Mariah Carey Pregnant With Twins -- Was It IVF?

on December 16, 2010 at 12:14 PM

Mariah Carey isn't just pregnant. Husband Nick Cannon let slip this week that Mimi is expecting twins sometime this spring -- after Mariah herself told President and Mrs. Obama her belly was carrying multiples. Ready? Set? Let the fertility treatment rumors begin!

Don't kid yourself; you thought it -- if even for a split second. At 41 years old, with a history of miscarriage and plenty of money to spend, Carey is a prime candidate for some sort of intervention. Add in the fact that she's expecting more than one baby, and the mind starts whirring.

You can't help it. The CDC estimates twins are now coming out at a rate of 32.2 per 1,000 live births in America. In 2007, there were 138961 twins born in the states. Compare that to 68339 in 1980, and that's more than double in less than 30 years.

So who's to blame? Women like Mariah -- older moms, who very likely sought fertility treatment to help push them up over the hurdles of conceiving at an "advanced maternal age." One of every five births to women 45 years of age and older was a twin delivery, while twins account for less than two of every 100 births to mothers 20-24 years of age. Not surprisingly, the blogosphere exploded with Cannon's confirmation, salivating at the thought that Mimi had to use a turkey baster or get shots every day. We just love thinking of our stars as having to get dirty, don't we?

The real question isn't whether it happens. It's why we care so much. Rumors about Mariah's belly have swirled so long that it's obvious she wants to be a mother and Nick wants to be a daddy. As a mom who conceived naturally, I know my daughter was wanted. But even I can say these moms may want it more than I do -- to go to such lengths to live their dream.

I don't care how it happened any more than I care when a friend decides childrearing isn't for her. Another woman having a tubal ligation or having fertility treatments doesn't affect my parenting any more than my male friend marrying his male partner affects my marriage.

As blogger and mother of triplets Jennandtonica put it in a post on BlogHer a few weeks ago, "All pregnancies are natural, regardless of the technology used to help achieve them." When people ask her whether her kids were natural, she responds, "Well, they certainly aren't robots."

Carey and Cannon's won't be robots either, but here's betting they'll be able to carry a wicked tune. Do you hear twins and think IVF?

Image via Facebook

About the author Jeanne Sager

writes articles for The Stir by day, slays closet monsters and bounds through bedtime stories with her elementary schooler by night. Diet Pepsi courses through her veins. The Phineas and Ferb soundtrack reverberates through her brain.

Filed Under: motherhood, pregnant celebrities, infertility

Comments (12)

Nonmember comment from Ashley

on Dec 16, 2010 at 12:26 PM

As someone who has gone through IVF, I do think it matters if she had treatments or not. Infertility is not something to be taken lightly and should not be taboo although it still seems to be. Own up to getting help, spread the message that some people need help to get pregnant. A person shouldn't have to be embarrassed or keep fertility treatments a secret.

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mrs.ramirez

on Dec 16, 2010 at 12:54 PM

Of course she conceieved through IVF.

I don't understand why people feel the need to be embarrassed over this. It is stupid if you ask me.

I have a close friend who's children were carried by surrogacy & ivf...it is ALL she talks about. She is so proud and loves to share her amazing story with people.

I do wonder...if people get carried away with ivf if the world will soon be all twins? Hrmmm.

happymom1988

on Dec 16, 2010 at 6:15 PM

i can almost swear that it was IVF ............ all the facts add up . if not , look aroudn at the other stars who conceived twins and did use Ivf ! sounds too similar to not ignore ! but either way , congrats !

Nonmember comment from Monzie

on Dec 16, 2010 at 7:14 PM

Frankly, I don't care *how* she got pregnant but I did want to mention that the likelihood of conceiving twins naturally increases as a woman gets older. By the time a woman reaches 45, twins occur in 1 out 17 pregnancies.

Nonmember comment from Danielle

on Dec 16, 2010 at 8:27 PM

Yes, when I hear twins are on the way I assume IVF or other fertility treatments were involved, especially if the couple has been married for a long time. But do I care? I'm curious but I don't care how those babies were conceived no more than I care to know what position someone else was in when she conceived her kids. I'm curious because I know that IVF is more than a medical procedure- it's a marital one as well. Couples who use IVF have usually already tried the "old fashioned" way before resorting to the highly invasive and stressful procedure and it doesn't often take the first time. It has an enormous impact on your marriage and having twins is joyous but it's a lot more work than singletons. As Jeanne wrote, you know those babies were REALLY wanted (similar to adopted children) so they are deeply loved but sometimes the journey to add to your family takes a major toll.

sodapple

on Dec 16, 2010 at 9:15 PM

just because a person had twins i do not necessarily thing it was IVF.

Sarasahmof3

on Dec 17, 2010 at 9:42 AM

Assuming anything just makes an ass,out of you and me. ass-u-me When I had my twins people kept asking me if I had help. NO, they were a surprise. We did not have any medical help at all in conceiving them. Twins happen, some naturally and some with help.

Nonmember comment from taria

on Dec 18, 2010 at 8:33 PM

I dont think they used ivf to get pregnant because they got pregnant on their own the 1st time when she miscarried. She admitted to using progesterone to regulate her cycles after her D&C

Facebook comment from Kelly Garza

on Dec 19, 2010 at 11:42 PM

I think the whole reason this is an issue, as a mom who suffered from infertility, is that women need to know that cases like this are not the norm. What I mean by that is even though it really is no one else's business how my child came to be, it is important to educate women on fertility issues. So many women are waiting until later in life to have children, for one reason or another, and think that since so and so celebrity had their child or children at 42, then they will be able to as well. And since she is in the spotlight, it is important that she be honest as to how she, after all of her struggles, became pregnant with twins.

Facebook comment from Chubzzy Wamy

on Feb 22, 2011 at 3:25 AM

then i will wat until i turn 40 as well if thats the scret to havin multiple babies,though i strongly fel its an IVF