Kourtney Kardashian underwent '5 failed IVF cycles' before conceiving Rocky
Reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian recently disclosed her challenging journey to motherhood during a Q&A session on Instagram. She revealed that she underwent "five failed IVF cycles and three [egg] retrievals" before conceiving her son, Rocky Thirteen Barker, with husband-musician Travis Barker naturally. After a year of unsuccessful attempts, Kardashian decided to halt the treatment and focus on prayer and maintaining her health.
Kardashian conceived naturally after stopping IVF
In a follow-up Instagram Story, Kardashian clarified that she conceived her son "100% naturally" after pausing IVF treatment for a year. She stated, "I want to be super clear [because] it seems my answer to the IVF question may have been confusing. I got pregnant 100% naturally, NOT through IVF... one year after stopping IVF actually." The reality star emphasized that her pregnancy was a result of "God's blessing on Valentine's Day."
Kardashian-Barker announced they were 'done with IVF' in 2023
Kardashian and Barker, who tied the knot in October 2022, welcomed their first child together, Rocky, on November 1, 2023. Before that in May 2023, the couple announced they were "done with" the procedure and were leaving the family planning on their fate. The reality star has been candid about her pregnancy journey. On an episode of Season 4 of The Kardashians, she shared their surprise upon discovering her pregnancy on Valentine's Day after ceasing the IVF treatments.
'When you stop trying, it's just going to happen'
According to People magazine, Kardashian revealed that they stopped the IVF treatment two months before their wedding. It took a year for all the hormones and chemicals from the treatment to leave her system. She stated, "It happened on February 14. I mean, people would always tell say to us, 'When you stop trying, it's just going to happen.'" The couple was not actively trying for a baby at the time of conception and had left it in God's hands.
Know more about IVF
IVF or in-vitro fertilization is an artificial fertility procedure. Per Mayo Clinic, it involves "collecting, fertilizing and placing eggs in a uterus" to result in a pregnancy. Despite being the "most effective type of fertility treatment," one's chances of "having a healthy baby using IVF depend on many factors," such as one's age and the cause of infertility. Risks like birth defects, ectopic pregnancy, multiple pregnancies, stress, miscarriage, premature delivery and low birth weight, and even cancer are involved.
