Adrienne Bailon-Houghton Says She Spent Over $1 Million On IVF Treatments Before Welcoming A Child Via Surrogate

    "That is not realistic for the average person."

    Larry Fitzmaurice
    by Larry Fitzmaurice

    BuzzFeed Staff

    You know Adrienne Bailon-Houghton from iconic R&B groups 3LW and the Cheetah Girls.

    Closeup of Adrienne Bailon-Houghton on the red carpet in a floral tube top and jeans
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    You also might know that Adrienne welcomed her first child, Ever James, with husband Israel Houghton via surrogate back in 2022.

    Closeup of Israel Houghton and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton
    Paul Archuleta / Getty Images

    In an IG post announcing the arrival of their child, Adrienne had reflected on her "challenging" fertility journey. "He is worth every tear, every disappointment, every delayed prayer, every IVF cycle, every miscarriage," she wrote. "Everything."

    Adrienne Bailon Houghton posing in a dress with a fur shawl
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    In a recent interview with People, Adrienne opened up further about her fertility struggles before bringing Ever James into the world.

    Adrienne Bailon posing in a off-shoulder dress and hoop earrings at an event
    Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

    "I only did eight cycles of IVF, but that doesn't include the amount of IUIs I did and every other kind of imaginable treatments that you could imagine for fertility," she explained.

    Closeup of Adrienne Bailon-Houghton
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    The NHS describes IVF, or in vitro fertilization, as a process in which "an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop. It can be carried out using your eggs and your partner's sperm, or eggs and sperm from donors." 

    IUI, or intrauterine insemination, is defined by Mayo Clinic as a process that involves "placing specially prepared sperm directly in the uterus, the organ in which a baby develops."

    "So it was a pretty tough six years of trying to have my son."

    Closeup of Adrienne Bailon-Houghton
    Robin L Marshall / Getty Images for BET+

    During the interview, Adrienne was apparently asked how much she spent on IVF, and she estimated that the treatments cost "easily over a million" dollars.

    Adrienne Bailon-Houghton wearing a black one-shoulder top, posing for the camera
    Steve Granitz / FilmMagic,

    "And that is not realistic for the average person," she admitted. "And I recognize that."

    Adrienne Bailon-Houghton stands in front of a mural, wearing a white blazer over a corset-style top
    Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images for alice + olivia

    Head here to read more fertility experiences from those who have gone through them.