These Celebrities Opened Up About Their Fertility Struggles

Infertility is an issue that affects women from all walks of life, even celebrities. Oddly enough, it wasn’t until recently that dozens of highly respectable stars decided to bare their hearts to the public, inspiring couples to stay hopeful and never stop trying.

While some have been through a lot to become parents, others have chosen to defy social mandates and not have any. We celebrate both choices and hope to make you smile knowing you’re no longer alone.

Jennifer Aniston

Unlike most celebrities who struggle with the decision to conceive later in life (35+ in many cases), Hollywood’s 45-year-old favorite sitcom actress faces the daily scrutiny of the media, who judged her for choosing not to stress over becoming a mother just yet.

Unfortunately, the struggle is real for Aniston, who had to take to a blog on the Huffington Post, where she expressed how “unfair” it was for her or any woman to be judged by her choice to put her career first instead of procreating. And that is a decision the world should respect.

Chrissy Teigen

Singer John Legend’s beloved wife finally became the mother of Luna, a child born after three years of unsuccessful IVF treatments and distress. Teigen opened up about her struggle for the first time on her reality show FABlife during a conversation with supermodel Tyra Banks.

She admitted that up until the decision was made to actually talk about it, her infertility issues were kept in the dark out of fear and guilt. But once she came clean with the public, she discovered that this is a phenomenon that affects hundreds of women.

Brooke Shields

Iconic celebrity Brooke Shields underwent multiple IVF treatments, artificial insemination, a miscarriage and even hormone shots for about two years until she finally had her first baby. The details of the very traumatic process are included in her memoir Down Came the Rain.

In her book, she also explains that with every unsuccessful attempt, she started to feel like a failure, as everyone around her was getting pregnant. Thankfully, all her efforts eventually paid off, and today at 50, she is a stunning mother of two.

Angela Bassett

Actress Angela Bassett went through seven years of a variety of futile infertility treatments, including IVF. Just when all hope seemed lost, she learned that a friend was choosing a surrogate to carry her children, and Angela saw this as an answer to her prayers.

She is now the proud mother of twins— and an extremely thankful one. Inspired by the experience, Bassett shared her story on Oprah in an effort to show sympathy to women suffering from the same issues.

Jimmy Fallon

After repeated attempts to bear a child with his wife Nancy Juvonen over the course of five years, beautiful Winnie was born in 2013 via a surrogate.

Fallon admitted that he and his wife had tried pretty much every procedure and option under the sun before choosing surrogacy. While the process was indeed painful, the host of Late Night assured people that it was worth it.

Courteney Cox

Here’s a fact only Friends fans may be aware of: the episodes that showed Monica and Chandler’s struggle to have a baby were coincidentally a fictional representation of a personal battle Courteney Cox was going through at the time.

In fact, during the episode where her character hears the news of Rachel’s pregnancy, Cox had just suffered a miscarriage. Being “funny” was the greatest challenge during that time. The actress had trouble carrying her pregnancies to term until she underwent IVF and had Coco, who’s 11 years old today.

Jaime King

Actress Jaime King went through one of the most painful processes when it comes to pregnancy. It was so traumatic that in 2014, she finally shared her experience in a lengthy Instagram post.

In it, she explained that becoming a mother came at a very high price: poorly diagnosed diseases, five miscarriages and five rounds of IVF. When the baby finally arrived, she found herself crying for hours due to unbearable pain while breastfeeding. Despite it all, she’s a proud mother and a real trooper.

Mark Zuckerberg

One of the wealthiest Millennials in the world and the founder of Facebook, Zuckerberg admitted in a very personal post that his wife, Priscilla Chan, went through three miscarriages before their first baby girl was born.

Sharing their experience with the world actually helped shed light on an issue that is discussed even less than infertility. Women who endure this heartbreak do so in silence due to shame or the feeling that something is wrong with them.

Kim Kardashian

When you think of the Kardashians, infertility probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, entrepreneur Kim Kardashian spent years investing in fertility doctors until she finally conceived Saint West, who was born in December 2015.

While she learned to keep it together for her reality show, Kim confessed she would sometimes leave her doctor’s office in tears. Regardless, the sadness surrounding the experience was gone once her baby came into the world, and now she gets to enjoy motherhood.

Kim Cattrall

Much like the strong, independent single lady she portrayed in Sex and the City, Kim Cattrall has also had her share of struggles with the issue of motherhood. The media has actually gone as far as callously calling her “childless.”

In turn, Cattrall has expressed that she may not be a natural mother, but she is mentoring young actors and actresses. This provides her with the maternal feeling that she’s been unable to achieve in her personal life.

Hugh Jackman

When you’ve tried as many times as Hugh Jackman has to start a family, it’s easy to give up and feel discouraged. But the world-famous Australian actor chose to go a different direction with his wife Deborra Lee-Furness and adopted two children.

In a recent interview, Jackman admitted that the adoption system is very slow in Australia. After IVF and a couple of miscarriages, the decision was made, and they are now happier than ever.

Sarah Jessica Parker

She might look like the perfect uptown girl in Sex and the City, but when the cameras were off, SJP and her husband Matthew Broderick dreamed of being parents.

After trying the natural way, along with several other options, SJP chose the surrogacy method to become the mother of twins in 2009. The decision was definitely a difficult one, but it ultimately allowed the couple to feel that their lives had come full circle.

