US soccer legend Carli Lloyd opened up about her struggle with infertility and conceiving through in vitro fertilization (IVF) as she announced she was expecting her first child.
Lloyd detailed her pregnancy in an article for Women's Health magazine. As she opens up about the disappointment she felt trying to conceive for months, she also felt like she was in a “race against time against her 40-year biological clock,” she said. Told.
Lloyd wonders why her body “betrays me” after years of treating her body like a temple while helping the U.S. women's soccer team win the World Cup and Olympic gold medals. I thought. She started her IVF journey in April 2023, but after she collected 20 eggs she was told she had three embryos and she faced a roadblock.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“So it was literally a waiting game out of our control,” she added. “And that's hard. I've felt all the emotions in my career: stress, worry, fear, anxiety, but I've never felt all the emotions that IVF brought. It felt like it was completely out of control. This is an indescribable roller coaster unless you go through it. ”
Lloyd said she hoped “everything would be perfect” if she became pregnant and qualified for the Women's World Cup. She told him that was far from it.
She and her husband, Brian Hollins, said they waited until October 2023 to try the embryo transfer. She said she did everything necessary to ensure her transfer went smoothly, but waiting was “torture” for her.
Lloyd said she received another call from the doctor. Plus she was bad news.
“I wasn't pregnant. My stomach hurt,” Lloyd said. “He was heartbroken for us. He told us that even with all these steps, there was only a 60% chance of a successful transfer with a genetically normal embryo, and sometimes things just don't work out.” said.
“He suggested that we go ahead with the collection again because now was the time to collect as many embryos as possible for our future children. That afternoon, I put a smile on my face, wiped my tears and socialized. I had to film content for the media. Life went on.”
Lloyd said she began to second-guess herself about everything she consumed. She said her emotional state was different and she spent many nights crying.
Lionel Messi's bodyguards take action to remove enthusiastic fans who tried to interact with the soccer star
Still, she decided to try IVF for a third time. She said she changed her approach this time and instead of worrying about things she ultimately couldn't control, she spent more time with nature and meditated through her journal. She traveled to the Bahamas with her husband in December, where she learned four embryos had reached the six-day mark and two were genetically normal, she said.
The next transfer process began in January, with another trip to Arizona planned. She was able to undergo blood tests during her trip. The results arrived the next day.
Lloyd finally became pregnant.
However, the great footballer said he was not completely out of the woods yet. She needed a few more tests, but her doctor expressed concern about the possibility of her miscarriage. Lloyd said she continued to do the things she did to calm her mind, including journaling, faith in nature and God.
Lloyd said she visits the hospital weekly to get updates on her baby, and each time a heartbeat is detected. Ten weeks later, she graduated from a fertility clinic to become an obstetrician-gynecologist.
On Tuesday, she shared her story with the world.
“I still can't believe I'm pregnant. It's truly a miracle. We are so excited to be parents!” she said.
Lloyd added: “I want to share my story with IVF to show other women that it's okay to struggle.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“It's okay to feel heartbroken and hopeless, but never give up and keep going.”
Follow Fox News Digital X sports broadcast and subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.