Actress and proud mother of one, Stephanie Coker, who surprised many recently after she revealed that she had her child through IVF, speaks on how why she made her story public.
The TV host told Saturday Beats,that she had no intention of sharing this journey but she kept meeting women who were struggling in one way or the other with fertility.
“My vlog, ‘African and Pregnant’ is a four part docu-series that follows my pregnancy journey. During my procedure, I did a lot of research about IVF. However, I was only able to find very few videos of people I could relate with, discussing the procedure and side effects. Initially, I really had no intention of sharing this journey but I kept meeting women who were struggling in one way or the other with fertility. After I got sick with Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome, I felt like I needed to share my experience to help others and also reduce the stigma surrounding infertility.” She said.
And on her husband’s role in going public with her story, Coker-Aderinokun said, “My husband really encouraged me to share this story. He could see how it would benefit others. And that was why he agreed to be in the series, even though he is very shy. I also had two of my friends who had gone through IVF and they both were really encouraging. My husband really encouraged me and it’s very rare for an African man to do such.”
Stephanie who stated that she was successful at her first IVF attempt, also opened up about her experience, she said, “It was not only draining but life-threatening as I developed Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome. My stomach became swollen with fluids. I threw up blood and was aspirated everyday for a week. This syndrome causes the ovaries to swell and become painful. It can become very serious and ultimately life threatening.”
However after the actress shared her story, some people felt that a three-year wait wasn’t enough for her to have tried IVF, but she disagreed, saying, “I don’t agree with that. It is a couple’s decision to embark on that journey, specially if you have been advised by a doctor that it would be the best option for you.”
On why she keeps her family out of the public eye, Coker-Aderinokun said, “My family didn’t sign up to be celebrities or public figures; I did. For that reason, I try to protect them because not everyone has thick skin and trolls can be quite nasty.”
