You’re Not Alone! Celebrities Who’ve Done IVF
Celebrities Who've Tried IVF - You're Not Alone!
Many families silently struggle with fertility issues, but luckily, medical advances over the past forty years in assisted reproductive technology (ART) can provide help for those interested in getting pregnant. IVF – or In Vitro Fertilization – is one method that can be very successful – though expensive, and generally not fully covered by insurance. It involves harvesting a woman’s eggs, next fertilizing them outside the body, and then implanting the resulting embryo/s in the uterus. Success rates can range from 15%-75% depending on what IVF process is used, maternal age, reproductive history, and lifestyle of the participants. In recent years, many celebrities have come forward publicly about their difficulties with fertility in an attempt to shed light on the common issues many couples face and open the conversation about alternative fertility methods.
Keep reading to see which famous celebs have spoken about their experiences with IVF…
Chrissy Teigen + John Legend
Known in the media for her forthright opinions and openness to discuss difficult subjects, model Chrissy Teigen has been on the forefront of celebrities trying to bring fertility issues out of the shadows and into normal conversation. "The big question was why this wasn’t working for us when I was young and he was healthy," Teigen told SELF Magazine about her inability to become pregnant.
The road to pregnancy was not easy for the couple. “Emotionally, it could be really hard… you don’t want to get your hopes up, but of course you do.” Luckily, they successfully gave birth to a daughter, Luna, in 2016. On top of that, they are opening the discussion about pregnancy issues!
Brooke Shields + Chris Henchy
Brooke Shields was one of the first celebrities to speak publicly about her troubles getting pregnant and the emotional toll it took on her life and relationship. Undergoing a surgery in her early 30’s to remove pre-cancerous cells resulted in permanent scarring on her cervix, affecting her ability to conceive. “Everyone around me was getting pregnant,” she wrote. “I was starting to feel bitter. Maybe I really wasn’t meant to have kids.”
Brooke underwent seven rounds of IVF over two years, including one miscarriage. “The whole process was quite an ordeal, and we became slaves to the time of day and to little vials of liquid. I was growing weary of the anticipation and the pressure, and Chris said he wasn't sure he could handle seeing me rip off another estrogen patch in frustration…at wit's end, we decided to try one more time." In the last round, she conceived daughter, Rowan, when she was 38. Two years later, she and her husband, Chris, were surprised with the natural pregnancy of their second daughter, Grier.
Brooke is now a spokesperson for Fertility Lifelines, which provides free, confidential educational resources to support people with fertility concerns. She’s also the author Down Came the Rain (2005), which details her personal experiences with infertility, IVF, and post-partum depression.
Hugh Jackman + Deborra-Lee Furness
Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman and wife, Deborra, planned in 1996 after their marriage to have biological children one day and then to adopt. Since his wife was 40, they tried IVF after a year of naturally attempting to conceive. "While you're going through IVF and get pregnant, every day [the feeling is], We're still holding! We're still holding…! You know how precarious it is and how much she's been through to get there.”
The couple suffered two miscarriages during the process and ultimately decided to adopt. "To be clear, Deb and I always wanted to adopt. So that was always in our plan. We didn't know where in the process that would happen, but biologically, obviously we tried and it was not happening for us and it is a difficult time. We did IVF and Deb had a couple of miscarriages. I'll never forget it, the miscarriage thing — it happens to one in three pregnancies, but it's very, very rarely talked about. It's almost secretive, so I hope Deb doesn't mind me bringing it up now. It's a good thing to talk about it. It's more common and it is tough. There's a grieving that you have to go through."
Though IVF didn’t work for the couple the way they had planned, they were still able to start the family they had always hoped for with their two beautiful children, Ava and Oscar.
Courteney Cox + David Arquette
The Friends star and her now ex-husband are one of the most high-profile couples to be open about their fertility struggles during the taping of the hit sitcom, which she even lived through her character, Monica, as they storyline mimicked her real life. They struggled for years to get pregnant, but suffered many miscarriages before doctors discovered a rare antibody in her blood that prevented pregnancies from reaching term. “I remember one time I just had a miscarriage and Rachel was giving birth,” Cox said the year Friends ended. “Oh my God, it was terrible having to be funny.”
The couple finally found success with IVF after years of trying and welcomed daughter Coco to the world in 2004.
