By Jennie Garth break up with her husband, Dave Abrams, was difficult for many reasons. Separating from someone you love is always emotionally difficult, of course. And for the 90210 star, there was another layer that made the division even more complicated.
In case you didn’t know (or need a refresher), Abrams filed for divorce in 2018, but the pair reunited less than a year later — and have been going strong ever since. At the time, Garth didn’t say much publicly about what exactly went down. But in a new video interview with SELF, she revealed that the couple had been undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments before their 10-month split.[We] were trying to have a baby, and it kept failing,” she tells SELF. “And that was really, really hard on both of us individually and on our relationship.”
In general, the In vitro fertilization process involves stimulating ovulation, retrieving those eggs from the ovaries, fertilizing them with sperm in a lab, and then transferring the embryo to the uterus in the hopes of achieving pregnancy. This treatment (which usually requires several rounds) can be physically and emotionally draining. Not to mention it can cost tens of thousands of dollars, with no guarantee of success.
Given these challenges, it’s understandable that couples going through IVF may experience intense stress, hopelessness, anxiety, and depression — all of which can have serious consequences. toll on the relationship.
After several unsuccessful rounds, Garth explained that she and Abrams decided to forgo the possibility of having children together — a decision that “freed us to love each other in a different way.” “Dave is an incredibly supportive and loving person,” she said, adding that she’s been able to appreciate her husband even more since the pressure was taken off. “He’s always thinking about how he can make me happy and make my day better. I’m so grateful for the generosity of his spirit and his love.”
Along with his IVF journey, Garth admitted that he had to overcome many other setbacks in his life, including a osteoarthritis diagnosis and two hip replacements. However, through all these struggles, she learned one important lesson: to love and be kind to herself. “You get to that place where you think, I don’t want to waste this precious time on Earth worrying about what other people think of me,” she added. “And I have to tell you: This is truly the best time of my life.”
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