Exclusive: Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins shares her journey to motherhood through IVF and faith

Although actress Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins is understood for her role as Joelle Brooks on the Netflix series “Dear White People” and is a famous podcast host on the OWN network, she often describes herself as a vessel of faith for others, as she openly shares her faith with her audience on social media her journey to motherhood, how she maintains her mental health, and the intricacies of marriage. Recently online, Featherson-Jenkins detailed her IVF journey because she hoped to get pregnant after several years of infertility and was diagnosed with unexplained infertility after over a yr of trying to get pregnant naturally. In two Instagram videos, she highlights her pursuit of parenthood by sharing the seemingly intimidating technique of in vitro fertilization. The steps she discussed included pre-transfer acupuncture, PIO injections (progesterone injected oil, which helps thicken the liner of the uterus to prepare it for fertilization), and transfer of the embryos, which ultimately led to pregnancy.

During one among her Reels, she expressed disappointment with the transition to IVF. “I felt like my body was failing me and no one could tell me why.” But as she and her husband, Darroll Jenkins, delved into IVF, Featherson-Jenkins began to appreciate her body again. She said: “I did what I believed I could never do. I actually have endured countless injections, medications, surgeries, brain MRIs, and now to be on the opposite side and living within the midst of a miracle. The miracle she is talking about is her unborn daughter, who is predicted to be born in August. Featherson-Jenkins shares her journey in hopes of inspiring other women fighting infertility to know they are usually not alone, that there are such a lot of options available, and to keep the faith. She believes that being moms is our birthright and that it’s achievable.

Featherson-Jenkins is true; Black women are usually not alone when it comes to infertility and in search of additional options to get pregnant. In fact, according to the most recent data from Pew Research Center4 in ten adults (42%) say they’ve used infertility treatment or know someone who has. The survey shows that this percentage is up from 33% five years ago.

We talked to Featherson-Jenkins about her journey to motherhood, her experience with in vitro fertilization, and her advice for other women fighting infertility.

BEING: Tell us about your journey to motherhood.

Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins: It was a protracted journey. I call my journey in motherhood the pursuit of parenthood. You tend to go after what you wish.

We were open to having our first child after Darroll and I got married in September 2021. We had been trying to have a baby for 13 months with no success. We couldn’t understand why. During this time, several things were happening to me that doctors believed could have caused my infertility. I actually have hyperprolactinoma, which is a benign brain tumor that originates within the pituitary gland, which in a way tricks my body into considering that I would like to change into milky. I actually have had the tumor for about ten years, so my endocrinologist speculated that this may be the cause. Then I had PCOS. Finally, I had fibroids, but people have fibroids and get pregnant on a regular basis, and I also had fibroids removed. So my gynecologist, whom I really like, finally, after about 15 months, suggested making a change and seeing a reproductive endocrinologist or fertility specialist. She really useful one to us, so we went to see him and that was in November 2022. And then I used to be diagnosed with what is known as unexplained infertility. We contacted a fertility specialist and he thought we were great candidates for IVF. At the height of 2023, I began hormone injections to prepare for egg retrieval.

It can be vital to keep in mind that men also suffer from infertility. It’s not all the time women. So my husband underwent semen evaluation to be sure he was OK.

Tell us in regards to the egg recovery process.

Our egg collection was successful. We received a lot of eggs and immediately began creating embryos. We also got a lot of embryos, about 17, which was a shock for us because we couldn’t get pregnant before, but my body responded positively to in vitro fertilization. So after we heard about embryos, we had to provide you with a comprehensive plan that included a break. I wanted to proceed working on myself, which meant losing a few pounds, managing my PCOS, and trying to come off medication for my brain tumor. I wanted to find a while to proceed working on myself. This was a bit an excessive amount of.

How does it feel to be pregnant and about to give birth after several years of trying?

My close friend Teyonah Parris participated in my Trials to Triumphs podcast. She talked about being pregnant with her daughter and how she couldn’t deal with it since it was such a miracle that she asked, “God, is this really happening to me?”

We have been within the parents’ travel zone for a few years. I remember saying this and telling myself, “I will do everything in my power to believe in a miracle once I am in it.” Pregnancy is the best miracle that has happened in my life.

I had to go through a variety of things that felt unnatural to me, whether it was all of the medications, brain scans, myomectomies, or countless doctor visits. There are so many things that felt unnatural to me because in some ways they were just so I could have a really healthy pregnancy. I now feel like my body is of course performing at its best and I’m so impressed with it. I’ve been through lots when it comes to my reproductive system. I’m incredibly grateful. I feel pleased with my body. There were so many things that doctors or people said that my body may not give you the chance to do.

I feel probably the most blessed I actually have ever felt right after my wedding day.

What excites you most about motherhood?

What excites me most is raising someone to be a incredible human being. I’m excited to meet my recent favorite person. I’m excited to connect with my mother differently and gain a good deeper understanding of her journey, who she is, and all that she has done for me.

What is your advice for Black women fighting infertility?

My advice to Black women fighting infertility is to know that you just are usually not alone. It’s easy to want to isolate yourself, but you are not alone. The smartest thing you possibly can do for yourself is to discover a community, even when it isn’t personal, or do what I did and go to TikTok to discover a community. I might also say that you’ve gotten a right to reply. Look for them, go to your doctors, see what your insurance covers, what specialist you possibly can see and what tests you possibly can do to discover what is happening. The best armor we are able to have within the fight against infertility is to know as much about ourselves as possible.