At the age of 30, Tamron Hall began the first in a series of fertility treatments that led only to disappointment. It was a difficult and often lonely journey.
“Right after my husband and I met and moved in together, we started to discuss how we would build our family. We were prepared to look at all options, starting with adoption, because earlier in my life, I had complications that made it clear conceiving without intervention would not be possible.”
Fulfilling a dream
At 48, Tamron gave birth to a baby boy. After several setbacks, the couple was able to conceive their son Moses through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
“To my surprise, I had a complication-free pregnancy, but was under constant monitoring and observation, including the last week before I gave birth, which required stress tests and multiple evaluations.”
Connecting mental health and parenting
Hall wants other women to know it’s okay to reach out for support when feeling overwhelmed.
“ I know some of the stress and anxiety of parenting I experience has inevitably seeped into how I handle myself at work. I feel it’s important to call my therapist for help, instead of saying “settle down, you got this”, because there are many days you don’t and I don’t ‘got this’.
Equal opportunities for IVF
“From what I learned after discussing it openly on my show and dedicating episodes to it, there’s still a real conversation about money, and who’s financially able to get the treatments,” Hall explains. “This boils down to race and economics.
“Most of the conversations I’ve had on and off camera are dedicated to why families aren’t able to have access to this dream, why so few companies cover it, and how there’s a wide gap among people of color and white families when it comes to access.”
Loving motherhood
Despite the challenges of caring for a child , Hall admits, “I get butterflies when I walk into his room in the morning. Whether he wakes up grouchy or smiling, it gives me a sensation of joy.”