Because I’m an idiot, I thought Jaime King was still, like, 26 years old. I remember when she was first on the scene as an actress/model, and I guess my mind was sort of stuck in that mindset. It wasn’t until today, just now, that I realized that she’s actually 35 years old. So, she’s 35 years old, she’s married and she has a one-year-old son, James. Jaime opened up to People Magazine in this week’s issue about the long ordeal she had to go through just to get pregnant. It really sounds like she had some major fertility issues.
She is a doting mom to one-year-old son James Knight. And while actress Jaime King is relishing her time as a parent nowadays, she is also reflecting on her painful past with infertility. In hopes of helping other women with similar difficulties of conceiving, the 35-year-old Hart Of Dixie star shared details about her ordeal in the latest issue of People magazine.
‘I felt so broken. Women are supposed to bear children and I couldn’t,’ she told the publication. The path to motherhood was a steep and winding road for Jaime, who welcomed her little one with husband Kyle Newman after several painful treatments of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
‘I’ve had five miscarriages, gone through five rounds of IVF and 26 rounds of IUI,’ she revealed. ‘I was in severe pain all the time, emotionally and physically.’ The former model added, ‘I always thought I would have three of four children. I felt so ashamed. Everyone who goes through it feels that way, no matter where they’re from.’
Not knowing what exactly was causing her so much discomfort, the star visited her obstetrician-gynecologist. She was diagnosed with endometriosis as well as polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that affects female sex hormones and fertility.
‘I was so happy that someone was finally explaining to me what was happening. Nobody was talking about it. I was hiding what I was going through for so long and I hear about so many women going through. If I’m open about it hopefully it won’t be so taboo to talk abut it. What’s the point of having a voice if you don’t use it. So I felt a responsibility to be very authentic, honest and real.’
Jaime went through nearly five years of fertility treatments but eventually wound up getting pregnant naturally.
‘When I got pregnant it was the best thing in the whole world. I had never felt so grateful,’ she gushed. ‘I was elated but cautious. I felt awful, but it was nothing compared to what I went through with fertility.’
On motherhood: ‘I’m proud. It’s the greatest role I’ve ever had, and having these honest conversations is everything.’
Endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, five years of IVF and 26 rounds of IUI and after all that, she got pregnant naturally?!? That’s crazy. Although I’ve heard many stories like that – after spending thousands of dollars on costly fertility treatments with no results, the couple goes off the treatments and gets pregnant soon after. As for her message, I think it’s good that she’s talking about it. I think most people avoid talking about these kinds of fertility issues because they are so painful and personal, but I think a lot of women feel “shame” at having issues and really, there’s should be no shame. Some women cannot get pregnant at the drop of a hat. Some women need help. And some women just aren’t interested in general. There’s no shame in any of it.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.
Really nice that she talks about it and has shared her experience!
She’s a fighter! I surely would have given up. I’m glad she was able to become a mother and she’s brave for talking about her struggle.
There are other ways to become a mother. Why not just adopt? Just to have someone to pass your genes onto?
There’s nothing wrong with adoption, but maybe she wanted to be pregnant? It’s her choice and she’s allowed to make it.
There are other ways to become a mother, sure. And plenty of children out there that desperately need loving families. And she may have or may still end up adopting. But what she went through – ok, what I went through – was a great deal of despair over being so useless and your body not doing what it’s SUPPOSED to do, as a woman. You crave being pregnant. And normal. And actually being able to make a choice about whether to adopt or have your own kids.
Adoptive mother here. Adoption is socially intrusive and expensive, full of judgement and potential heartbreak. It isn’t a choice you “just” make and it isn’t a choice for the faint hearted. It’s a completely different parenting experience and not the experience of choice for everyone. /end rant
I don’t think there’s any ‘just adopt’ about it actually. I know someone who adopted who was married, the right age, who ticked every box the adoption people like you to tick and it still took a very long time for them to be approved. People can be rejected for the slightest reason.
It’s great she’s talking about it – fertility issues are so hard for anyone dealing with them.
@cm- totally agree with how you, perfectly said. I’ve been through all of that as well and you do feel like your body is broken.
Adoption can take years. It is expensive and tedious. When dealing with infertility you hope the next treatment will work. Saying that people should just adopt is closed minded. Adoption isn’t for everyone.
