Stars who've been open about their fertility struggles

Starting a family doesn't come easy for everyone. Many people, including some of our favorite celebrities, have struggled with fertility issues and some stars have chosen to speak out about their experiences. Wonderwall.com is taking a look at a few of those stars, starting with Chrissy Teigen. The model went through multiple IVF treatments with husband John Legend by her side. "You hear stories about IVF working the first try. But you'll hear a lot more stories about when it takes a few times," Chrissy told The Cut in 2018. "Ours didn't work the first time, and it was devastating. You realize that a lot of it is luck, and you can't blame things on yourself." Chrissy and John eventually found success with IVF, welcoming adorable daughter Luna in 2016 and son Miles in 2018. Keep reading to see which other celebs have shed light on their fertility struggles…

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Tyra Banks was incredibly open about her fertility struggles on her former talk show, "FABLife," in 2015. "When you're like, 'Okay, I'm just going to do it,' then it's not so easy as you get older," the supermodel shared, revealing she'd turned to IVF treatments to help her become a mom. "I've had some not happy moments with that, very traumatic moments. It's difficult as you get older. It's not something that can just happen." Tyra and her ex-partner, Norwegian photographer Erik Asla, welcomed a son, York Banks Asla, via surrogacy in January 2016.

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Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick welcomed a son, James Wilkie, in 2002 but struggled to add to their family following his birth. After years of trying, the pair welcomed their twin daughters, Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge, through surrogacy in 2009. The "Sex and the City" actress revealed to "Access Hollywood" that she faced "disappointment" with her fertility struggles, saying, "Yeah, I mean, I couldn't pretend otherwise… It would be odd to have made this choice if I was able to, you know, have successful pregnancies since my son's birth."

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Emma Thompson revealed that she struggled with depression after trying unsuccessfully to have another child with her husband, actor Greg Wise. The actress went through multiple rounds of IVF in an attempt to give daughter Gaia (who was conceived through IVF treatment when Emma was 39) a brother or sister. "After that, we tried to have another child, it didn't work, and I went into a deep clinical depression. It's only now that I no longer count other people's children or judge myself harshly for not providing my daughter with a sibling," she told Entertainment Weekly in 2006.

"Fast & Furious" actress Jordana Brewster and her husband, producer Andrew Form, have welcomed two sons via gestational surrogate. Their oldest, Julian, was born in 2013 and their youngest, Rowan, was born in 2016. "I couldn't carry a baby … at first, I was scared. I had no idea what it entailed. Then I started researching agencies. I met with one called Agency for Surrogacy Solutions. Most of the people who worked there had used surrogacy to have a child or been a surrogate themselves, so I felt like they really got it," Jordana told Cosmo for Latinas in 2014. "[Surrogacy] taught me a lot to have to rely on someone else to carry my baby for me, because I'm such a private and self-sufficient person. It's the most intimate leap of faith and trust you can take."

Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance opened up about their fertility struggles while appearing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2007. The "Black Panther" actress and the "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" actor shared that they went through a seven-year IVF struggle before welcoming their twins, Bronwyn Golden and Slater Josiah, via surrogate in 2006. "I was devastated when it didn't happen [again and again]. I had to remain hopeful and resilient and, 'Okay, let's do it again,'" Angela said. "[A friend] began to tell me about the idea of surrogacy. The more we learned about it, the more we began to think that perhaps this was an answer for us."

Kim Kardashian West, who suffered from the dangerous condition placenta accreta during her first two pregnancies, chose to use a gestational carrier to have a third child with husband Kanye West, daughter Chicago Noel. "I didn't know that I was going to be so open with [my fertility challenges]," Kim shared in 2015. "But meeting people at my fertility doctor's office who are going through the same things I'm going through, I thought, 'Why not share my story?' It's been really emotional." The reality TV star further explained her decision to use a gestational carrier in 2018. "I have always been really honest about my struggles with pregnancy. Preeclampsia and placenta accreta are high-risk conditions, so when I wanted to have a third baby, doctors said that it wasn't safe for my — or the baby's — health to carry on my own," Kim wrote on her website.

