Adrienne Bailon Is on a Mission to Debunk Latina Fertility Myths ...Middle East

Image Source: Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Before Adrienne Bailon began her challenging fertility journey, she had few concerns about conceiving with her husband, Israel Houghton - a confidence she attributes to the fertility myths she grew up hearing as a Latina.

"People literally would tell me, 'Girl, you have caderas [hips]. Somebody looks at you [and] you'll get pregnant," Bailon tells PS. But since welcoming her now 2-year-old son, Ever James, via surrogate, the actress and singer has been refreshingly transparent about the challenges she faced while trying to get pregnant. It's all in hopes of not only normalizing these conversations within the community, but also educating others while they still have options.

"My mother and my sister did not have the same journey that I had, so there was so much shame [and] so much denial. There was also a period of just feeling like, well, if everyone else was fine, did I do something wrong? Did I wait too long? Is this a punishment?" she says. "There were so many different emotions that I went through during the six years of wanting to become a mother, so I feel like for me, the greatest thing I could do is normalize the conversation, especially for us Latinas who never have these conversations."

Growing up, Bailon never heard conversations about women using surrogates to carry their babies. And while it's become more common among celebrities like Kim and Khloé Kardashian and Paris Hilton, it's still rare to hear about Latinas choosing that path, which is why it felt so jarring for Bailon to even bring it up with her Puerto Rican mom.

In a previous interview, Bailon recalled how emotional she became after telling her mom that surrogacy might be her only option. Her mother's initial reaction - not rooted in malice - was, "Why would you want someone else to carry your baby?" Although her mom and sister became her biggest supporters throughout her fertility and surrogacy journey, the experience highlighted just how important it is to educate Latinas and Latine families about infertility and the damaging fertility myths that still persist in our communities.

"It's so harmful on a societal level. Stereotypes like those in general are just not okay," Bailon says. "Those ideas could actually stop you from possibly remedying a situation that could be fixable because you can be in denial and think, 'There's nothing wrong with me.'"

Bailon admits she spent a long time in denial about her own fertility issues and her ability to carry a pregnancy to term. It wasn't until she suffered a miscarriage at five months, after implanting one of her last remaining embryos, that she began seriously considering surrogacy.

"I think having these conversations is super important because hopefully people can get help sooner," she says. "The less you are in denial, the sooner you can get help."

Another challenge Bailon hadn't anticipated was how she'd feed her baby, since she wouldn't be able to breastfeed. For the first year, she gave him donated breast milk. When it was time to transition him to cow or other milk, however, she was reluctant because she thought breast milk was the healthiest option. Her mom stepped in.

"My mom is my best friend," Bailon shares. "And my mom, of course, was like, 'Nena, you already know he needs toddler milk.'"

The toddler formula Bailon's mom fed her as a baby - Nido - is the same one Bailon now gives to Ever. So when the brand reached out for a partnership, the former "Cheetah Girls" star was all in.

"We transitioned to that, and there were so many things that I loved about it, [like] the fact that gut health has always been super important to me; that was one of my first conversations with the pediatrician. I was like, 'What can I do to ensure that he has great gut health?'" she shares. "They recommended possibly looking into probiotics, so I love the fact that this covers that as well for us. I love that it has all these nutrients for his brain development and so much more. And ultimately, it's been really great and convenient as a mom to have this in multiple ways. We travel nonstop. I love the fact that it isn't a liquid. It's a powder. We can take this through TSA with no problem."

Image Source: Nido

Image Source: Nido

Bailon is the first to admit that her fertility journey was not cheap - it's something many Latinas can't access or afford. As a result, in addition to normalizing conversations around fertility, egg freezing, IVF, and surrogacy, she also wants to make these treatments and resources more accessible for women in her community.

"All the things that I was able to do are because I have money, and so I think that it's a very tone-deaf way to go about it. For me, it was important to provide resources, provide information, and share my story in detail," she says. "I did an entire YouTube series with my foundation, Faith and Familia, where I shared literally every detail of every test I got done - every procedure that I had done in this process."

Faith and Familia, which launched this year, is a place where women can find resources and information, as well as funding for families that want to go through fertility treatments but cannot afford them.

"It's important because the reality is if I wasn't who I am and I wasn't making the money that I make, this just wouldn't be realistic," she adds. "And almost all of my girlfriends, they wouldn't be able to afford [any of] it either. It's very rare, and so I am well aware of that."

Besides raising her son and helping others with fertility, Bailon has her hands full. In addition to running her fashion and accessories brand, La Voûte, she starred in the Off Broadway production "Take the Lead" at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse this past April. On May 9, she released a Spanish gospel album, "Coritos Vol. 1," in collaboration with her husband, Israel Houghton, as well as Unified Sound, Nate Diaz, Aaron Moses, and Lucia Parker. It's clear Bailon is in a season where she's manifesting it all - from motherhood to music and everything in between. And she wants people to know the road to where she's at today, at 41, wasn't easy - but it was well worth it. She hopes her story reminds fans that it's possible to pursue their career dreams and build a family too.

"[You] just can't stop. [When] one door closes, you just keep pushing through, and I hope that I'm raising my son that same way," she says. "If you have a heart for something or you're passionate about it, just keep going after it. Hard work and determination definitely pay off."

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