As someone who effectively went into menopause at 22, whenever someone casually suggests adoption I want to chew glass. It’s right up there with “God has a plan.” It’s just not that easy, emotionally or financially.
As someone who also struggled with fertility issues before becoming pregnant naturally, I hated being told to “just adopt.” As if it is that easy, and as if we haven’t gone over our options to become parents! There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a biological child. Absolutely clueless to say, intrusive, and offensive.
Are you serious? You act like you can walk into a store and just adopt a baby. As someone who has been thru the exact issue Jamie has I know the pain that goes along with it and the feeling of heartbreak that comes with the struggle. How dare you act like she’s wrong in any way to want to have her own child.
“Adoption can take years. It is expensive and tedious.”
Yeah…Like the million fertility treatments she says she went through. And let’s face it, adoption doesn’t take “years” to famous people, I think that much has been established.
Because she had the choice. I don’t know many insurance companies that would cover that much treatment or how many people in the real world could afford it on their own if their ins didn’t cover it.
And I never hear about the “shame” of infertility — I always see and hear sympathy. Who is shaming anyone about fertility?
Luckily ‘the real world’ doesn’t just include the States. God knows how people afford fertility treatments without free healthcare. Thank god for the British NHS (in my case).
And you shame yourself re. infertility. About your body not working as it should. It’s not about others shaming you. The very fact that you haven’t heard about this ‘shame’ shows more people should be talking about it.
I have been shamed – Several times through the years by people – mostly other women. Questions like “Oh so how many children do you have?” and when I said none – “Well you don’t like children? what is wrong with you?” I had one woman turn her back on me when she found out i didn’t have children – like I was a deviant. Or people thinking that it is okay to ask intrusive personal questions about why I don’t and couldn’t have kids. Bundle all that together with the heartbreak and shame you put on yourself because your body can’t do something that millions of other women do everyday.
I now have a beautiful daughter that we adopted from Foster care. I love her with all my being, I am happy and blessed to have her….. and yet there are times I mourn for the fact that I never got to experience being pregnant…creating life.
Men often use as an excuse to justify going after extremely young women — like under 25 young. I am 29, but I keep hearing from male peers all the time how my fertility practically ran out and I probably won’t be able to settle down with man because it is too late for me. And there are women, as pointed, out by AngelL, that pat themselves on the back for having their kids (with allegedly no hassle) at ages 22 and 25, and thinking every woman should be on the same timeline or there is something wrong with them. The reality is that fertility issues can happen to anyone at any age, but there will always be people who point fingers at you because A.) you are too “old” now and/or B.) there is something wrong with you as everyone woman (re: young) should be able to pop babies at the drop of a hat.
Good for her. I’ve always wanted children, but sadly will never have any because of a hysterectomy at 38 years old. I have huge respect for any woman going thru fertility problems.
I’m so sorry DS. That is really rough. Hugs to you. X
Thank you. I hope to adopt in the near future. For now, my badass cat is my little sweetheart.
Oh wow, you are a tough cookie! I’m sorry you had to go through that. (((hugs)))
It happens, A LOT . At least in my circle of acquaintances I’ve heard from 3 women that ended up pregnant naturally after endless fertility treatments, one of them even started to fill out papers for adoption.
After a long time trying and one miscarriage, I basically said I’m done, I can’t take this. I was so broken, and we barely went through anything compared to what so many couples face. We started reviewing our adoptive options, and decided that, because of our strong family background and the amount of help and the network we had, we wanted to go through the fost-adopt program in our state and try to take on an older child. We knew we would be taking on baggage and emotional issues, and a whole host of worries, but that was what felt right for us.
Three weeks into the program, boom, pregnant with what has to be one of the easiest pregnancies and babies ever made. He’s almost four now.
Agreed. I had a friend in her 20s who did IVF, had 2 babies by it, and then had their third one naturally (and quite by surprise). It can happen, probably more than we think because not all women are open about fertility issues. Especially women younger than 40.
How natural is ‘natural pregnancy’ after having such treatments though? It seems a little naive to assume the serious hormonal and other chemical treatments one puts the body through with these procedures will have no temporary or lasting effects on ovulation, etc. I understand the impulse to do all that but would do tons of research if I were interested in going down that route. The health risks are not altogether clear yet either.
