Amy Schumer is in the process of harvesting her eggs in an attempt to give her son, Gene, a sibling. This story surprised me. There is no judgement in my surprise at all, I just had no idea that Amy was trying to get pregnant or having trouble doing so (if this is the case). Gene is about eight months old. Amy got pregnant with Gene within months of her wedding to Chris Fischer and never mentioned IVF in that discussion. We do know that Amy had a difficult pregnancy, suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum. We also know that Amy has been very happy to return to work recently, although she still misses Gene, of course. But recently, Amy invited her followers to join her in her IVF journey and it seems like the impetus was because Amy really needed some support. Five days ago, Amy posted this (borderline NSFW) photo to her Instagram showing her bruises after her first week of IVF treatment with this caption:
I’m a week into IVF and feeling really run down and emotional. If anyone went through it and if you have any advice or wouldn’t mind sharing your experience with me please do. My number is in my bio. We are freezing my eggs and figuring out what to do to give Gene a sibling. ❤️
I’m sure Amy is emotionally wrought, and she really did want to reach out for herself. But as we are seeing more and more from Amy, she’s also reaching out to connect with fans on a very personal level about the struggles and challenges most of us face. Many people thought she overshared how bad she had it during her pregnancy, but I thought what she was doing was great. Not that I could watch it but remember that for centuries, it was socially unacceptable for a pregnant woman to be seen in public. Pregnancy complications have left countless moms-to-be isolated and instructed to just suck it up. Sometimes, when you’re suffering, the best medicine is to know you are not alone. Fortunately, social media showed its best side here and many of Amy’s fans cheered her on with advice and support. Two days after posting about IVF, Amy posted another shot of herself in a doctor’s office, thanking everyone for their comments and sharing some key advice:
Thank you ladies and a few gentleman. We are gonna freeze embryos hopefully. I learned to eat salty food after and drink Gatorade. Ice the area. Take arnica and put arnica on the bruises. To be patient and kind to myself and that there are sooooo many of us willing to be there for each other. Your stories helped me more than you can imagine. I feel incredibly lucky. I’m really hoping this works and staying positive. Much much love! 💪🏾
Monday, Amy posted two short videos and an Instagram story of herself during the egg harvesting procedure. Not the actual procedure, but her in a hospital bed, under the influence of something. Chris, who is filming, is heard off camera laughing and chatting with her. It’s cute. Obviously, Amy approved as she was the one who posted them. I am extremely fortunate to not have had fertility issues but knowing some who did, I saw how hard it was on both parents. I know how much it helped to lean on others who shared a similar experience and that’s what Amy is doing. – both for her fans and herself. Good for her. I can always choose not to click on a post of Amy vomiting or sitting on a toilet, but I don’t discourage her from posting them. Because after being forced to gestate out of the public eye because other people couldn’t handle it, it’s nice to remove some of those stigmas. Babies may be a blessing, but pregnancy and birth are messy and emotional. And if we can’t drink during it, we should at least be able to talk about it.
Photo credit: Instagram and Getty Images
Genuine question, why would you do that to yourself after just welcoming a baby for the first time? I imagine that to be extra stressful. Why the rush?
Yes, she must be made of strong stuff. I had an emergency c section like her and it took me a good 2.5 years to even think about having another baby. Another genuine question did she actually post her phone number?!
They both are not so young , she is 38. If she waits couple years , it might really diminish their chances. Also his sp-m quality is not improving with age.
I think she’s freezing her eggs so that she has a better chance when she’s ready to have another. I don’t think she’s planning to get pregnant ASAP. At least that’s my understanding.
We had to get help from a reproductive endocrinologist (fertility clinic) to conceive my first when I was 36. I was told to wait 9 months before going for baby number two. Since we needed help for #1, we didn’t know how long it would take to get #2 going. You don’t want to wait too long and then face months, if not years, of fertility complications. Especially at that age.
My doctor won’t even let me think about having another baby until my baby is 1, ideally 18 months. It’s so weird how different doctors say and do such different things.
Best not to wait too long. I had no trouble conceiving at 35. But I waited until I was 40 to try again and suffered two miscarriages. Happy that I have my one son, though.
I took it as her being in the prime time of her career with fertility winding down, and wanting to bank some potential babies for gestation later so that she can be working to full capacity in the here and now and not laid out puking.
She’s 38. Waiting won’t make it any easier, and may be much harder. I’m sure they tested her ovarian reserve and told her exactly what the odds would be now vs. in a year.
Exactly. The IVF isn’t for her to get pregnant it’s for her egg freezing. I remember hearing some women do IVF in order to freeze their eggs and thought it was weird but she’s also 38, she might need help.
Also isn’t that how Kim Kardashian got pregnant? I remember she was dating Kanye but planning to freeze her eggs and they told her no birth control and possibly IVF and bam she got pregnant before she could freeze.
Bless her. Truly. It’s a harrowing heartbreaking thing to watch from the sidelines. As I have for a number of friends. Those who do it- they are warriors. There is nothing more to be said than that. Their strength is horrifying – as is all strength that comes from a painful ordeal that no one wanted. Loss. Ivf. Women go through things and are so tremendously strong simply because there is no other choice.
There is a great IVF community support in LA. I hope she finds her people. She’s gonna need them.
As for early or whatever – that’s none of my ding dang business.
Yes she really did post her #, it’s still up. Brave girl.
I went through IVF, and in the end even with a number of frozen embryos it didn’t take when implanted. I can understand her reaching it, it’s a rough road. I wish her and hubby all the best (PS I just saw I feel Pretty for the first time the other day when it was on TV and she was so funny in it!)