Jaime King + Kyle Newman
The actress revealed in 2014 that she had been struggling for eight years with infertility due to endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. She suffered from five miscarriages, an ectopic pregnancy, twenty-six rounds of intrauterine insemination, and five rounds of IVF before her first successful pregnancy with her son, James, in 2013.
She opened up about her struggles on Instagram, stating, “I felt so ashamed. Everyone who goes through it feels that way, no matter where they're from. I was in severe pain all the time, emotionally and physically. I felt so broken. Women are supposed to bear children, and I couldn't… I was hiding what I was going through for so long, and I hear about so many women going through what I went through. If I'm open about it, hopefully it won't be so taboo to talk about it."
The couple welcomed their second son, Leo, in 2015 and have hopefully paved the way to more open discussion about fertility.
Nicole Kidman + Keith Urban
“I’ve had a very, very roller coaster ride with fertility… It has never been easy for me,” the Aussie actress has said. “Not to be too detailed, but I’ve had an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriages and I’ve had fertility treatments. I’ve done all the stuff you can possibly do to try and get pregnant. Every woman who has been through all those ups and downs knows the depression that comes with it. So the way it just happened with Sunday was like, ‘What?’ The percentages were so low. It is the miracle in my life."
The actress gave birth to daughter, Sunday, in 2008 with husband, Keith, adding to her family of Connor and Isabella, children adopted with ex-Tom Cruise. Three years later, their second daughter, Faith, was born through a surrogate.
Christie Brinkley + Peter Cook
The stunning model and her fourth ex-husband tried to conceive multiple times, including three miscarriages – one after undergoing IVF – before she found success with her third child, Sailor via IVF in 1998 at the age of 44.
Celine Dion + René Angélil
The Titanic singer and her producer husband conceived their first son, René-Charles, in 2001 through IVF after six years of infertility due to low sperm count. Her second successful pregnancy in 2010, to twin boys Eddy and Nelson, was also the result of IVF after six rounds of trying, a miscarriage, and multiple rounds of acupuncture.
“IVF is difficult emotionally,” Dion has said of the failed attempts. “With any pregnancy, whether it’s through IVF or not, you feel a danger. You have to remain positive and try to relax as much as possible.”
Emma Thompson + Greg Wise
The Harry Potter actress and her husband conceived their first child, daughter Gaia, in 1999 through IVF. The attempts at a second child were not as easy – fertility treatments just didn’t work for the couple. “IVF is very upsetting. It’s a brutal process and it’s very emotional. It’s really hard,” said Wise in a 2014 interview. “But then you pick yourself up, look around and see this unbelievably beautiful little baby you’ve got anyway,” referring to her daughter Gaia. Thompson admitted that the experience led to deep depression and has said there were days she couldn’t get dressed or leave the house.
In 2003, the couple met 16-year old Tindyebwa Agaba, a former child soldier from Rwanda, at a Refugee Council and decided to add him to their family by permanently adopting him.
Tyra Banks + Erik Asla
The model and photographer couple, who’ve been together since 2013, decided to start trying for children when the model was 40, but not without difficulties. “I am so tired of seeing on my social media, ‘Why don’t you have kids? Why don’t you have kids?’ You don’t know — you don’t know what I’m going through ...
After undergoing IVF treatments, Tyra and Erik welcomed a son, York, in 2016. With respect to her IVF experience, she’s said "I've had some not-happy moments with that, very traumatic moments. It's difficult as you get older. It's not something that can just happen… And you know, putting needles in your tummy every day and having to come to work and smile when you feel like you want to throw up and lay down...I can't believe I'm saying this right now."
She has stated that she’d like to try for more children in the future.
Infertility, IVF, and Coping in Your Life
Long gone are the times of silence about infertility issues and treatments. Most of us have someone in our lives or have personally experienced some form of infertility and either embarked or thought about embarking on a treatment such as IVF.
The first step in considering if IVF is right for you is to do some research and talk to your doctor. It’s also important to talk to your loved ones and let people you trust know about your struggles, so you are not alone on a journey that can be emotionally and physically difficult.
If a loved one is in that position, it is important to let them know you are there for them, but allow them to express their feelings in their own time and try to keep an open mind. Everyone’s situations are a little different and no two cases are the same.