I also always wonder how the relationships fare during these extended treatments. From what I’ve read lots of women get obsessed and lots of partners check out. At that point it might be healthier to explore all kinds of other options. Foster care is clearly a different pursuit but a sure thing as opposed to adoption. And it’s all about loving and nurturing children.
my grandmother had 9 miscarriages, adopted my mom at 32, got pregnant when she was 34, and had babies until she was 42. The body works in very mysterious ways.
No, it doesn’t happen a lot.
It’s just that we are more likely to hear about the few happy/miraculous/against-the-odds stories than we are about the many, many, many more who suffer through infertility without ever being fulfilled.
I have PCOS and went through a year of unsuccessful fertility treatment and got pregnant on my own after 8 years. I understand where she is coming from.
I also have PCOS, got preganant easily with my first, but several miscarriages and difficulties for No.2. I applaud her discussing her fertility problems- I am very forthcoming with my experience to help others going through the same issues. I felt alone for so long!
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Bless her I did it and no way I could have first off afforded to do that many at $15k a pop OR emotionally gone thru it. Luckily for me it worked the first time and I was 40 but 3 years of on/off drugs, injections blah blah blah. Unexplained infertility was what I was told..
35? Why is she hanging out with TayTay, Chloe Moretz, skater Gracie Gold and Lorde? Anyway, her case isn’t unusual. We all know someone who had similar experience like hers. Some practically gave up.
Yes, I’ve always wondered why she hangs out with such young women and has pajama sleepover parties and such and we never see her husband.
I’m really happy for her, but this annoyed me a little. My heart goes out to any woman who desperately wants a child and can’t have one. I know she was only describing her feelings to try to encourage women going through the same thing, and everyone is entitled to their feelings, but I don’t think comments like “women are supposed to bear children and I couldn’t ” are very helpful. Women, like men, are supposed to find out who they are and make the most of the life they’re given. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fight and keep fighting if your dream is to have a child, but there isn’t a “happy ending” for everyone. I think it’s important for women going through infertility to know that they will be ok even if it doesn’t work out. I never had a child, and there will always be a part of me that feels sad about that. But I’m not “broken.” I made a good life anyway, and I’m a whole person, with or without a child. At some point, you have a decision to make – you can let disappointments ruin your life or you can choose happiness.
She also ignores the fact that many women don’t want children, and that’s a perfectly legitimate choice. Women aren’t “supposed” to bear children. We are supposed to be fulfilled however we can.
I completely agree with everything you just said. I truly don’t think she meant it in that way. To suggest women are supposed to be pregnant. But again, I agree with you.
Sorry GNAT but I think this is a little unfair. I don’t think she’s ignoring the fact that it’s a legitimate choice for a woman not to have a child. She’s talking about her own experience, where she didn’t HAVE that choice. It’s true that her body SHOULD have been able to bear children IF she wanted them. It begins to feel like your own body is conspiring against you and you do get angry/upset/ashamed.
Completely agree. She’s not saying women should have or want children, she’s saying their body shouldn’t deny them that choice.
I said she is entitled to her feelings and to relay her own experience. And believe me, I know how it feels. I went through it for 15 years. Of course you go through all of the emotions you describe, and there’s nothing wrong with her talking about it. In fact, I think it’s important that people do. I just don’t like the slant of the story – that she is only ok because she finally had a child. Some of us weren’t so lucky, and we have to live with that. We have to work through those emotions and believe we can be a complete human being without getting the one thing we ever truly wanted and believed we would have. Women going through this need to be told that there is life beyond infertility, and that they will be ok if it doesn’t work.
Completely agree GNAT – women DO need to be told there is life beyond infertility. Because there IS life beyond infertility. But that was not her story and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this actress saying that our bodies are designed to have children and we should have that choice.
I’m sorry you weren’t one of the lucky ones.
Yes, CM, you’re right. It was her story, and there’s nothing wrong with her telling it.
I don’t think she meant it that way or that she is suggesting that every woman’s destiny is to procreate. It is, however, what society tells us from a very young age. “You’re a girl, you’re going to be a mom someday. It’s what women do.” And if you internalize that and actually want it, then having an experience like she did will probably make you feel that way. Like you said, she’s talking about her own feelings at the time specifically and not about every woman.
