“A lot of women in their 40s are getting pregnant using an egg donor and not disclosing this. This is why we find it important to encourage women who are either career-focused or think they can just get pregnant way into their 40s to consider freezing their eggs while they are younger.”
“Scientifically, it is just a proven fact that our eggs become less viable the older we get and after going through the struggles Slade and I have gone through to get pregnant the last few years, I wish someone had told me at a much younger age to freeze my eggs,” she adds of herself and her beau, who has two children from a previous marriage.
The couple are currently undergoing their second round of IVF. Their goal is to retrieve as many viable eggs as they can before the hopeful mom-to-be’s ovarian reserve runs out.
“We are so grateful to Dr. Surrey at SCRC for making this process less stressful and giving us hope,” Rossi told PEOPLE. “We are awaiting the outcome of our last IVF cycle to find out if we have any viable embryos in order to implant and hopefully become pregnant.”
Back in September, Rossi revealed to the publication that the road to pregnancy has not been easy for her. If you recall, her fiancé Slade, who underwent a vasectomy reversal in December 2015 for Rossi’s 37th birthday.
“We have been full-steam ahead on trying to start a family. It’s been a good two to two and a half years of really trying actively to have a baby,” she said. “That’s been, quite honestly, very difficult on us because he had a vasectomy and so we couldn’t get pregnant naturally super quick.”
“So we did IVF first and we had such great results at the beginning and then the day before they were supposed to implant all the embryos – we had 14 embryos – basically what happened was they arrested, which means they all died off,” Rossi lamented. “That was very disheartening and a very difficult time for us and it was just emotionally, physically and mentally extremely draining.”
Rossi recently opened up about sharing her IVF process via social media via an Instagram post.
"In light of this week being National Infertility Awareness Week #NIAW, Slade and I have decided to share our fertility journey through my instastories this week. Although it we will be sharing some very personal moments, we find it important to let others know they are not alone in this emotional journey," she wrote.
"Also, because our experience as been so wonderful with @DrMarkSurrey and the Southern California Reproductive Center @SCRCivf we have partnered with them to bring you 7 fertility tips that are most important. Be on the lookout all this week as I will be posting theses top 7 tips we have learned," she continued. "What I am most excited about is that @DrMarkSurrey has graciously agreed to do a special facebook live with me so that you too can have access to his expertise and help you answer any questions or struggles you might be going through. He is truly one of the best doctors in the country so don’t miss out on this opportunity to ask him a question. Tune in, THIS FRIDAY, April 27th, 2018, from 4:00 – 5:00 pm and be sure to leave comments below with your questions! We will be pulling questions from my social Media pages all week."
In another Instagram post, Rossi thanks fans for their support and why it's important for her to share her IVF journey on social media.
"I was nervous to share our IVF story on my Instastories today 😏It’s not always easy to let people inside your most intimate moments, but I realize that the more we open up as humans and let people see inside the real, raw, and vulnerable parts of our life (and not just the picture perfect life we all create through pictures on our Instagram) the more we can grow from one another and truly connect as humans. I am grateful for the gift of truth, the gift of heartache, the gift of compassion, and the gift of love so we can all share our stories and help each other through this wonderful thing called life. Thank you to all who have already reached out to me in your DM’s and also on my page with your kind messages of support and encouragement. Know that whatever you are dealing with, that you too can face it with courage and strength (even when you are having bad days) This IVF Journey is not all rainbows and butterflies, there are a lot of hard days as you will see, but it’s the fight within us as humans that keeps us going strong, that lets us push our limits and get through to the other side. 💪🏻 So this journey is not just about IVF it’s about everyone’s journey in life, it’s about getting through the rough spots, being honest about those moments and then fighting your way through them. You all inspire me everyday, so thank you for that. My prayer is that by sharing our journey we can inspire each of you to keep on trucking no matter how impossible something may seem. God Bless you all my sweet friends and family of social media."
Photo Credit: Bravo