Erin Andrews got candid about her fertility journey, revealing that she is undergoing her seventh round of in-vitro fertilization treatments.
In a powerful essay shared on Bulletin Wednesday, the sportscaster opened up about her experience with IVF, noting that many can relate to the “time-consuming and emotionally draining process” that is “not talked about” enough. She wrote:
“This is my 7th one, and I’ve been going through these treatments since I was 35 years old. I’m now 43, so my body is kind of stacked against me. I have been trying to do IVF treatment for a while now, but sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want it. Your body just doesn’t allow it. Every cycle is different in a woman’s body, so some months are better than others.”
Her seventh? Wow. Erin previously opened up back in 2017 about going through IVF after getting treatment for cervical cancer. But we had no idea she’d tried this many times…
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Andrews, who is married to former NHL player Jarret Stoll, then mentioned that it has been difficult to fit her treatments in her work schedule, explaining:
“When I heard this was the best time to go through another treatment, I had to figure it out all over again. How am I going to juggle this treatment on top of my work schedule? I got so stressed out. When this happens, it really makes you question: is it the future of my family or is it my job?”
As you may know, the longtime sideline reporter regularly covers some of the biggest sports events of the year, including the Super Bowl. And as Andrews shared, she believes that in her industry “women feel the need to keep things like this quiet.” However, the television personality now no longer wants to hold back on the details. She ultimately decided to be open with her producers about why she would need certain accommodations while receiving IVF, saying:
“The entire treatment takes such a mental and emotional toll on your body. You feel like s**t. You feel bloated and hormonal for a week and a half. You could go through this whole experience and get absolutely nothing out of it — that’s the crazy part. It’s a ton of money, it’s a ton of time, it’s a ton of mental and physical anguish. And more times than not, they’re unsuccessful.”
Erin continued:
“I think that’s why a lot of people choose to be quiet about it. Because maybe we feel as if this is something we have to do, and we don’t want to jinx it. On the other hand, we can also feel like we’re a failure as females or to our partners.”
Despite the stigma, the former Dancing with the Stars host said they are “warriors for going through” the process and urged everyone to show compassion to anyone experiencing this:
“The fertility clinic can sometimes be so full, it’s heartbreaking, but we really aren’t alone here. You never know who else is going through this; it could be another co-worker or the person making your coffee every day. There are more people than you think.”
She has a point! You never know what someone could be experiencing behind the scenes. Concluding her message, Andrews also noted that she hopes to change the conversation around fertility treatments at the end of the day, expressing:
“Instead of feeling ashamed, we need to give ourselves more love. It freaking sucks, because it can seem like it’s such a lonely thing. There are so many of us going through this though, and it’s just not talked about.”
Kudos to Erin for having such an honest conversation about IVF. No doubt that by sharing her journey, she may have helped someone else who is having a tough time with the process. And we cannot help but applaud Andrews for it.
What are your reactions her open letter? Let us know in the comments (below). You can also ch-ch-check out the entire post HERE.
[Image via Adriana M. Barraza/WENN]
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