I don’t feel like I’m supposed to have children because I’m a woman and therefore, her comment regarding her own feelings doesn’t have an impact on me. Likewise, I don’t think she’s making it worse for women going through the same thing (though I can’t be sure). If you’re already in that place, it might actually be good to know that others feel the same way and you’re not alone.
Also, this is a lovely sentiment: “I think it’s important for women going through infertility to know that they will be ok even if it doesn’t work out.” But that really depends on your definition of “okay”. For some women, it will never be okay to not be a mother. Others just work with what they’re given. It’s a very personal topic and her feelings the way she describes them are just that, very personal. I think that’s perfectly okay. If we pick apart every sentence that contains generalizations like “women”, “Americans”, or “young people” etc., we’ll never have a conversation about anything.
Thank you Littlemissnaughty, you hit the nail on the head.
“Women are supposed to bear children and I couldn’t” really resonated with me. That is how I feel constantly. Some of us that don’t have a choice about having kids feel broken and useless. Women are supposed to be able to have children if they want them, that’s what our bodies were designed for. I think that’s what she was getting at.
I’m sorry, DarkSparkle. I felt that way for a long time. I never meant to imply that there’s something wrong with feeling that way. God, I used to run to the drugstore and buy another pregnancy test even though I’d already done two, just “in case it was wrong.” Every month, I’d be sick with apprehension and prayerful and hopeful that it would please, please be positive, and when it never was it broke my heart, over and over and over. All my friends were on their second or third child, I was surrounded by babies and pregnant women and women complaining that they could “only have one child.” I would have sold my soul for one child. I felt that word “barren.” Empty and broken.
But don’t you see, I had to find a way to go on living, and loving and having a fulfilling life. She got her wish, and that’s great. But if you don’t, you have to find a way out of the misery.
So maybe I overreact when I read things like this. I just wish someone had given me a glimpse into the future when I was going through that, instead of making it seem that the only way you will ever be whole is to get what you want. I didn’t get what I wanted, but I found the strength to live anyway, and counted my blessings instead of my disappointments. I’m sorry if I offended anyone or looked at this too much through my own personal lens. I just want women to have hope.
GNAT- I hear where you’re coming from. I’ve been through all of that. Every month getting your hopes up and just having heartbreak, surrounded by women who “accidentally” get pregnant. Infertility makes you into a person you don’t recognized with feelings you don’t like to admit you have. The green monster of envy took over and even when I was finally pregnant through Ivf with my first, when my SIL announced her pregnancy I still felt the old familiar feelings of jealousy and I was not prepared for that. They never go away, those feelings never go away even when you think you’ve gotten past them. I know a lot of women in the infertility community and those feelings are very common.
GNAT – it didn’t come off as offensive at all, just slightly invalidating, like “hey, spit happens, suck it up, you’ll be okay.” And really only invalidating because I’m legitimately jealous of your strength and resilience. I don’t, in my heart of hearts, feel like I will ever be okay. Logically I know life goes on, and pain will dull over time, but my heart is completely broken. Thank you for offering an example of someone who did find their way out of the misery and is now shining brightly, I hope one day I can accept it with such grace.
I took an hour off, during which I cried and cried some more. Obviously, I still have pretty easy access to the pain. It never goes away entirely. I think I was annoyed with this story and it made me angry because it brought me dangerously close to those feelings, and that made me uncomfortable. It made me think, too. DarkSparkle, I am so sorry if it sounded like I was invalidating your feelings. And don’t be jealous of me. There’s a fine line between acceptance of your feelings and denial of your your feelings, and this made me see that I have yet more work to do. It has been coming on for about a year now – all of my friends are now having grandchildren, and it’s bringing me back to the painful place you are now. How arrogant and obnoxious I must have sounded to you. What a fraud. I need to go back to the way I was before – feeling and acknowledging the pain and disappointment, and finding a way through it. Maybe by helping children in some way or spending more time with of my nephews and nieces. But I have been shoving the feelings down inside. I see that now. Please forgive me for hurting you. I believe you will find your way, and I will find mine, and we will both find joy. But I was wrong to make it sound so simple. It’s not. Love to you.
