Friend of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” Tanya Sam has quickly become a fan favorite for her ability to hold her own among the ladies. And while she’s meshing well with the crew and generally having a good time, behind the scenes the star has been dealing with the difficulties of getting pregnant.
The nurse turned tech startup head disclosed to Atlanta Black Star on Jan. 24 that she and her fiancé, Dr. Paul Judge, have been “actively trying” to start a family using in vitro fertilization.
But the journey has not been a smooth one.
“I just turned 40 and spent my whole entire life trying not to get pregnant and have been very successful at that,” she says. “And then I had a friend who, about four years ago, started doing IVF.”
The pal suggested Sam go get her eggs looked at, and the reality star doubted she’d have any issues. However, she learned she has a low ovarian reserve. That means her current supply of eggs has diminished, which reduces the chances for conception.
“It’s been really hard for us to get pregnant,” she shares, noting her goal is to have two babies, ideally twins. “I’ve done about 80 rounds of IVF. I’ve gone for embryo retrievals … our goal is to bank some embryos so we can have them for later. It actually has turned out to be really, really difficult. We have one embryo on ice and we’re actively pursuing another to try and make some more.”
Sam said she would encourage women to discuss fertility issues more, noting “IVF is no joke.”
Yet, while she admitted she’s “envious” of her friends who bore children at a younger age, Sam has acknowledged she’s gotten lots of love and support from her fellow “RHOA” stars who recently welcomed babies or soon will.
“We talk about it a lot,” the star says of her hopes for a family. “Especially with Porsha [Williams], Shamea [Morton] — Porsha’s pregnant right now and Shamea just had a baby — they want more kids. … They’re so awesome — even Eva [Marcille]. They ride for me, and they’re like, ‘Girl, we are sending you all the pregnancy vibes!’ Porsha’s rubbing her belly all over me.
“And I think those things work. When you have people who are sending positive vibes around you, all that love works,” she adds. “I embrace it and I take every little bit of that goodness and I just wrap it up in me. I love that about them. They’re really supportive of that, too.”