Mariah Carey confirmed that she underwent fertility treatments to conceive her twins, Monroe and Moroccan, with ex-husband Nick Cannon after suffering a miscarriage. "The main thing I did that was tough was to go on progesterone, like, every month… and then when I was pregnant, I had to stay with the progesterone for 10 weeks," the superstar singer told Barbara Walters during a "20/20" interview. "It minimizes the chance of miscarriage by 50 percent."

"The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon has been very transparent about the fertility struggles he and his wife, producer Nancy Juvonen, have faced. "I know people have tried much longer [than we have], but if there's anyone out there who is trying and they're just losing hope… just hang in there," he told the "Today" show. "Try every avenue; try anything you can do, 'cause you'll get there. You'll end up with a family, and it's so worth it. It is the most 'worth it' thing." The couple have welcomed two daughters, Winnie and Frances, via surrogate.

Brooke Shields faced multiple rounds of intrauterine insemination, IVF, hormone shots and one miscarriage before welcoming her daughters with husband Chris Henchy. "After a while, when you're not successful, you start to associate the word 'failure' every time you pee on a stick and it doesn't come out the right color," the former child star and model told NYMetroParents in 2005. "What starts out as a dream becomes a project that's all-consuming — everywhere you look, women are pregnant, and every song on the radio seems like it's all about being pregnant! It becomes a very frustrating, frightening place."

Nicole Kidman revealed that — after struggling to conceive a second biological child with husband Keith Urban — she and the country music star ultimately decided to use a surrogate. "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," the actress told Australia's "60 Minutes." "We were in a place of desperately wanting another child. I couldn't get pregnant." The couple welcomed daughter Faith Margaret Kidman Urban via surrogate in 2010.

Hugh Jackman has repeatedly spoken about the struggles he and wife Deborra-lee Furness faced when they wanted to start a family. The couple went through multiple rounds of IVF and two miscarriages before deciding to adopt their two children, Oscar and Ava. "Until you go through it, you realize [infertility is] not talked about a lot… Deb and I always wanted to adopt, so that was always in our plan. We didn't know where in the process that would happen but biologically, obviously, we tried, and it was not happening for us. And it [was] a difficult time," the actor shared on "Katie" in 2012. "We did IVF, and Deb had a couple of miscarriages. The miscarriage thing, it apparently happens to one in three pregnancies. But it's very, very rarely talked about. It's almost secretive, you know, so I hope Deb doesn't mind me bringing it up now. It's a good thing to talk about it. It's more common, and it is tough. There's a grieving that you have to go through."

Elizabeth Banks has blogged about her journey to motherhood. The "Pitch Perfect" franchise actress and director and her college sweetheart, producer Max Handelman, welcomed two sons, Felix and Magnus, through surrogacy. "The one true hurdle I've faced in life is that I have a broken belly. After years of trying to get pregnant, exploring the range of fertility treatments, all unsuccessful, our journey led us to gestational surrogacy: We make a 'baby cake' and bake it in another woman's 'oven,'" she wrote on her blog in 2011. She later told Lucky magazine, "It was a womb issue for me. Embryos wouldn't implant."

Gabrielle Union has been incredibly candid about her struggle to get pregnant with hubby Dwyane Wade. The actress opened up about her journey in her 2017 memoir, "We're Going to Need More Wine," in which she shared that she'd undergone eight failed IVF cycles but hadn't lost hope. "Each attempt at IVF is a loving action. So we remain here, bursting with love and ready to do anything to meet the child we've both dreamed of," she wrote. Gabrielle also addressed her experiences in Redbook in 2015: "There's a certain amount of shame that is placed on women who have perhaps chosen a career over starting a family younger. The penance for being a career woman is barrenness. You feel like you're wearing a scarlet letter."

