Celebrities open up about their difficult infertility journey’s – after it was revealed infertility issues affect one in six couples

Infertility issues affect one in six couples, with 50% of fertility issues often coming from the man in the relationship. The difficulties in trying to conceive can cause a strain on the relationship as it can be a frustrating process especially when it’s not always easy to decipher the reason behind why the process is taking longer.

In addition, according to the Miscarriage Association in the UK, around a quarter of a million pregnancies will end in miscarriage. This statistic is worrying for a lot of couples who are wanting to try for a baby.

Alfasigma a leading international pharmaceutical company that produces Proxeed, a fertility supplement designed for couples who are struggling to conceive, wants to bring awareness to this process that couples go through. The sadness and loneliness that both men and women suffer from when dealing with infertility issues are feelings which many go through, yet struggle to open up and talk about their difficulties.

When going through the emotional rollercoaster of infertility, it’s important to remember to open up to your partner, but also to remember you’re not the only one going through it, as many more people will be feeling the same pain and searching for the answers on how to conceive.

Sometimes fertility issues can also be down to lifestyle choices, whether that’s excessive drinking, smoking, not enough sleep and exercise, which is why the makers of Proxeed believe even small changes in both partners’ lifestyles can help increase the chances of conceiving naturally.

Many celebrities have also been opening up about fertility issues to normalise the often lonely and daunting journey for many and how this problem is common for the majority of us across the world.

In order to eradicate the isolation many people may be going through along with trying to get more people to open up about fertility issues, The below is a list of celebrities who have been outspoken about their own difficulties in their fertility journey, aimed at showing that even the most iconic A listers also experience the same journey and feelings.

Speaking out about infertility can help take away the shame and solitude couples might be experiencing.

1. Sharon Stone
The famous American actress, Sharon Stone, most famous for the film ‘Basic Instincts, ’has spoken about her infertility journey where the actress has shared how she has been through nine miscarriages. Her fertility issues have been found by doctors to be down to her being diagnosed with endometriosis (where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places) which can be extremely painful for some women. Also, she suffers from an autoimmune disease which makes it harder for her body to carry a baby. Stone has illustrated the heart-breaking moment where she had to endure 36 hours of labour alone after losing her baby at five and a half months, this experience left her feeling alone and a ‘failure’ due to not being able to give birth. Since this experience, she has adopted three children and is using her journey to bring awareness to the need for adequate care and support towards women going through the loss of a baby as the healthcare system needs to be more understanding to those going through it.

2. Jesse J
The singer is most well known for her famous tracks from back in the day, including ‘Do It Like A Dude’ and ‘Price Tag’ however, recently she has spoken about how she has been ready to have a baby since she was 25 years-old. Although, Jesse has not had an easy journey due to being diagnosed with adenomyosis (when the tissue that normally lines the uterus (endometrial tissue) grows into the muscular wall of the uterus) in 2014 which has affected her chances at getting pregnant. After being told the news that she may not be able to conceive naturally, doctors advised the singer to get a hysterectomy (surgery to remove all or part of the uterus) whilst also having to take medication. Jesse chose to not go with the surgery and has made some lifestyle changes instead through changing her diet and taking natural medicine, she is still hoping this will help towards her ongoing fight for fertility.

3. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
American Supermodel and television personality, Chrissy Teigen and her husband the award-winning singer John Legend, have been extremely open to the public about their miscarriage with their third child in 2020. Having their previous two children through IVF, the couple fell pregnant unexpectedly with their baby boy, Jack, however Chrissy was experiencing bleeding throughout her pregnancy, which led to her being sent to hospital. Unfortunately, they lost their baby Jack and the couple shared photos on instagram of their distress and emotional reaction to the sad news. Although, she wanted to share with the public photos after her miscarriage to emphasise how proud she is of her body to carry her through the journey and remind others they are not alone with the loss of a child.

4. Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon, a much-loved comedian for his nightly show in America, has been very open and candid about him and his wife’s issues with fertility. He and his wife have tried IVF multiple times yet failed to conceive, they had been trying for five years and were becoming frustrated by not knowing why it wasn’t working for them and trying to find out which one of them might be infertile. Like for many couples, this caused a strain on their relationship due to finding it difficult to speak to each other about their problems. However, they found a light at the end of the tunnel, as they soon became parents to two daughters through using a surrogate mother. After this process, the comedian is adamant in informing couples on the different methods available to them if they are having problems with fertility, but most importantly reaching out for support and start having conversations around infertility.

5. Gordon Ramsay
The chef, known for his hot temper and particular use of the F word, has been most outspoken around the issues surrounding fertility and his personal journey to fertility. Gordon Ramsay has five children with his wife Tana Ramsay, yet it wasn’t a straight forward journey. Due to Tana having polycystic ovaries and Gordon suffering from a low sperm count, it was challenging to be able to conceive naturally. So, they went through the process of using IVF to successfully conceive their first child and continued using IVF to have their twins. Eventually, they were able to conceive naturally with their fourth and fifth child, although they sadly experienced a miscarriage in 2016, five months into Tana’s pregnancy. Their fertility journey has led the couple to have five healthy children through using two different methods of trying to conceive.

6. Rhod Gilbert
Whenever there’s a conversation surrounding a personal or difficult situation, some will choose to find the comedic side in a dark situation such as the comic, Rhod Gilbert. Rhod recently took part in a BBC documentary which documented his journey trying IVF, after coming to terms with the infertility issues himself and his wife encountered. He has spoken about dealing with a low sperm count and his wife being diagnosed with endometriosis. His journey has led him onto starting up an infertility campaign in order to get more men to speak about their problems with fertility and close the stigma on infertility.

7. Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson has been very honest about her infertility issues to the public from when she experienced a miscarriage in 1997. After difficulties of trying to conceive naturally due to being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, she decided to try IVF, where two years later she was able to give birth to a baby girl. Since the birth of her daughter, Emma tried several times at IVF to be able to have another child, unfortunately it didn’t work, and the pain and exhaustion of trying caused the actress to develop clinical depression. After suffering from the emotional process of trying for a baby, Emma and her partner adopted a young boy who was 16 years-old from Rwanda, and made him a part of their family in 2003.