Celebrities Worldwide Who Chose IVF Treatment
It is a matter of pure delight to welcome home a bundle of joy. Truly the miracle of birth and reproduction remains a mystery to mankind, one that we will never be able to fully understand but will always partake in. This is why, when things get complicated and parents encounter the possibility of not being able to partake in this beautiful experience of birth-giving, it’s enough to make their world fall apart.
However, there is no reason to say goodbye to this natural desire to hold your little one by the hand and help him/her explore the world around us. We now know more about the issues related to infertility. Very often an infertility problem can be resolved without the need of IVF treatment. And there may be times when IVF treatment is not an option for couples. We open up the option of surrogacy to couples after every other option is closed to them and after much counseling explaining the pros and cons of this option.
With that said, some of our favorite celebrities have chosen IVF procedures, even the surrogacy alternative, and have been able to welcome home their own little bundle of joy. In this article, we want to share their stories with you. We appreciate how open these celebrities are about their experiences as it shows us that infertility does not need to be a hush-hush topic.
What is IVF & IVF surrogacy?
IVF is an acronym for In-Vitro Fertilization which involves the fertilization of the female eggs by the male sperms in an environment that is outside the human body. This fertilization often takes place in a laboratory, giving IVF its most common identity, that of a test-tube baby procedure.
IVF Surrogacy is another form of carrying out a similar process. The only difference is that a third-party surrogate takes up the task of being the gestational mother of the child on a contractual basis. In IVF surrogacy, the fertilized embryo is transferred into a surrogate who will, in turn, deliver the baby.
So far so good. Now that we have the facts in place, it is important to understand the truth about IVF treatments – they are emotionally and physically challenging. It can be difficult to come to terms with the challenges of the IVF treatment. However, it can be a great comfort to take the support of people we look up to and admire in such matters. Let’s look at some celebrities who chose the IVF treatment and experienced the same challenges you might be facing …
Michelle Obama & Barack Obama
Over 23 years ago, Former US First Lady Michelle Obama underwent a sad miscarriage. As she grappled with grief, together with her husband Barack Obama she decided to choose assisted reproductive technology for multiplying her family. Michelle, at 34, realized that “the biological clock is real” and that “egg production is limited”, which made her decide to seek in-vitro fertilization. Using IVF, they conceived two babies and brought their beautiful daughters Malia & Sasha into the world.
Gauri Khan & Shahrukh Khan
There was much hullabaloo encircling the new member of the King Khan family of Bollywood. Long after the birth of their children Aaryan & Suhana, Shahrukh Khan & his wife Gauri turned to IVF surrogacy to bring home a third – AbRam. Breaking the news to millions who love him & his family, Shahrukh’s joy couldn’t be contained as he said,
“Amidst all the noise that has been going around, the sweetest is the one made by our newborn baby, AbRam. He was born prematurely by several months but has finally come home”.
Courtney Cox
Courtney Cox who played Monica Geller on the incredibly famous sitcom, “Friends” used IVF treatment with her then-husband David Arquette. They welcomed their beautiful daughter Coco in the year 2004, when Cox was 39. She exclaimed to Good Housekeeping magazine what a wonderful thing IVF is for the people to turn to in this present day and age. Cox went through several miscarriages and 2 IVF cycles before she was able to give birth just before she turned 40 years of age.
Celine Dion
The legendary voice behind the Titanic song “My Heart Will Go On” is a mother of 3 children – all conceived using IVF treatment. Her first son Rene-Charles was born in 2001 after the very first procedure. Nine years later when she was 42, in 2010 she gave birth to her twins Nelson and Eddy. Celine started IVF treatment in her early 30s. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer and they decided to freeze his sperm but discovered that he had low sperm and motility and opted for ICSI.
Shreyas Talpade & Deepti
Shreyas Talpade (known for his comic roles in Hindi and Marathi movies) and his psychiatrist wife, Deepti were living happily-ever-after for about 14 years after marriage, and yet something was amiss. In 2018, they opted for IVF Surrogacy and received a baby girl who was to them truly a blessing. Shreyas told the Mumbai Mirror ecstatically that he had “always wanted a daughter” so he could “buy her dolls, teddy bears, and plenty of dresses.”
Sohail Khan & Seema Khan
Ten years after the birth of their first son who was naturally conceived, actor Sohail Khan & his wife, Seema Khan wanted to be parents to another child. They turned to IVF surrogacy to give birth to another child and are now a family of four!
Aamir Khan & Kiran Rao
Aamir & his second wife Kiran Rao went through a miscarriage before they opted for IVF surrogacy. In 2011, they gave birth to a son, Azad, and were thoroughly open & supportive in sharing their experience of the IVF surrogacy procedure.
Final Thoughts
Battling barrenness truly does become a little easier by looking at the IVF journeys of these celebrities. Although there is a lot of stigma attached to infertility & how couples can overcome it using IVF & IVF surrogacy, these stories do offer a renewed strength for those who are considering becoming parents with the help of the IVF method.