It's been eight months since Amy Schumer's son, Gene, was born. Now, in a candid Instagram post, the 38-year-old actress and comedian is sharing her decision to undergo IVF treatment to freeze her eggs.
"I'm a week into IVF and feeling really run down and emotional," Schumer posted to Instagram, along with a photo of her abdomen, bruised from her treatment. "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."
Schumer has openly discussed the difficulties she faced during her first pregnancy, from hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition characterized by persistent nausea and vomiting, weight loss and dehydration, to a difficult delivery via C-section due to complications from endometriosis.
Fans were quick to offer advice and show support for Schumer, who married husband Chris Fischer in February 2018.
"It’s emotional and your hormones are a mess," said one follower. "Rest and accept pampering and hugs."
"You are already doing the most important thing," wrote another. "Being open and vulnerable about a very difficult process."
Dr. Anate Brauer, a reproductive endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility in New York, says freezing eggs or embryos is an option sometimes chosen by women looking to delay getting pregnant for medical or elective reasons.
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"Women who are in their later thirties and want multiple children may feel pressured to move on to the next pregnancy right away due to decreasing pregnancy rates due to egg quantity and quality," Brauer told TODAY Parents. "By freezing eggs or embryos, a woman can choose to delay having a second or third child without the stress of her 'biological clock' ticking while enjoying time with her firstborn."
So, are Schumer's feelings of being "run down and emotional" par for the IVF course?
Brauer says it depends on the patient.
"While most women feel generally unaffected by IVF medications, everyone is different and responds to medications differently," said Brauer. "Some women feel completely normal. Some feel emotional. Some feel tired while others report feeling more energetic."
"One common complaint towards the end of the stimulation cycle is bloating," Brauer continued. "Although this is not linked to the medication specifically, rather pressure from growing eggs inside the ovaries, which is the goal of treatment."
TODAY Parents reached out to Schumer for comment via the phone number in her Instagram bio, but did not receive a reply.
