Amy Schumer explains decision to do IVF: ‘I, for my safety, cannot be pregnant again’

Amy Schumer is opening up about her IVF experience and why she felt like being pregnant with another baby wasn’t an option.

“I, for my safety, cannot be pregnant again,” she said on the most recent episode of the Anna Faris is Unqualified podcast. “One in three mothers with hyperemesis [a condition characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss and electrolyte disturbance], what I had, one in three babies don’t make it. So I really don’t like those odds. Just because you’re vomiting so much you can’t nourish your baby or yourself, so my pregnancy was a huge bummer.”

The actress and comedian even admitted that she was “really nervous” about releasing her comedy special Expecting Amy this past summer following her journey of preparing a standup routine while being pregnant. “I was scared that it would discourage people from getting pregnant. Especially for the first time because the possibility that you could get that sick,” she told Faris. “I was honestly scared that I was gonna affect the population the other way.”

Still, even Schumer felt the desire to have another child after giving birth to Gene in May 2019 with husband Chris Fischer, despite her experience with pregnancy. “Everyone says you’re gonna get amnesia and they laughed at me the whole time because I was like, ‘I will never be pregnant again, this is such a nightmare.’ And everyone’s like, ‘I’ll see you for your next baby,’” she recalled. “And then absolutely have full amnesia. Thank god I have that documentary because other than that you just go like, ugh they’re so joyful, I want another one.”

The couple then explored the option of IVF.

”We went through IVF because I was like considering surrogacy, because you’re like, I want him to have a sibling,” Schumer said. “So IVF was equally, well not equally awful for me, but my body really reacted poorly to IVF. But we got a couple embryos, so we don’t know.”

Schumer documented the experience on her Instagram, sharing how “run down and emotional” she had been feeling throughout the process. She later posted about how grateful she was for the support she gained after opening up about it on social media.

”So many women go through many rounds of ivf which is painful and mentally grueling. I heard from hundreds of women about their miscarriages and struggles and also many hopeful stories about how after rounds and rounds of ivf it worked!!” she wrote. “It has been really encouraging. Thank you.”

Schumer explained to Faris that she and her husband aren’t in a rush to have another kid just yet. “With the pandemic we’re like everything’s kind of just on hold,” she said. In the meantime, they’re enjoying life with their one-year-old son.

“He’s already like his own dude. Like he’s his own person and I’m just here to support his growth. So just really trying to make sure that it’s not about me and that I’m focused in on him,” Schumer says of parenting. “Seeing what’s working and what doesn’t but just trying not to take myself too seriously while we navigate it.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Jessica Simpson responds to Amy Schumer’s post about being in ‘no rush’ to lose her baby weight

• Amy Schumer shares photo of the moment she found out she was pregnant

• Amy Schumer on how she's raising son Gene to be a 'really strong feminist'

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