It has been more than 40 years since the first child was born as a result of in vitro fertilization, and in those years since 1978, IVF has become one of the standard go-to fertility treatments for people hoping to become pregnant. But while more than 9 million babies have been conceived through IVF, the experience of going through this treatment is still something that isn't often spoken openly about. That's why it's been particularly refreshing to see celebrities such as Selling Sunset star Heather Rae El Moussa be so candid about their experiences.
Heather, who has shared that she was diagnosed with a low egg count when she was in her 20s, has been documenting her fertility journey on social media, including sharing updates on freezing her eggs and how many viable embryos she currently has (four, for the curious). She plans to undergo the implantation phase of IVF sometime in 2022 in hopes of starting a family with husband Tarek El Moussa (of HGTV fame). No doubt fans will be cheering for her, and other women facing infertility will be grateful that she has been so open and willing to document the process along the way.
Heather is not, of course, the first celebrity to open up about the highs and lows of going through IVF. Let's give a shout-out to other brave celebs who've been willing to share their deeply personal stories!
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen has been incredibly brave and open about her experiences with both IVF (which she used to conceive daughter Luna and son Miles) and pregnancy loss, including sharing the heartbreaking photos following the death of her third child, Jack. Chrissy is currently an ambassador for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and Ferring Pharmaceuticals as part of their Fertility Out campaign to try to make women feel less alone as they navigate challenges with fertility.
In a February 2022 Instagram post, Chrissy shared that she is currently undergoing the IVF process again as she attempts to add another child to her family. "I wanted to let you guys know I'm deep in another IVF cycle to save as many eggos as I possibly can and hopefully make some strong, healthy embryos," she wrote.
Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Kardashian has shared her hopes for giving daughter True a sibling. During the final season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, she revealed, "I've done IVF about three different times. I froze my eggs once already and when I was ready to make embryos with Tristan [Thompson], I was making embryos." Given that Khloé and Tristan have since broken up (again), it will be interesting to see what the next chapter of her fertility journey will look like.
Amy Schumer
Comedian Amy Schumer recently disclosed that she's opted to quit the IVF process and that she'll very likely never get pregnant again. Prior to this decision, she'd been open about the fact that she and her husband were trying to have a second child, including posting this update on Instagram in 2020: "So many women go through many rounds of IVF which is painful and mentally grueling. I heard from hundreds of women about their miscarriages and struggles and also many hopeful stories about how after rounds and rounds of IVF it worked!! It has been really encouraging. Thank you."
Michelle Obama
Although former first lady Michelle Obama kept her experiences with miscarriage and IVF private while her husband was pursuing his political career, she has since opened up about the fact that daughters Malia and Sasha were both the happy result of the treatment. In her book Becoming, she wrote movingly of realizing that "fertility is not something you conquer" and that she had to make peace with the fact that "two committed go-getters with a deep love and a robust work ethic can't will themselves into being pregnant."
Gordon Ramsay
While the physical work of IVF is a much bigger burden for women, it's always good to remember that fertility challenges can be just as emotional for male partners. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his wife, Tana, have five children who were conceived via IVF after the couple faced dual fertility challenges: Gordan's low sperm count and Tana's PCOS diagnosis.
Brooke Shields
Actress Brooke Shields is often credited for her bravery in bringing attention to the reality of postpartum depression, but she's also written about how hard IVF can be. In her book Down Came the Rain, she got vulnerable and shared that before becoming pregnant she was "ready to call it quits."
"I was growing weary of the anticipation and the pressure, and [my husband] Chris [Henchy] said he wasn't sure he could handle seeing me rip off another estrogen patch in frustration," she wrote. "At wit's end, we decided to try one more time." And they finally had success!
Emma Thompson
One of the brutal realities of fertility treatment, including IVF, is that sometimes it just doesn't work. One celeb who dealt with that reality was Emma Thompson. She and her husband, Greg Wise, had successful IVF that led to welcoming their daughter, Gaia, but they were unsuccessful when they tried for a second child. Greg described IVF as "a brutal process — it's very emotional." The couple would go on to adopt a teenager years later.
Celine Dion
Celine Dion and her late husband turned to IVF to conceive their three sons. In 2010, Celine spoke openly about the process with Oprah Winfrey, noting that she'd had already been through several rounds of IVF: "We tried four times to have a child. We're still trying. We're on the fifth try. And I tell you, if five is my lucky number, this fifth try has got to come in."
Courteney Cox
During the heyday of the wildly popular TV show Friends, Courteney Cox was making people laugh as the uptight Monica, but behind the scenes she was dealing with miscarriages and managing the process of IVF as she and then-husband David Arquette tried to build a family. Courteney has shared that she did at least two rounds of IVF before getting pregnant with her daughter Coco.
Gabrielle Union
In her outstanding memoir You Got Anything Stronger? Gabrielle Union writes movingly about her long fertility journey and the heartache that came from repeated attempts at IVF that ended in multiple miscarriages. She and husband Dwyane Wade eventually turned to surrogacy to welcome daughter Kaavia, who was born in 2018.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian is lucky in many ways. She's rich, she's beautiful, and she's got the love of her big (and sometimes messy) family. But all that luck has not translated into her journey to motherhood, which featured lots of physical issues along the way and IVF as part of her path to conceiving son Saint. Kim has been open about how difficult pregnancy was for her, which is one of the few times she really seemed relatable to a lot of moms.
Tyra Banks
Another celebrity mom who has revealed that she tried, but wasn't ultimately successful with IVF, is Tyra Banks. She reportedly underwent IVF cycles for more than a year without luck. She eventually decided to use a surrogate, through whom she had her son York, who was born in 2016.
Katie Lee
In 2019, chef and talk show host Katie Lee wrote an amazing reminder on Instagram about why it's never OK to question people about their pregnancy plans: "My doctor advised us to try IVF. We just finished the intense process only to get zero healthy embryos. Not only is IVF physically exhausting, the emotional toll is unparalleled. We were filled with hope and excitement only to be crushed," she wrote.
"It is really hard to put on a happy face. Fertility issues are supposed to be private so many of us are silently in pain. I hesitated to share this, but I feel comfort when I hear others' stories and I hope any of you in a similar situation know you are not alone." Since that post, Katie has happily become a mom to daughter Iris.
Sofia Vergara
Sofia Vergara's IVF journey certainly didn't end the way that she might have hoped. In 2013, she and her then-boyfriend used IVF to create several embryos. The couple broke up and then later ended up in a public legal battle (that waged on for years) regarding the fate of their remaining embryos. In that time, Sofia married hunky Joe Manganiello and while the two have spoken about a desire for kids, they have not yet expanded their family.
Melissa Etheridge
IVF is not only a treatment for couples who might suffer from medical infertility, it can also be a path to parenthood for LGBTQ couples. Rocker Melissa Etheridge has been open about using this method to help create her four children with two ex-partners.
