble. We would have had children five or six years ago if it hadn’t been for John,” she explained to Tyra Banks in 2015. “But, my goodness, it’s been a journey.”
Teigen resorted to freezing her eggs and became pregnant with Luna, who is now three years old, through IVF treatments. But she mentioned that dealing with the questions about having a family was difficult.
“It’s a great question. It has a nice intention, but you may not understand what the other person is going through at times,” she said. “You’re trying to say, ‘I’m working on it, and I can’t do it.’
After a devastating pregnancy loss in 2020, Teigen says she wants to have more children and use her platform to bring more compassion to other women’s fertility issues.
“For me, it’s all about ensuring that everyone has access to those methods and making sure people can realize their goals. It would be a lovely thing if that were the case. IVF isn’t always an option for women seeking to conceive a baby, which is why it must be. It shouldn’t be so costly to freeze and harvest your eggs.”
Brooke Shields
Shields has been very open about her infertility struggles and her treatments to become a mother.
“I tried everything…It was heart-wrenching,” she told Oprah Winfrey in 2006.
Shields eventually had two daughters, Rowan and Grier, through IVF treatment. She also used a surrogate for her second daughter.
“I was so grateful that I was able to have my children, but there’s a period when you just want to crawl in a hole because you feel like you’re the only one going through it,” she said.
Mariah Carey
Carey has always been private about her personal life, but she opened up about her struggles with infertility in her memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.”
“I never knew how common it was,” she wrote. “I just assumed that if you wanted to have a baby, you could have one.”
Carey revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage early on in her marriage to her former husband, Tommy Mottola. She also underwent in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, which resulted in the births of her twins, Moroccan and Monroe.
Celine Dion
Dion has never shied away from talking about her fertility struggles. She spoke openly about her decision to undergo IVF treatment to conceive her son, René-Charles.
“I wanted a baby so badly,” she told “60 Minutes” in 2000. “I was 30 years old, and it was time…I did everything I could, but I couldn’t. So we went for in-vitro.”
Dion eventually had twin boys, Nelson and Eddy, through IVF. She has said that she is grateful for the treatments that made her dreams of being a mother come true.
Sheryl Crow
Crow underwent a lumpectomy and radiation treatment for breast cancer in 2006, and she was declared cancer-free in February 2007. In April 2015, Crow revealed she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy.
After her breast cancer scare, Crow decided to freeze her eggs. “I went into fertility treatments,” she told the magazine. “That was tough – all the shots and everything.”
Crow also opened up about her struggle with infertility, revealing that she had suffered nine miscarriages. “I’ve had fertility issues,” she said. “I’ve never been pregnant before.”
In 2018, Crow adopted two boys, Wyatt and Levi.
Gabrielle Union
Union revealed her fertility struggles in her 2017 memoir. We’re Going to Need More Wine. The actress wrote about her “devastating” experience with eight or nine miscarriages.
“For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant – I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle,” Union wrote.
Union and her husband, NBA player Dwyane Wade, welcomed a daughter via surrogate in 2018. They are also parents to Wade’s three sons from previous relationships.
Tia Mowry-Hardrict
In 2011, Lea Thompson had her first child, son Cree Taylor, but was unsure whether she could get pregnant again with her husband Cory Hardrict since to her endometriosis.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to have a second kid, and it’s been over seven years since my first,” Mowry-Hardrict said. “I tried delaying it as long as I could — but I still wanted another baby.”
She gives birth to Cairo Tiahna in the final season, and she’s finally pregnant again at age 28.
We tried for a long time, and it wasn’t easy. But I refused to give in.
Tyra Banks
She and her husband, Michael Banks, tried in vitro fertilization before adopting their daughter. She revealed to PEOPLE that they “experienced some distressing” attempts due to it.
“I’ve had some unpleasant times with it, and I’ve been through a lot of really terrible things,” she continued. “It’s tough as you get older, and it’s not something that happens overnight.”
She gave birth to York due to an egg donation with ex-boyfriend Erik Asla and her former partner, whom she split up with in May.
“I’m thinking of all the folks who cannot conceive or carry a child, and I continue to pray for them every day as I gaze into my son’s beautiful eyes,” she added after York arrived in 2016. “My hopes and aspirations are brimming with kind wishes that they may experience what it feels like to hold my little treasure, York Banks Asla.”
Kim Kardashian West
After giving birth to girl North, Kardashian West suffered from fertility issues.
“I had so many issues. My placenta accreta was a rare situation. There were a few small operations to correct all that, resulting in a tiny hole in my uterus, making it difficult to conceive again. It was a tough path.”
When she was, Kardashian would contact now-ex-husband Kayne West as soon as possible.
After months of trying, she finally revealed that Saint was on the way. On Jan. 15, 2018, the family added another daughter, Chicago (born via gestational surrogacy), to their brood after Kardashian West’s previous fertility issues made it impossible for her to carry a third child naturally.
Kim felt the need to hire a surrogacy agency that served as the go-between in locating a healthy woman who would be a suitable surrogate option for her and Kanye. Both of them have been active throughout the procedure.
Nicole Kidman
In 2011, Kidman stated that she has “had a roller coaster ride with fertility” throughout her life. She and Tom Cruise struggled to conceive for years after marriage and decided to adopt Isabella and Connor. After becoming engaged to musician Keith Urban, Kidman could not get pregnant again.
“Anyone who has gone through the pains of attempting to conceive and then lost hope knows how awful it is to experience despair, pain, and loss while doing so,” she added. “It’s a big issue I’ve never shied away from discussing.”
The parents of Faith, who is 5 years old, decided to use a gestational surrogate to carry their second kid.
“We were in a bind and desperately wanting another child,” she continued. “This falls into our lap, and I’m unable to conceive…” Children are children; you’ll go to any length for them. And when you believe as a parent — that’s the real love. ”
Rebel Wilson
On May 2, 2017, the actress posted a personal note on her Instagram, stating, “I received some terrible news today and had no one to tell it to…but I suppose I must inform someone. To all the women dealing with infertility. The world is full of strange occurrences and times when everything doesn’t make sense, but I know there’s light on the horizon. ”
In a recent Instagram post, she emphasized the importance of her infertility and the desire to preserve her eggs. She said that her urge to freeze her eggs was what motivated her “Year of Health.” “I thought fertility and having good eggs in my bank, so I said, ‘OK, I’m going to do this,'” she recalled.
Conclusion
Many celebrities have been open about their struggles with infertility, miscarriage, and other reproductive health issues. For these women, talking about their experiences can help to break the stigma surrounding these issues and let other women know they’re not alone.
If you’re struggling with infertility or miscarrying, know that you are not alone. There are many resources available to help you through this difficult time.
Speak to your doctor about your options and what you can do to improve your chances of conceiving or carrying out a pregnancy term. You can also join a support group or online community of women undergoing the same thing.
