Erin Andrews Undergoing 7th Round of IVF, Reveals Fertility Struggles

Erin Andrews isn’t shying away from revealing something very personal that she’s been going through since she was 35 years old, in hopes that it may be a sense of encouragement for someone else. Andrews has been trying to start a family with her husband and former NHL player Jarret Stoll via in vitro fertilization, otherwise known as IVF. Thus far, she hasn’t had much luck and now she’s entering her seventh round in hopes this one might be different.

In a personal essay written on Bulletin via PEOPLE, Andrews gets candid about her process and admits that she’s not ashamed to share the emotional journey with those who will listen, despite her career in television, because there are so many who struggle with the same thing. “I have been trying to do IVF treatment for a while now, but sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want it,” she wrote. “Your body just doesn’t allow it.” She went into further detail, noting that challenges a woman’s body can pose at times.

“Every cycle is different in a woman’s body, so some months are better than others. When I heard this was the best time to go through another treatment, I had to figure it out all over again. How am I going to juggle this treatment on top of my work schedule? I got so stressed out. When this happens, it really makes you question: Is it the future of my family or is it my job?” she continued. While there are parts of her life she would rather remain private, considering she’s one of the largest names in sports broadcasting and sits on quite the platform in the public eye, she doesn’t feel she should keep quiet on this topic. In fact, she noted that in her line of work “women feel the need to keep things like this quiet,” but there are “so many other women who maybe put their careers on the back burner because they don’t want to miss out on any opportunities.”

“It’s common that people are starting families late and put so many other aspects of their lives on hold,” she said before later adding, “I am not ashamed, and I want to be vocal and honest about this.” This isn’t Andrews’ first time toggling with her body. In 2016, the 43-year-old was diagnosed with cervical cancer, but was able to have a successful surgery. As she shows empathy for the many women out there going through IVF treatments, she is trying to keep positive about the circumstances noting that while it can feel isolating at times, she knows she’s not the only one going through it alone.