Gabrielle Union has opened up about something very personal and very sad:
Her struggle to get pregnant.
In excerpts from her book, “We’re Going to Need More Wine,” the actress reveals that she has tried and failed to start a family via various fertility treatments.
Union allowed People Magazine to publish these excerpts and she spoke to the publication about this heartbreaking issue.
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Union Married NBA Star Dwyane Wade in 2014
She helps take good care of the player’s kids from his previous marriage, but says she and Wade want a child of their own.
A Cycle of Pain
“I have had eight or nine miscarriages,” the 44-year old writes in the memoir. “For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant — I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle.”
A Candid Admission
Union has discussed her need for fertility treatments in the past. But this is the first instance of her delving into her miscarriages.
She Said This in 2015:
“So far, it has not happened for us,” Union told Redbook. “A lot of my friends deal with this. There’s a certain amount of shame that is placed on women who have perhaps chosen a career over starting a family younger. The penance for being a career woman is barrenness. You feel like you’re wearing a scarlet letter.”
And Then This a Few Months Later:
“I think TV shows and films kind of make [out that] the frigid, single-focused career woman, that her career is the root of all problems in her life. That’s just not the case. Fertility is an issue, period. Having a career is not the price you pay for any ill.”
Love Still Conquers All
Union writes that she and Wade “remain bursting with love and ready to do anything to meet the child we’ve both dreamed of.” They aren’t giving up.
A New Goal
Only after being a stepmom to Wade’s three sons did Union realize she wanted a chil of her own: “I never wanted kids,†she tells PEOPLE. “Then I became a stepmom, and there was no place I’d rather be than with them.”
What’s It Like Going Through This in the Public Eye?
“For so many women, and not just women in the spotlight, people feel very entitled to know, ‘Do you want kids?'” she says. “A lot of people, especially people that have fertility issues, just say ‘no’ because that’s a lot easier than being honest about whatever is actually going on. People mean so well, but they have no idea the harm or frustration it can cause.”
Her Book Comes Out on October 17
And Union hopes it helps change the way people approach her about the topic of pregnancy.
What She Goes Through:
“Once a month I look like I’m in my second trimester because I’m bloated,” she says. “It leads to the questions and it leads to the rumors and anytime I go into a doctor’s office I feel like I’m a member of SEAL Team Six undercover because I don’t want people to speculate.”
Union is Far From Alone
About 15-20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage in the United States.
Other Stars Who Have Suffered Miscarriages Include:
Jenelle Evans, Melissca Rauch, Vienne Girardi, Beyonce, Bethenny Frankel and MANY more.
We Wish Union All the Best
And we admire her for speaking out so honestly about such a difficult topic.