Courteney Cox, the actress best known for her time as Monica on “FRIENDS”, conceived her daughter, Coco, via IVF. The journey to motherhood was certainly difficult for Cox, who learned that she carried a genetic mutation that would make natural pregnancy nearly impossible.
Cox carries the MTHFR gene mutation, which causes the immune system to attack a fetus, which more often than not results in a miscarriage. Cox has been open about her experiences regarding this disorder, “I suffered miscarriages, my dad died of a really rare cancer, and depression runs in my family, which made my doctor think I should get this gene checked out. I get pregnant pretty easily, but I have a hard time keeping them.”
Considering her options and her desire to have a biological child, Cox opted to take two rounds of IVF, which resulted in a successful pregnancy. She has been upfront with her praise for the IVF process, but tactful and considerate when speaking about it, as IVF is an expensive process.
“In vitro is a wonderful thing that people can do in this day and age, and I’m lucky enough to be able to afford it,” she said, in conversation with Good Housekeeping.
Interestingly—or perhaps, unfortunately—Cox’s personal struggle mirrors that of her character, Monica’s, in the later seasons of “FRIENDS”. In the show, Monica and her husband had trouble conceiving, with Monica’s fertility being extremely low. In the show, the couple eventually adopt a pair of twins. Cox has commented about how these plotlines were difficult for her to act out.
“That was hard sometimes. Like I remember one time I just had a miscarriage and Rachel was giving birth. It was like that same time. Oh my God, it was terrible having to be funny.”
Now, at 58, Cox is still considering having another baby.
“I would love to have a baby now. I mean, I could carry someone else’s egg. I may be one of the older people doing it, but I would love to, with [boyfriend Johnny McDaid], that is. I know it’s crazy, but I would.”
Sources:
Courteney Cox Opens Up About Having ‘a Bunch of Miscarriages’ – SheKnows
Courteney Cox’s IVF story – Infertility Aide
Courteney Cox opens up about fertility struggles: ‘I had a lot of miscarriages’ (today.com)
