Are the Rancic's infertile?

I started watching the new reality how on the In Style network Giuliana and Bill- it follows the lives of Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Giuliana is the host of the E! news and Bill is the first winner of Donald Trump's The Apprentice. They have been married 2 years on September 1st. They are a super cute couple and their reality show is very real and funny. In the latest episode Giuliana is talking a young girl who is getting married and she tells her that Bills "thingings" don't swim and that's why they don't have kids yet. Now I know that that does not automatically mean that they are infertile, but to me it sure points to the fact that they are having problems conceiving. Giuliana just turned 35 and Bill is 38- so they are not getting any younger, they need to get cracking. Now it has been said that there is a big surprise that will be revealed during the finale, but if she was pregnant it would be all over the tabloids by now, that would be very hard to keep secret, considering the fact that the show was taped months ago.

I really wish celebrities would come out and be open about their battle with infertility. Brooke Shields, Sherri Shepard, Courtney Cox Arquette are just a few who have admitted to doing IVF to have their children. There there is the list of celebrities that we wonder about. Sarah Michelle Geller and her husband of 6 years Freddie Prinze Jr. are expecting their first child this fall- and it was been whispered that they have problems conceiving, same with Jennifer Lopez, but to date they are being hush hush.

In a way I understand not wanting to air your entire life to the public, but that is something that so many women suffer from, it would be nice to know that celebrities are going through it as well.

I am interested to see where the show with Giuliana and Bill goes, but for now we will just have to wonder!

Celebrity infertility stories

I know something that helps me get through the bad days to to read stories about other couples have battled infertility and won. One of my favorite Hollywood glam girls, and everyone's favorite OCD "Friend" is Courtney Cox Arquette. She is very open and honest about her battle with infertility. David and Courtney Cox-Arquette have had a well publicized battle with infertility. After several
miscarriages due to immunity problems they sought help and decided to go through with IVF,and after years of heart ache they finally had a healthy, baby girl, Coco. In a Good Housekeeping article, Courtney was quoted, "In vitro is a wonderful thing that people can do in this day and age,and I'm lucky enough to be able to afford it." She and David hope to do IVF again to bring Coco a sibling, but have not ruled out adoption either.

Another great story is famous director Tim Burton and his wife, Helena Bonham Carter's story. After trying Clomid, IVF, and several alternative treatments without success they conceived a beauitful baby girl naturally, born December 2007.

Its amazing how many lives infertility strikes and that everyone finds ways to get through it. I will continue to tell other celebrities stories in the coming days.

Myth #9

THE FEMINIST MYTH

I think every woman has these thoughts running through her head. Times have changed we are getting married later and getting more education and starting our families later in life. Gone are the days of getting married at 20 and having all your kids by 25. Now the average age that a woman marries is 25.

“We are in control of our reproductive lives. We can determine when, where, and how we will conceive and give birth.”God gives us wonderful freedom to make many choices, but we must never forget that ultimately we are not in control of our reproductive lives. God is. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain . . . Sons are a heritage from the Lord . . . “ (Psalm 127 NIV).

We also must accept the reality that fertility declines dramatically with age. With women getting married later in life and starting their families later in life their biological clocks are ticking louder and louder. Most couples want to spend a few years enjoying each other and traveling and doing all the things that you cannot do when you have young children. So with the average age of marriage being 25, most women are not even trying to start their family until they are in their late 20's early 30's. Now while that is still young age, fertility is still declining and it's not going to be as easy as it would have been if a woman was in her early 20's.

We also live in a world that relies heavily on the media. There are always celebrities that are having children in their late 30's and into their 40's, Marcia Cross, Angie Harmon, Courtney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman, and Brooke Shields. Now some of these stars have used their celebrity status to inform people on fertility treatments, because many of them had to undergo IVF in order to conceive, some even used donor eggs. But many refuse to comment on how their conception occurred, leading many women to think that they have plenty of time and women are having kids into their 40's and not too worry about it.

Also, while I am very grateful in the advances of modern medicine and all the high tech ways that exist in order to help us infertile conceive. It gives women false hope, they think, "oh I can wait, I will just do IVF" what they do not realize is while IVF does help a lot of people achieve their dream of parenthood, it's success rate does decrease over time, it is not an excuse to wait to start your family. Not in a million years would I think that I, being 28 years old, would be looking into IVF in order to have a family. I mean I young, this should be happening on its own. So be aware, get your FSH tested early and know what you are dealing with. There is nothing wrong with waiting to get married and getting a great education, but do not take your fertility for granted.
Current estimates are that one in ten couples in their 20s experience an infertility problem, but the statistics jump to one in seven for couples ages 30-35; one in five for couples ages 36-40; and one in four for couples ages 41-45.

Infertility Awareness Week

This week is all about awareness. I feel that is why I was chosen to have to go through this journey. To help others understand and be aware. I would encourage all women to get to your doctor and talk to them about your ability to have children, even if you aren't ready. A simple blood test can show your ovarian reserve and give you some insight to your fertility.

We live in a society where women are putting off having children either because they are going to school, or taking their time getting married. Gone are the days where women are married by 20 years old and having children when they are 22. The average age that a woman gets married is increasing every year.

Hollywood is also painting an incorrect picture of what its like to have children older. Many actresses have made no secret that they have had their children in their 40's. While this is great, and woman should be able to have their family at any age, but many have endured many fertility treatments, such as IVF and some have even used donor eggs. Some actresses have been very open and honest about their fertility struggles, such as Marcia Cross and Courtney Cox Arquette, but others have decided to stay quiet and women get the wrong idea, thinking I have all the time in the world to have children.

So be proactive and take control of your fertility, you will be glad that you did!