@GNAT- Hugs to you and everyone else who knows the struggle of infertility. I appreciate stories like these because believe it or not your stories do help. Thank you to you and everyone for sharing. I truly mean it.
DarkSparkles – It sounds like I’m you, just by another name 🙂 I agree, it really does help me to read these comments. These comments are some of the best and most supportive (with a few “just adopt” exceptions, lol) I’ve ever read on an infertility post. I’m so sorry anyone else has to go thru this pain, at the same time it does give me comfort to know that I can’t be a complete failure as a human if there’s others like me out there who are continuing to live a life full of meaning. Hugs to all!
GNAT – you’re making me cry at work. In a good way. Absolutely no need to apologize, if you came off rude or arrogant I wouldn’t have bothered responding. You’re one of my ‘familiar faces’ in the comments here and I always enjoy your thoughts, which is why I jumped in the conversation. Do NOT call yourself a fraud or invalidate the healing you have already accomplished, you’re better than that. <3
GlitterTears – totally agree about these comments, this is really soothing to read that I'm not alone in this pain and others are moving past it. Best of luck and love to all of us in our decisions.
GNAT – what you said here is perfect: “But don’t you see, I had to find a way to go on living, and loving and having a fulfilling life. She got her wish, and that’s great. But if you don’t, you have to find a way out of the misery.”
That’s me too. I think it’s great infertiles can share their stories of miracle babies and success. It was my life-line to read those stories when we were going through treatment. But, you rarely hear the stories of people who do NOT have success, never have that miracle baby. And at times I truly wonder how I can continue to live this way, with this constant sadness over me. But, like you said, you have to find a way out of the misery. And I am; I’m working on it, it’s not perfect, but I’m emerging from it very battered and scarred. I’m just trying not to let it change me in such a way that it ruins me. It’s difficult to do.
Reading the comments here is very cheering to me. To realize I am not alone is a huge help. Big hugs go out to all who have to endure infertility.
GlitterTears, please see what I wrote above. You are very brave, and my heart goes out to you. It gets better, but it’s always going to be there. We just have to find our joy anyway, and not deny that it still hurts after all these years, as I was doing. I didn’t mean to lie or make it sound so simple. I just didn’t realize what I was doing.
GNAT – Oh, I know you weren’t trying to make it sound easy. It’s definitely not. To me – I read it as you were acknowledging/pointing out that some of us don’t get to ever get off the infertility train. It’s a message I don’t hear often and one that I think needs to be heard. “Keep hoping”, “stop stressing”, “it will happen when you least expect it”, “it worked for me” are all message I hear personally from loved ones and in the media. And at a certain point you have to say No and move forward. It’s the figuring out what the future is for you and figuring out how to be ok with it that’s hard.
GoodNamesAllTaken, you’re amazing.
+100000
Inspirational.
Thank you GNAT, I was hoping I wasn’t the only one who made a slight snarl at the “supposed to bear children”.
As with most of your comments, (particularly yesterday’s regarding families) I often feel that we are twins, in some ways. I just wish I were as articulate as you are.
GNAT and CatJ-I slightly snarled at the “supposed to bear children” comment, too. I’m not a mother and I have my own baggage in this area as well and it hit me the wrong way-you weren’t the only ones.
A friend of mine with PCOS tried for a year. Getting a giant needle in the uterus and hormone therapy all the time was hell. Then, she decided to give up and a week later, the phone call came that she was successfully knocked up! Apparently, with PCOS and hormone therapy, the natural thing can happen!
I’ve heard stories about women who did a lot to get pregnant. hormone therapies and ivfs and whatnots and in the end got pregnant when just stopped focusing so singlemindedly on getting pregnant. it had becomes a sort of chore I guess.
i’m glad Jaime King has her little James Knight. I wonder if she had another child and it was a girl what would her middle name be?
Yes, I agree. Let’s talk about it. I feel that our reluctance to talk about it makes it even worst. I don’t have scientific proof but I am sure that the stress doesnt make it easier. I friend of mine struggled for almost 2 years. Had one miscarriage and starting to see fertility Dr and in the middle of investigating what might cause the problem boom! She gets pregnant. I am sure there’s science behind it but I am just happy that she got pregnant. She was very reluctant to talk about it too but sometimes it help to load off.
