Amy Schumer Opened Up About Stopping 'Awful' IVF Treatments
The actor got real about the difficulties of IVF.
Talking about undergoing IVF treatments can be a sensitive subject, even for those like Amy Schumer who have been candid about their fertility journey in the past. Schumer, who started undergoing IVF treatments after having her son Gene in May 2019, talked about trying to conceive via in vitro fertilization on Chelsea Handler’s podcast Dear Chelsea.
“I did IVF, we made embryos and I went through the IVF process, which is so hard. People do it so many times. I did it one time and I was like, I’m gonna die. This is awful,” she said. When Schumer started, she was just under 40, and the IVF success rate for those trying to conceive in that age range is roughly 26.9%.
“I got like 31 eggs and I was like, I’m Fertile Myrtle. I felt very hot,” Schumer told Handler. “And then the drop off after fertilization, we only got one normal embryo and we tried and it didn’t work … and now I don’t have a uterus.”
In September 2021, Schumer had her uterus and appendix removed due to endometriosis, a condition that causes the condition in your uterus to grow outside of it, which can lead to a lot of pain, infertility, and other health complications.
“So we’re gonna have just one child and we’re just enjoying our little family and I’m just focusing on that,” the actress told Handler of her baby boy. “I’m excited about it but I was sad. And it’s not really something you get sympathy for because it’s like, you already have one bitch, shut up. But you know, that’s a real struggle people go through.”
Schumer’s pregnancy with Gene was also full of complications
The comedian had a severe form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum while carrying Gene. She had to cancel several shows due to the condition, which causes severe nausea, weight loss, and dangerous dehydration during pregnancy. Less than 3% of people experience this condition.
“Still pregnant and puking because money rarely goes to medical studies for women such as hyperemesis or endometriosis and instead goes to things like dick not getting hard enough or old guys who want harder dick,”she said at the time, noting how messed up prioritizing money in medical studies can be.
The comedian first opened up about her IVF journey in 2020.
“I’m a week into IVF and feeling really run down and emotional,” Schumer captioned a photo of her stomach, which was bruised from the hormone injections. “If anyone went through it and if you have any advice or wouldn’t mind sharing your experience with me please do. My number is in my bio. We are freezing my eggs and figuring out what to do to give Gene a sibling,” she added at the time.
