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Katie Lee opens up about fertility struggles and the 'hurtful' comments she's received

"I know a family will happen for us, it is just going to be a different journey than we imagined."
Katie Lee/Instagram
/ Source: TODAY

Food Network star Katie Lee and her husband, actor Ryan Biegel, wanted to start a family right away after they got married last September. But, like many couples, the duo have faced fertility issues.

In a deeply personal Instagram post shared Wednesday, Lee, 37, talked about the couple's quest to get pregnant and opened up about the many "hurtful" comments she's received from people mentioning her fluctuating weight.

"I get multiple messages a day asking me if I’m pregnant or why I am not pregnant yet. I get comments saying I look like I’ve gained weight, so I must be pregnant," the frequent TODAY Show guest said. "After one said that I looked 'thick in the waist' I finally responded that it’s not ok to comment on a woman’s body and you never know what someone is going through."

Lee said that she decided to share her own experience with the hope that her story might be able to help other couples in a similar situation, and allow them to take comfort in the fact that they are not alone.

The co-host of "The Kitchen" told followers that after she got married she had to undergo surgery to correct a problem, which she did not detail, and after that operation, she got an infection and then shingles.

Lee explained that she and her husband then went through the "physically exhausting" process of IVF, only to learn the crushing news that they had created zero healthy embryos.

"When people ask me when I’m getting pregnant, it hurts. It’s just a reminder that I’m not...We will keep working towards it," she said. "Someday we will have our happy new beginning and I pray any of you experiencing the same will have yours too."

Lee's deeply personal revelation comes during National Infertility Week. The TV host added that "so many of us are silently in pain," but her message has already received dozens of replies from celebrity chefs and fans, thanking Lee for sharing her story, while offering messages of love and support.

During the same week that TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager revealed the happy news that her daughters Poppy and Mila will be getting a baby brother in a few months, Dylan Dreyer announced that she had suffered a recent miscarriage and opened up about her struggle to have a second baby.

"There's so many people who aren't going through the worst possible story, but they are just trying to have a family, whether it's one or two or even three (children)," Dylan said. "I just want people to know that yeah, I'm kinda going through it with you, 'cause I don't know where this ends."