Oh, I have a similar experience. After a miscarriage, a bad D&C and finding out I have genetic clotting issues, which makes it likely for me to miscarry again unless Im on blood thinners during pregnancy, i was a wreck. I became desperate to get pregnant again. And it just didnt happen. Eventually I was ready to accept fertility treatment and after months of trying, I decided to go for it in the following month, which never happened cos I got pregnant once I accepted my fate.
Plus, sometimes they are just damn wrong with those tests. I nthe beginning of this whoel experience, i had my husband tested and he came out subfertile. We were told to try IUI as he was unlikely to get me pregnant within a year. Well, merely considering the amount of time we tried, he actually got me pregnant twice within those 12 months. Im so glad I didnt listen to the doctor.
I have the same trouble and i had my daughter naturally.
I always know since my 19 years old that I could not have child and I was not interested to have some kid.My now-husband knew it and it’s even the reason why we broke .When we reconciled us,I decided to try and when I met the fertility specialist,I yet was pregnant. I’m lucky.
5 yrs???!!!!!
5yrs is a very long time to put your body through the stress of IVF.
Took me 8 years from diagnosis of PCOS to getting pregnant with my sons. It’s not that unusual. I was lucky I was diagnosed relatively young.
You do become obsessed when your body won’t let you do something you desperately want. I even began to wonder if I really wanted kids or simply wanted to ‘work’ correctly. All the while devastated and trying to hide it when another friend announces a pregnancy. But it’s not like they were 8 years of continuous fertility treatment and nothing else! You do get on with your life, in the meantime. In fact, I had some of the best times of my life in the 8 years I couldn’t have children! All that child-free traveling for a start – bliss!
6 years, 10 fertility treatments, two of which were with donor eggs (and yes, we tried adoption, wait list is 10 years + where I live), and finally twins with the last round of donor eggs. It’s a long time but for me WORTH IT.
High five, fellow twin mummy!
Poor woman. she went through all that and we never heard a peep, unlike KK, her issues are real. glad she decided to speak up. that must have been so heartbreaking, 5 miscarriages..
It’s a shame they didn’t want to adopt.
Seriously. Read some of the comments on here or go and educate yourself.
I’ve done both of those things, and it doesn’t change the fact that there are already millions of children in this world desperate for a loving home.
Could you please expand your argument? Seriously.
We don’t know that they didn’t want to adopt. Jaime King is raising awareness for infertility, not discussing adoption. Maybe as they battled infertility they did consider adoption, maybe they even started the process. We just don’t know. Nia Vardalos has an excellent book, Instant Mom, detailing her battle with infertility and eventual adoption. It took them years to finally adopt (I think 6 years), and they eventually ended up with a toddler versus the baby they started out seeking because no birth mother chose them to parent their child. There are actually more infertile couples seeking to adopt then there are babies available for adoption. So maybe, as they explored their options, they considered adoption, but chose at this time in their life to not go down that path. Very few people have the emotional ability to adopt children 12 years old and up (which is the ages of most children legally free for adoption).
I have Endometreosis. I had several miscarriages. One where I carried for 3 months and was very attached. I found out too late at 35. I am ashamed about not having kids and being odd woman out. I have little in common with my former best friends who have kids. I have moved on but there are still emotional scars that you push down. Adoption, I would but we were older (40) by time fertility treatments didn’t work and no longer great candidates. Financially it is expensive and my husband admitted he loved me but it was not for him. I throw shade at the just adopt person, you are clueless to this pain.
Wow I had no idea she was 35, need to know her skin regiment immediately.
Sometimes I think I’m weird for finding the idea of pregnancy gross and terrifying. I have literally no desire whatsoever to go through that. I’m just gonna adopt a full grown kid.
you’re not weird. I feel the same way.
Ok, phew, hearing people say things like “women are meant to have children” makes me feel like an alien. I really don’t want to have a parasite growing in my body and then clean up it’s poop and vomit for years after pushing it out.