My husband and I have been trying for over a year to conceive the old fashioned way and nothing. We’ve never really kept up with my ovulation so I suppose that’s the next step but I’m only 31 and he’s 36, we didn’t expect to have any issues. If ovulation scheduling doesn’t work in the next 3 months, we’re going to a specialist or whatever the first step of testing requires. I’m really scared we’re going to get bad news, I don’t know if I’m cut out for IVF. I’m a Virgo and a little bit of an empath. I’ve seen friends of family truly struggle and have complications during delivery. Is it just that more people are talking about fertility issues or is there an actual increase in fertility issues?
If you haven’t tracked your ovulation yet, you can’t say that you’re having issues. That’s the key to conceiving. If there’s no egg there, then no baby. Make sure you know there’s an egg there and make sure you’re hydrated and have good cervical mucus, and if after 6 months of that, still nothing, then see a doctor. You’re probably fine. Tracking ovulation is like the biggest thing you have to do. Try Fertility Friend app.
Seconded. Mindy-buy a basal thermometer today and start temping TOMORROW. Get to know your patterns.
Thanks guys! I just bought a BBT thermometer on Amazon and I’ll be more diligent. I just know so many people who didn’t track or just had a surprise baby. How did they do it!? Lol
Honestly Mindy, they just so happened to do it while ovulating and everything just worked out. But your ovulation might surprise you. I found that I ovulated waaay earlier than I thought, sometimes when traces of my period were still around. Knowing that made all the difference and we got pregnant pretty quickly after that. If you use the fertility friend app, and log your temps, it’ll tell you when you’re ovulating so you don’t have to guess. It also is really helpful in telling you when your period is going to come on. When your temp drops, your period comes within a day it seems.
LH strips were a godsent, as well as Preseed (sperm friendly) lube. Track Track Track. Took us 6 months of tracking at 29 and 28 to get pregnant. Oh and i hate my tubes flushed.
Having gone through the process of using fertility clinics, there were plenty of women in their early 30s and many more in their 20s. Fertility issues can happen at any age so don’t feel bad about that. And remember IVF isn’t the only treatment option. Sometimes you just need some medicine, like Metformin (not just for diabetes), or an IUI. Research all options but definitely start tracking ovulation.
If you’ve been trying for over a year and have sex at least 2x week during that time, you should go start the testing process now. You can track your ovulation and keep trying that way in the mean time, but get the ball rolling on getting help. Good luck!
Hi fellow Virgo empath! Can I also just add (even though you probably already know this) that once you know your ovulation you should be having sex BEFORE you ovulate because sperm can survive for days whereas an egg only something like 12 hours. And I think it takes some time for the sperm to even get to the uterus it’s not instantaneous. You’ll read a ton of advice about how often to have sex but we did it every other day for the week leading up to ovulation until maybe a day after and had great outcomes that way.
Echoing what the others said! My husband and I started trying in January 2019 and I was getting frustrated every month when my period came. Turns out, we were really just having sex with no birth control around the times I thought I was ovulating. I decided to buy an ovulation kit in April 2019 and got pregnant the same day it said I was ovulating. Fast forward to today, I’m sitting here 4 days before my due date, counting down the minutes until we get to meet our peanut. Wishing you lots of luck!
@Mindy – hubby and I were 36 and 38 when we conceived our son. I tracked ovulation and we definitely had most sex around ovulation. I used the First Response ovulation test kit. It was expensive but I am lazy lol and didn’t want to have to check my temp.
She may be considering gestational surrogacy since her pregnancy was so tough. It would explain the embryo freezing despite the seeming ease of getting pregnant the first time and the “see what to do about giving Gene a sibling” comment.
That was my first thought as well, Melissa. If so, she’s fortunate to have the resources to go that route!
I have a feeling that’s exactly what she’s going to do. They can afford a surrogate so I guess why not. But to be honest, this is a lot to go through just so her son can have a sibling. But hey, it’s their choice.
My thoughts exactly. The way she wrote about options and was very public about the challenges of her pregnancy.
I can’t imagine doing IVF with an infant, it’s so very very rough. But I 100% understand it!!! I’ve got a baby on the way via surrogate and rushed to do an IVF round before he gets here for the same reason: to try to get him a sibling. Family planning is so complex and there is a HARSH expiration date for women w/our eggs. It’s a mind screw and just very very hard to know if you’re doing the “right thing” at the “right time”. I appreciate her sharing this. There’s no shame in this game, family planning can be really hard for a lot of us. And you can push your body so hard and when it doesn’t work 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
It stinks she has to do IVF treatments so soon after having her baby. I can’t imagine the physical and emotional toll of all that, combined with going back to work too. If this is what they want, I hope it’s successful for them.
I really feel for her ( and I can’t stand her!) I had a miscarriage last year and am now 9 weeks pregnant and coping with hyperemesis. It’s appalling, I’ve been hospitalised twice in the last week and a half for dehydration and have lost a stone in weight the last few weeks. A close friend of mine went through IVF and it seems to be incredibly difficult and draining.
I’m in the process of undergoing IVF after two miscarriages and then two years of infertility. As a diagnosed anxious person, for some reason I’m not scared at all. The needles really don’t bother me. I’ve talked to enough women who have gone through it to know the drugs during the egg retrieval are pretty awesome. I’ve been so poked and prodded and tested over the past two years that I just don’t give a shiz about the whole process. Just do it. I’ve got an amazing, kind, patient, awesome doctor. My only fear is that it’ll come back that none of my eggs are good. Y’all if you haven’t suffered from infertility please be very very grateful for your healthy pregnancies and babies. I never in a million years dreamed that I’d be here.