Her Honest Fertility Journey
Mandy Moore shares her IVF journey, failed attempt, and unexpected joy of daughter Lou
Key Points
Moore said her experience carrying her first two pregnancies felt like an “extreme privilege,” before describing IVF as a backup plan.
She explained that the reason for IVF was to create embryos she could “on ice” (freeze) for later—so the couple could wait until timing felt right for a third child.
Moore previously told Romper that a specialist suspected endometriosis during her first fertility journey, and she said she was “fully prepared to go have surgery and fix my uterus and hopefully get rid of the endometriosis.”
After sharing that she experienced few physical postpartum issues, she added a broader reflection: “any way that a woman gives birth is heroic on a level that men could never understand.”
In the earlier account she referenced about conceiving Gus, Moore quoted a doctor telling her there was a “slim chance of getting pregnant… and then lo and behold to our surprise, I became pregnant with Gus.”
Mandy Moore, 42, revealed that a round of IVF she pursued as a "backup plan" failed completely — producing no viable eggs or embryos. The actress shared the news on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, saying the failed cycle left her feeling her family was done. Then, unexpectedly, her daughter Louise arrived in September 2024.
Moore, best known for her role on *This Is Us*, already had two sons — Gus, born February 2021, and Ozzie, born October 2022. She had conceived both naturally, despite doctors once warning her she had a "slim chance" of getting pregnant at all. Her daughter Lou made it three kids in roughly three and a half years.
IVF as Insurance, Not a Last Resort
Moore did not pursue IVF out of desperation. She had already conceived Gus and Ozzie on her own. Instead, she described IVF as an "insurance policy" — a way to freeze embryos and buy time before deciding on a third child. The plan was to put eggs "on ice" and use them when the timing felt right, according to Yahoo News.
That plan never materialized. The cycle produced no viable eggs and no embryos. Moore said the result effectively "settled" the question of a third child. She shifted from active planning to a simpler mindset: if another pregnancy happened naturally, fine. If not, her family was complete, The Blast reported.
A Surprise Daughter After a Failed Medical Procedure
Moore announced her third pregnancy in May 2024 via an Instagram photo of her sons wearing "Big" and "Middle" shirts. She and husband Taylor Goldsmith, lead singer of the band Dawes, were not actively trying — but they were open. Louise "Lou" Everett Goldsmith was born September 25, 2024, according to The Daily Beast.
For women over 40, the odds of a live birth per IVF transfer sit around 13.2%, according to CDC data. Natural conception at that age is rarer still. Moore called Lou's arrival "very very surprising." The pregnancy itself, she said, felt relatively easy — a contrast to the emotional weight of the years leading up to it.
A Long Fertility Road That Started Before Gus
Moore's fertility struggles did not begin with IVF. Before conceiving Gus, a specialist suspected she had endometriosis — a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb and can block pregnancy. She told a previous interviewer she was "fully prepared to go have surgery" to fix it. Then she got pregnant naturally, The Cut reported.
She also faced an immune disorder called ITP after her first delivery. ITP prevents blood from clotting properly and affected how she delivered her later children. Moore quoted a doctor telling her there was a "slim chance of getting pregnant… and then lo and behold to our surprise, I became pregnant with Gus." That pattern — bleak medical odds, natural conception — repeated itself with Lou.
Speaking Out to Break Silence Around Fertility Struggles
Moore said she shared her story partly to cut through the isolation that fertility struggles can create. She acknowledged she is still "emotionally" recovering from having three children in roughly 43 months. Her physical recovery, she said, was smooth — she did not experience notable postpartum symptoms. But the pace of it all took a toll, according to Perez Hilton.
She added a broader reflection on childbirth: "Any way that a woman gives birth is heroic on a level that men could never understand." Moore has also partnered with women's health brand Perelel, which has pledged $10 million to fund research into underfunded conditions like endometriosis. Her story lands at a moment when the White House has separately requested $12 billion from Congress to close the women's health research gap, The Blast reported.
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