Lala Kent has opened up about her fertility journey and why she is having a second child on her own.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan published on Tuesday, the "Vanderpump Rules" star revealed that she is conceiving her second child via intrauterine insemination (IUI), a fertility treatment that "boosts the chances of pregnancy by placing specially prepared sperm directly in the uterus," according to the Mayo Clinic.
MORE: Ariana Madix makes her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in 'Chicago'Speaking about her decision to pursue the treatment, Kent, who is already a mom to Ocean, 2, whom she shares with ex Randall Emmett, explained she's had friends who had gone the IUI route but "they were all in regular, normal—I call them cookie-cutter—relationships."
"And when I had my life go in a very different direction, I knew I wanted more kids," she continued. "It was such a strange thing that was happening because everyone would tell me, 'You're going to find somebody.' And I got to thinking, Why does my wanting more children need to involve another person? I think if there's a will, there's a way. I knew a donor was an option, and I knew IUI was an option."
Opening up about the stage she is currently going through in the fertility journey, she told the publication that she is in the process "of tracking my periods and ovulation days, and I'm in close connection with my fertility specialist."
"We've got all our ducks in a row. The donor is secured, which I'm super excited about," she said, adding "It took a really long time to find the donor…It's like you're shopping for your partner but only to have a child, so there's a lot that goes into it."
Kent, 33, also shared one of her goals of going through the process is to take away the stigma from those getting a donor and from men who donate their sperm.
"I feel like you think of a sperm donor and you're like, 'Oh, they were hard up for cash.' I get emotional talking about it because this donor has changed my life," she explained. "These men who come in and donate, whatever the reason, are giving these people the greatest gift."
She discussed her advice to other women considering the same route to get pregnant, and said, "I would highly recommend it."
"If you want children and are only waiting for 'that person' to come into your life, let's talk about a different route that we can take," she added. "It's 2024! There are many ways to have a baby, and you don't need a man to do it."
