Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's IVF journey: Couple got candid about 'baby-making' on 'The Kardashians'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kourtney Kardashian surprised everyone by announcing her pregnancy during a concert. She held up a sign at a Blink-182 show in Los Angeles that said, "Travis I'm Pregnant," stunning Travis Barker, his band members, and their fans.
The reality star has candidly shared her IVF journey on the recently premiered third season of 'The Kardashians'. She underwent the IVF process alongside her husband and openly discussed it on the show. The 44-year-old reality TV star and entrepreneur had previously announced that they were "officially done with IVF" after receiving disheartening news that their fertility treatment did not result in a pregnancy. "We would love a baby more than anything, but I just really believe in what God has in store for us. If that's a baby, then I believe that it will happen," she said on the show.
The couple's pursuit of IVF treatment came after Kourtney spoke about her previous egg freezing procedure, which she underwent prior to entering a relationship with Travis in late 2020. However, despite retrieving seven eggs during the treatment, the outcome was disheartening, as the majority of the eggs did not survive the thawing process, resulting in none of them successfully developing into embryos.
IVF offers only 19% chance of pregnancy for women aged 38 to 39
Kourtney underwent the egg-freezing procedure at the age of 39. Statistics from HCA Healthcare, a prominent UK private healthcare provider, indicate that for eggs frozen between the ages of 35 and 40, approximately one in 21 resulted in a live birth or ongoing pregnancy. However, the success rate declines to one in 35 for eggs frozen beyond the age of 40. According to the NHS website, the chances of a successful IVF treatment resulting in a live birth vary based on age. For women aged 43 to 44, using their own eggs and their partner's sperm, the success rate is approximately 5%. However, it's important to note that this figure does not account for the use of previously frozen eggs from a younger age. For women aged 38 to 39, the percentage of successful IVF treatments is higher, at around 19%.
'The freezing of the eggs isn't guaranteed'
"The freezing of the eggs isn't guaranteed. I think that that's a misunderstanding. People do it thinking that it's like a safety net and it's not," Kourtney said in the episode. Moving forward, the couple had decided to focus on trying to conceive naturally instead of pursuing additional fertility procedures. In the episode, viewers were given a glimpse into the couple's playful endeavors to conceive naturally. "I know that I'm already late for you, but I am ovulating," Kourtney told her sister Khloe, as she arrived with Travis in tow. "If you give us five minutes to go do something really fast...we'll be back."
Kourtney and Travis are both parents from previous relationships. Kourtney co-parents her children Mason (13), Penelope (10), and Reign (8) with her ex-partner Scott Disick. Meanwhile, Travis shares parenting responsibilities for his daughter Alabama (17), son Landon (19), and stepdaughter Atiana De La Hoya (24) with his former wife Shana Moakler.