Elizabeth Banks

For many years, the odds were pretty much against this actress, who’s set to play Rita Repulsa in the upcoming Power Rangers movie. She and her husband tried to have a baby, but when it seemed like there were no options left, Banks chose a surrogate to make her child “half me, half him,” as she put it in a recent interview.

While the experience was painful and at times way too long to endure, it gave Elizabeth Banks the confidence to talk about the subject and relate to other women going through the same thing.

Tyra Banks

While the world recognizes her as a top model and a highly respected Hollywood celebrity, America’s Next Top Model host Tyra Banks kept a very personal secret for a long time. At 40, she didn’t know what it was like to be a mother.

After many years of keeping it bottled up, Tyra finally spoke out about her struggles on Chrissy Teigen’s reality show FABlife, and the conversation not only relieved her but also helped millions of frustrated mothers find some solace knowing they were not alone.

Nicole Kidman

Back in 2011, Australian actress Nicole Kidman surprised media when she and her husband, singer Keith Urban, announced that they were having a baby via a “gestational carrier.”

This was the first time Kidman openly spoke about her struggles with infertility, admitting, “Anyone who’s been in the place of wanting another child or wanting a child knows the disappointment, the pain, and the loss that you go through trying.” Her story paved the way for many women undergoing the same process to seek out support.

Gwyneth Paltrow

A mother of two and ex-wife to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow says that the baby-making days are over for her. In 2013, the actress suffered a miscarriage that almost took her life.

The frightening event made her grow weary of having another child, despite her children’s constant reminder that they’d love to have a sibling. But Paltrow feels like she may have “missed the window.” Now at 40, she’s thankful for having chosen Chris Martin to be the father of her children, regardless of how the marriage turned out.

Lily Allen

Singer and songwriter Lily Allen suffered a stillbirth. What was worse, just a day later, Allen contracted a serious blood infection that almost took her life.

The singer still remembers that first child with pain, but she admits that the experience strengthened her marriage. In fact, her husband helped her go through the whole process again, which had a happy outcome: two beautiful children.

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade

Actress and former model Gabrielle Union is still enduring the pressures of infertility alongside her husband, Dwayne Wade.

Like Jennifer Aniston and Kim Cattrall, she’s also admitted to feeling like she carries a “scarlet letter” for not trying to conceive earlier, mostly due to putting her career first. However, she remains hopeful knowing there are “many options” to choose from. The Bring It On actress is definitely hoping 2017 is her year to become a mother.

Giuliana Rancic

You probably know her as the bubbly TV host on E! Entertainment. But behind the scenes, Giuliana Rancic faced her greatest fear every time she left the doctor’s office.

Time and time again, she received the same bad news— the treatments weren’t working. But one day, after doing the proper research, she and her husband decided to choose a surrogate to carry their bundle of joy. Thanks to that choice, they now have a beautiful child today. Still, every time Giuliana recalls that time in her life, it’s an awful memory that, fortunately, had a happy ending.

Beyonce Knowles

Queen B has always embodied the very definition of women’s goals in this generation. A hardworking, always glowing and fierce artist, she gave the impression of being an unbreakable woman.

However, while her career is star struck, her personal life was incomplete for many years due to a long dream postponed — becoming a mother. After one very traumatic event, she underwent treatment, and years later Little Blue Ivy was born. The four-year-old baby girl is Bey’s “proudest accomplishment.”

Mariah Carey

The legendary R&B singer suffered a miscarriage and then went on a severe progesterone-based treatment to try to reduce the risk by 50 percent next time. In 2011, when she and her husband celebrated their third anniversary, Mariah gave birth to twins.

During her pregnancy, the singer experienced several difficulties, including gestational diabetes. For this reason, although she enjoys being a parent, she admitted to Barbara Walters that she wouldn’t go through the process again, because it was very tough.

Céline Dion

Canadian singer Celine Dion went through five IVF treatments before she got pregnant with twins. Her husband, René Angelil, described the process as “long and arduous.”

Before this, she had suffered a miscarriage. However, she had already been able to conceive her first son, Rene-Charles. Celine’s deep desire to be a mom did not waver, even after all the IVF treatments she underwent. Her courage and tenacity helped her become the great mother she is today.

Kim Fields

Actress Kim Fields had her second child at 44, defying all odds related to age. Years of waiting only made her stronger!

Fields said in a recent interview that the pregnancy was planned and that she and her husband are really blessed to be parents, and have the support of friends, family, and faith to start their family.

Gwen Stefani

Former No Doubt lead singer and current judge on The Voice Gwen Stefani’s struggle to conceive might come as a shocker for most people who are only aware of her blooming romance with country artist Blake Shelton.

However, Gwen was so desperate to become a mother that she was willing to undergo IVF just to give her then-hubby Gavin Rossdale children. She had three boys. Sadly, her marriage to Gavin ended, but the budding new romance with Shelton might result in at least one more child. At least, that’s what fans are hoping for, because they’d make a cute kid together. No doubt about it.

Kate Walsh

A popular song claims that “you can’t always get what you want,” and that was certainly the case for the Private Practice actress, who suffered early menopause before she could even plan to become a mother.

“Doctors told me I had only one egg left,” she said in a recent interview. Walsh shared the same heartbreak with many women around the world.

Khloe Kardashian

It seems that the only thing keeping the youngest of the Kardashian sisters from being a mother is actually her own body.

Doctors had to give her treatment in order to stabilize her hormones, but the wait seems to get longer with every passing day. On a more positive note, Khloe’s story has helped many other women suffering silently to feel less alone.