Courteney Cox has spoken openly about her struggles with pregnancy and fertility. The actress underwent IVF after several miscarriages in the early 2000s. "I could get pregnant but not maintain the pregnancies," she shared in 2004. The difficult journey even affected her on the set of "Friends." "I remember one time I just had a miscarriage, and Rachel [Jennifer Aniston's character] was giving birth… Oh my God, it was terrible having to be funny," the actress said while reflecting on her time on the show. Courteney and her ex-husband, David Arquette, welcomed their daughter, Coco, in 2004.

Model-turned-actress Jaime King discussed her infertility issues in 2014 after welcoming her first son, James Knight. The actress revealed that she was diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, which led to five miscarriages, five rounds of IVF, 26 intrauterine insemination procedures and an ectopic pregnancy before she had James. "I was hiding what I was going through for so long, and I hear about so many women going through what I went through," she told People. "If I'm open about it, hopefully it won't be so taboo to talk about it." Jamie and her husband, Kyle Newman, welcomed their second son, Leo Thames, in 2015.

Amy Smart and her husband, HGTV host Carter Oosterhouse, welcomed their daughter, Flora, via surrogate in late 2016. The "Sister Cities" actress talked about the experience on Instagram. "One month ago today, Dec. 26th our amazing beautiful daughter came into this world. Feeling so grateful to have her in my arms… after years of fertility struggles I give thanks today to our kind, loving surrogate for carrying her. 🙏🏼✨🌸," Amy wrote.

Celine Dion and late husband René Angélil went through multiple rounds of IVF before welcoming their eldest son, René-Charles, and twins Nelson and Eddy years later. The singer opened up about her motherhood journey in 2013, sharing that "With any pregnancy, whether it's through IVF or not, you feel a danger. You have to remain positive and try to relax as much as possible."

Former E! News host Maria Menounos, who had surgery to remove a benign brain tumor in 2017, is considering surrogacy after several unsuccessful attempts at IVF. "I need to work with doctors to see if getting pregnant is the smartest thing. I do have some kids in the freezer, maybe we'll implant," Maria told Health in 2018. "We'll look into surrogacy… God has a plan." Her husband, Keven Undergaro, also weighed in on their hopes for a child. "We definitely want children. But I'm very concerned about her going through a pregnancy, and I would like to explore [using a] surrogate, because her body has been through hell. I want a baby desperately, but I don't want it to be at the risk of her health," he shared.

Elisabeth Röhm has been incredibly candid about her experience using IVF to conceive her daughter, Easton August, with fiancé Ron Anthony — she even maintained a blog on People.com about the procedure and wrote a book, "Baby Steps: Having the Child I Always Wanted (Just Not As I Expected)." "It is devastating when you simply can't do it the natural way and your body can't function as you believed that it would during your whole young adult life," the "Law & Order" actress shared in 2011. "Nothing about our journey was easy or predictable. Instead, it was a roller coaster of emotions and physical challenges. What I have come to know through the journey is that everyone has the right to receive medical assistance. We have the right to — although we can't conceive in a natural way — have sweet children and extend our families into big, happy and healthy clans."

E! News host Giuliana Rancic chronicled her fertility struggles, IVF treatments and breast cancer diagnosis on her reality show, "Giuliana and Bill." The TV personality and her husband, entrepreneur Bill Rancic, welcomed their son, Edward Duke, via gestational carrier in 2012. The couple tried for another child via surrogate in 2015 but she suffered a miscarriage with their last embryo. "It was painful," Giuliana told People. "We were so optimistic with this last embryo. We thought, 'This is definitely going to work. This is our last shot.'"

"The Bachelorette" alum Trista Sutter struggled with infertility for almost two years before she and husband Ryan Sutter welcomed son Max in 2007 and daughter Blakesley in 2009. "When you get married you believe, 'Okay, the next natural thing is to have babies.' When that doesn't happen, you start to question your relationship, you start to question yourself, even God," Trista shared while promoting her book "Happily Ever After: The Life Changing Power of a Grateful Heart" in 2015. "It's a very difficult thing to not be able to do anything about making a dream of yours come true and questioning whether something is wrong with you. So that was definitely a dark time in my life."