I had a friend from HS who got pregnant after 12 years and accepting childlessness. As for me, I’ve done 10 rounds of IUI and beginning a second round of IVF next month. We unexpectedly were asked to adopt a baby in our extended family last month, we’ve agreed to, I just don’t want to get my hopes up. I’ve never been against the idea of adoption, but the process is long and expensive. We had even started foster parent classes, but some of the issues just hit too close to home for me with my own childhood, I was not emotionally ready. So after 10 years, it looks as if this year might be our year!
Congratulations and best of luck on your second round of IVF!
Ladies thank you for sharing your stories… it is a bit scary for me, im single, 29 and my closest 2 friends are having a lot of trouble getting pregnant and they dont even consider IVF and all that because it is so expensive. I dont know my fertility situation yet because i see so many friends my age struggling im scared to find out i have a problem too. Im also overweight which makes things scarier.
On the other hand both my sisters have children. One got pregnant easily.the other had to do some treatments. My mom also had to do some treatments to have us…
I will see. Thanks for your testimonials and all the best for you..
Best thing you can do is go to an endocrinologist and get your bloodwork done so you can get a sense of what you’re looking at. You may be totally normal with nothing to worry about. That test is generally covered by insurance companies.
Losing weight does help your fertility. I lost 40 lbs while trying to get pregnant and I think it helped. If you’re 29 and single you may not be ready to have kids but if you have the interest (and money!) egg freezing technologies have come a long way in recent years. Best of luck to you.
Thanks so much for the advice. I will be sure to do so once I get a job – currently unemployed. I just came back from studying overseas so i need to get my life together and start looking at all of that – healthwise and the financial situation
Thanks for the kind words!!!
Well Jamie has me beat for sure. I feel for her and I’m glad she’s speaking out. It took me five years, two miscarriages, an extremely difficult pregnancy, bed rest, hospitalization for Pre eclampsia and HELLP and my little man in the NICU for 7 weeks before all was said and done. I also couldn’t nurse because my milk dried up while I was in the ICU. It was a pretty horrific battle albeit with a happy ending. I do so admire women who can get pregnant at the drop of a hat and have an uneventful pregnancy. I enjoyed about two months of mine but the rest was pure hell. There is an unspoken rule about not discussing pregnancy as something horrific but it can be the case. People love to put a rosy spin on it. And if you don’t fall into that category you are looked at as strange. That’s why I stick with a group of ladies who had the same pre eclampsia, HELLP and pre term birth problems like I had. It makes me feel less strange. On a lighter note, one of my very best friends took fertility drugs to become pregnant with her first child but became pregnant naturally with her second child. It can happen.
Wow. I already knew she had been through some really tough, health-related stuff (eating disorders, drug addictions, and so), but I’m just learning about this! Can’t say much about it, other than I feel really happy for her, and that I’m proud she was willing to open up and share her story. Her life was at risk so many times, and she still managed to overcome it all, get what she wanted (a family) and be happy.
I’m glad you did a post on her. I was also thinking that it’s weird she’s clinging to an 18-25 year old age group looking a little desperate lately. Also she’s painfully thin-maybe she wasn’t healthy enough to gave a good pregnancy?
I never cared about Jaime King one way or the other until she started talking about this. I now think she’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever heard of. I did perhaps a fourth of the fertility treatments that she did ( 9 IUIs and 1 IVF treatment, 1 miscarriage) before getting pregnant. To go thru that many miscarriages and that many two-week waits (until you can pee on a stick) is unimaginable to me.
I’m so happy it all worked out for her. I think it does help women who are fighting thru infertility treatments to hear what other women have gone thru. It makes you feel less alone.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs have been tremendously beneficial interventions for infertility issues for literally thousands of years. In fact, TCM is tremendously helpful for ANY women’s health issues, including PCOS, endometriosis, chronic menstrual issues, and menopause issues. Pregnancy, to be successful, relies on 3 basic things: the ability to conceive (fertilization), the ability to implant in the uterus, and the ability to successfully carry a fetus to term. Any of these issues, alone or in combination, can be beneficially impacted by Chinese Medicine, as well as the numerous other factors that affect healthy pregnancy. People pay untold thousands of dollars for IVF and other procedures, when TCM is a relatively inexpensive therapy alone or in combination (integrative) with other interventions. If you know someone with fertility issues please let them know to explore Acupuncture & Chinese herbs!!
Jeez, I thought she was in her 20s too!!!! Where the have I been?