15 Celebrities Who Have Been Open & Honest About Infertility (PHOTOS)
Lots of celebrities have come forward about their struggles to conceive, in many cases using their fame as a platform for helping other women struggling with similar issues. Whether choosing IVF, surrogacy, or adoption, these celebrities were open and honest about turning to reproductive assistance when it came to starting their family.
Have you been faced with infertility? If so, you are not alone. About 10 percent of women have difficulty getting pregnant. Here is a roundup of celebrities who have opened up out about their struggle to conceive.
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Jaime King
The Hart of Dixie actress welcomed her first child in October of 2013, but the star was open about her struggle to conceive. King, who suffered with both Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and endometriosis, endured five miscarriages, five rounds of IVF, and 26 rounds of intrauterine insemination. While one would hope that the universe would spare the actress any further heartache when it came to having children, when King finally did become pregnant she endured 26 hours of labor and an early delivery due to preeclampsia. In a heartwarming ending, King recently welcomed her second child, Leo Thames, whose godmother is none other than Taylor Swift.
Giuliana Rancic
The E! News host had more than her share of struggles with infertility, and turned to IVF to help her conceive. Sadly, she miscarried after one IVF at 9 weeks, her next IVF was unsuccessful, and after her third, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Rancic underwent a double mastectomy but was unable to carry her embryos due to the cancer medication, so she and her husband, Bill, turned to surrogacy. On August 29, 2012, a surrogate gave birth to their son, Edward Duke. A firm believer that woman need to do their research to find a path best suited for their needs, Rancic's favorite quote is "'Everything will be OK in the end. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end.'”
Elizabeth Banks
The Hunger Games actress and her husband, Max Handleman, were together for nearly 20 years, but starting their family proved a difficult journey for the couple. Turning to gestational surrogacy, Banks bravely told Women's Health in 2012, “So once my focus became the baby and not the pregnancy, it was a very easy decision.” These days, the couple are parents to Felix (born in 2011) and Magnus (born in 2012), and while the actress speaks cautiously about the very personal matter, she has become a role model for those considering surrogacy.
Nicole Kidman
This beautiful Aussie is a proud mama to her children with Keith Urban, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. Kidman defied the odds and became pregnant with Sunday Rose after physicians gave her a 2 percent chance of conceiving. Faith Margaret arrived via a gestational carrier. Kidman also has two adopted children, Isabella Jane Cruise and Connor Antony Cruise.
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Jimmy Fallon
The female stars in Hollywood are not the only ones to open up about the journey to conceive. Late Night host Jimmy Fallon revealed to Today's Savannah Guthrie that he and his wife, Nancy Juvonen, were on an "awful" five-year struggle with infertility. Alas, Fallon and Juvonen welcomed daughters Winnie (2013) and Franny (2014) via surrogate.
Hugh Jackman
X Men star Hugh Jackman is another celebrity dad to speak out about infertility. The star and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, tried IVF only to have the cycles end in miscarriage. Describing it as a "difficult time," Jackman admits that miscarriage, while common, is often not talked about. Finally achieving their family through adoption, Jackman says it was always part of their parenting plan. Today the couple are doting parents to children Oscar Maximillian and Ava Eliot.
Trista Sutter
Trista Sutter had her happy ending when she got the final rose in season one of The Bachelor. But the reality star revealed that her two-year struggle with infertility was a "dark time." In her book, Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart, Sutter revisits the challenges she faced in her journey to conceive. Fortunately, Sutter and her husband, Ryan Sutter, enjoyed a happy ending with the births of their children: Max in 2007 and Blakesley in 2009.
Kim Kardashian
While infertility has gained recognition, secondary infertility is a rocky road often littered with insensitivity because a parent already has one child. When Kim Kardashian and husband Kanye West decided to make daughter North a big sister, it just wasn't happening. Kardashian was very open about her struggle during her reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Fertility treatments finally led to a second pregnancy, though doctors fear she will be afflicted once again with a dangerous condition known as placenta accreta, as she was when carrying baby North. The couple's son is due in December, 2015.
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Sarah Jessica Parker
The actress and her husband, Matthew Broderick, were already parents to son James when they wanted to expand their family. Their attempts were unsuccessful, so they turned to multiple fertility treatments, which didn't work. Parker opened up in an interview about their decision to use a surrogate. Joyously, three became five when the couple's surrogate gave birth to twins Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge in June, 2009.
Courteney Cox
Much like her Friends character, Monica, Cox suffered with infertility. While the star admits getting pregnant was easy, it was staying pregnant that was a challenge. After multiple miscarriages, Cox and her husband at the time, David Arquette, finally got their miracle through IVF and the actress delivered daughter Coco at age 39.
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey and her then husband, Nick Cannon, suffered a miscarriage soon after their wedding in 2008. Turning to acupuncture and fertility treatments, most notably progesterone, which reportedly helps to minimize the risk of miscarriage, Carey finally got pregnant. While she was considered high risk and put on bed rest during her pregnancy, the songstress delivered the twins at 35 weeks on the couple's third wedding anniversary.
Tyra Banks
In September, model Tyra Banks broke down in tears during her television show, FABlife, while discussing her struggle with infertility. The 41-year-old supermodel has been dating photographer Erik Aksel for two years and admits to undergoing IVF. Banks and fellow model Chrissy Teigen, who herself struggled to conceive, revealed how the constant barrage of questions about when she would start a family only made the journey more painful. We have no doubt that Banks will be a top mom!
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Celine Dion
Dion's first child, Rene -Charles, didn't come easy. In fact, it took the singer six years and reproductive assistance to have him. Desperate to give him a sibling, Dion underwent five rounds of IVF in six months, consisting of daily hormone injections, blood tests, and estrogen patches. IVF number six was the magic one, and the Grammy award winner and her husband welcomed twins Nelson and Eddy on October 23, 2010.
Brooke Shields
The actress and hubby Chris Henchy tried IVF after their lack of success with artificial insemination. Shields' difficulty conceiving stemmed from a previous surgery to remove precancerous cells. Emotionally exhausted, the star attempted one final IVF cycle with her frozen embryos. Fortunately, she got pregnant and the couple welcomed a daughter Rowan (2003). Miraculously, in 2006, their daughter Grier was conceived naturally.
Marcia Cross
Using IVF or surrogacy to start a family is gaining recognition. Sadly, using donor eggs continues to remain quiet. Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross and her husband, Tom Mahoney, were so desperate to start their family they skipped their honeymoon in order to begin IVF. But unlike many women who do IVF, Cross used donor eggs to conceive her twins, Savannah and Eden. With her willingness to share her story, the star hopes to shed light for others. Bravo!