When it comes to celebs and conception, the picture is often pretty skewed. If media accounts were anything to go by, our fave famous people are visited by conception fairies during the night. Just like that, they wake up pregnant. The speed of Meghan Markle‘s pregnancy is a fantastic example. If there were ever motivation to believe in the baby and stork story, our celebs would be it.

But, this is far from the baby reality. Conception is harder work than most of us expect it to be. Far from becoming impregnated overnight, we have to go all out to track ovulation and make the most of prime moments. Even after all that, around 6.1 million women in the U.S. struggle to conceive. That’s a lot of women, and this immaculate conception image of our celebs doesn’t help.

The fact is that struggling to conceive can take its toll on any couple. Continual reminders of how easy this is for others just makes things harder. Not to mention that it’s unrealistic . A quick look at the facts suggests that not everyone gets as lucky as our royal love birds. Many famous women have come forward over the years to speak out about conception struggles. If this is a battle you’re caught in at the moment, read on to remind yourself that you aren’t alone.

Kim Kardashian

Health problems meant pregnancy was no longer an option for our favorite Kardashian

Kim and Kanye are fan faves. Along with having millions of adoring fans. This is the ultimate glam couple that a lot of people love to hate. Don’t get us started on the politics game either. Right now, the duo are over in Africa donating shoes to poor kids and pledging to build schools and infrastructure.  They’re also known for their speedily grown family. But, Kardashian makes no secret about the fact that it took over a year to conceive her second child due to something called placenta accreta. The condition caused her to have operations which led to complications resulting in a hole in her uterus. While the two did overcome the odds and conceive, the struggles weren’t over yet. During her second pregnancy, Kardashian developed preeclampsia. This meant that, despite her desire for a third child, doctors warned pregnancy was too risky. The couple didn’t let that stop the growth of their family, though. The pair decided to look into using a surrogacy program instead. They’re now strong advocates for the cause, claiming that they’re ‘really thankful’ they went down this route. See, even Kardashian’s come up against medical complications on this challenging journey.

Sarah Jessica Parker

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Our favorite Sex in the City girl has a story which rings relatively similar to the one above. Though she conceived her first child naturally later in life, SJP experienced secondary infertility issues with gusto. Unlike the Kardashians, this struggle on went on for years until she and her partner decided to consider alternative routes. SJP has never come forward about the exact reasons behind her troubles, but it’s thought she attempted IVF before settling on a surrogate which led to the birth of twins in 2009. During an interview in Vogue the following year, SJP said, “Meeting your children rather than giving birth to them, it’s as if, um, it’s suspended animation. The gestational experience is gone,” adding, “it’s so different and equally extraordinary… But it’s amazing.” So, it seems as though this story, at last, has a happy ending. But, let us not forget the struggle which came before it. Ladies of the world; Sarah Jessica Parker has been here before you.

Nicole Kidman

Even the fantastic Nicole Kidman has come up against conception demons. The actress adopted two children with ex-husband Tom Cruise, but she didn’t conceive her daughter until the age of 41. She then spoke out on Australia’s ‘60 minutes’ about her struggles to conceive again. This is a journey which again led Kidman to turn to a surrogate to achieve her family dreams. “Anyone who’s been in the place of wanting another child or wanting a child knows the disappointment, the pain and the loss that you go through trying,” she said. “We were in a place of desperately wanting another child. I couldn’t get pregnant.” Luckily, it all worked out okay in the end, with a second daughter for Kidman and husband Keith Urban.

A final word

All these stories could be real inspirations for struggling women. We can’t thank these amazing ladies enough for coming forward. The only trouble is, these stories aren’t as easy to find as they should be. We certainly don’t see celeb IVF battles on the covers of magazines. Perhaps, then, there should be less focus on ‘how to get rid of your baby belly’, and more attention on how to conceive in the first place.