Courteney Cox opted for IVF after suffering several miscarriages, and at first, even that failed. Luckily her doctor suggested the right tests, and they found the exact reason for Courteney Cox’s IVF failure before proceeding with another cycle—the MTHFR gene mutation.
Pregnancy or IVF in older age becomes harder. Courteney Cox, who famously played Monica in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, said, “It’s a fact that after a certain age you have less of a chance.” And she, like many other people, was not willing to consider other options such as surrogacy or adoption.
“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,” she said in an interview.
Cox finally succeeded with her second cycle of IVF and she gave birth to her baby girl, Coco, just before she turned 40.
Why was it hard to find Courteney Cox’s infertility reason?
In women over 35, it becomes harder to find the actual cause of infertility because the doctors are likely to blame the advanced age or poor egg quality, which are responsible for the problem in many women. However, often there are other factors at play and it is imperative that you find an experienced fertility expert and try to get to the bottom of the issue.
Consult with multiple doctors, if required, and only proceed with IVF when you feel like all your questions have been answered.
There are several reasons for recurrent miscarriages and if you jump into IVF without a proper investigation into your problem, it will give you the same outcome.
How did Courteney Cox deal with miscarriages?
Cox and her husband, David Arquette, candidly discussed their struggles on the path to parenthood. “I get pregnant pretty easily, but I have a hard time keeping them,” she said.
Despite having miscarried several times, the Cougar Town actor admitted that they recovered fast and tried again.
We “bounce back pretty quickly,” she told People Magazine. “I don’t say it’s a walk in the park. But what are you going to do? We just try again.”
During an appearance on the late-night talk show Busy Tonight, Cox said the only thing she knew for sure was “I didn’t want to give up.”
“I had a lot of miscarriages, and I don’t think that’s something that people shouldn’t talk about,” she said. “It was unfortunate but it happens,”
When life imitated art
While Monica struggled with fertility issues on the popular TV show, Cox was actually struggling with infertility in her real life.
While her own world was distraught with pain, Cox had to make other people laugh, and it was extremely difficult at times.
“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.”
However, unlike on the show, she was able to find the problem and conceive in real life.
How did she conceive with MTHFR mutation?
Cox had the MTHFR gene mutation—a rare disorder in which her antibodies would attack the fetus.
Once, this problem was diagnosed and she learned to tackle it, Cox said her whole life changed.
“I found out how I could absorb nutrients and protect myself from toxins,” she said. “I used to get so tired and would literally crumble after I ate something. Now I give myself a shot of methylated B-12 daily.”
She changed her diet, added the right supplements and “felt so much better and had more energy.”
Cox also changed her pregnancy diet in the IVF cycle that finally worked. “I took folic acid like you’re supposed to, but I learned later that it wasn’t good for me,” she said. “I have to take a methyl-folate and methylated B, and then I can absorb it.”
Courteney Cox’s IVF Decision
“Well, it was really weird because everyone in my family has kids. I mean, they pop out like it’s nobody’s business,” she said. “No one in my family has a problem. So, to me, I just thought this would not be a problem at all.”
“I decided to do in vitro and I did that twice,” she said, adding that they found the first round to be “nerve-racking.”
But to stop her body’s adverse reaction to the fetus, she had to give herself shots of, a blood thinner called Heparin every day.
“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,” Cox told Good Housekeeping.
“I just think it’s important to get things out there so people can realize they’re not alone.”