Congratulations are in order for the platinum-selling rapper Da Brat and her wife Jesseca "Judy" Harris-Dupart. The couple are expecting a baby, according to PEOPLE.com in this week's issue.
"It's been quite a journey," says Da Brat, who admits that at 48, "there's a lot of stuff we learned about women over the age of 40."
The couple's road to motherhood started around the time they said "I do" back on Feb. 2 of last year. Harris-Dupart, 41, is the CEO of Kaleidoscope Hair Products and was in the midst of launching a new line inspired by Da Brat and her iconic braids and protective hairstyles.
"It [having a baby] started as a joke, we were like, 'We're extending our family!'" she said. "But then we got a huge response. It was like, 'Oh my God do we want to actually have kids, and if we do, girl, we better hurry up!'"
Shortly after the ceremony last year, Da Brat even told People, “Everything about her made me want her to be mine forever. And I felt like I knew it not much longer than from the day we met.”
But her dreams of adding a child to the family were being crushed by the fact she had two fibroid tumors. “The doctor suggested that I shouldn’t carry. I saw ’em. I did the whole ultrasound and all that sh*t. I saw the tumors. I mean, I don’t know much about fibroid tumors, but you know he was like it would probably be better if my partner carries.” Da Brat said.
According to WomensHealth.gov, about 20 percent to 80 percent of women develop fibroids by the time they reach age 50.
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By age 50, nearly two-thirds of women experience uterine fibroids, noncancerous tumors that grow in the uterus and range from pea to football-sized and even larger. It’s also possible to have multiple uterine fibroids at the same time.
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Just last year, Da Brat and Harris-Dupart shared that they were hospitalized temporarily from IVF complications while on the Tamron Hall show. “It’s just been a lot, but we were not giving up…We want a baby together. So we want it to be, you know, we wanted, we want some of me, some of her. So we both had to go through different things to make it happen. This has been a journey.” Like the nurturing being she is, Da Brat was fearful of disappointing Harris-Dupart. Not to mention her excitement to experience motherhood in the way she envisioned.
Fibroids are more common and more severe among African American women. Some even believe that fibroids should be considered a public health issue, given the magnitude of the problem and the costs of health care for this disease.
In many cases, uterine fibroids cause no noticeable symptoms, but for some people, they can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, other symptoms and very real fertility issues. For example, fibroids that bulge into the center of the uterus can make it more difficult for an embryo to implant into the lining of the uterus.
The size, location and number of fibroids can affect pregnancy outcomes. Some patients with fibroids may have a premature delivery or need a cesarean section (C-section). Fibroids have also been linked to miscarriage.
For these reasons, it is important to talk with an obstetrician/gynecologist to get a better sense of how your fibroids may affect a future pregnancy.
For younger patients with fibroids who want to maintain their fertility, the gold standard treatment is called myomectomy. Unlike a hysterectomy, a myomectomy spares your uterus, so you can still become pregnant after the procedure.
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Judy shared her own difficult experiences of conceiving during an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show.
She went into detail about undertaking In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), which is a journey that Hall is familiar with as well.
“Since you’ve been through IVF, you can just imagine the journey [and] the complications,” Judy told Hall. “I was hospitalized with blood clots. It’s just been a lot but we were not giving up… We want a baby together. So we want it to be… we want some of me [and] some of her. So we both had to go through different things to make it happen. This has been a journey.”
“I have been to the doctor more than I ever have in my whole life,” Brat added. “Goodness. How many pap smears a woman gotta get? D–n.”
Judy, who has two children from previous relationships, explained that she was willing to carry her and Brat’s child. But as it turns out, she didn't need to and Da Brat is becoming a mom for the first time.
“We had a little tug-o-war in the beginning…but I felt like she should have the experience,” Harris-Dupart said. “She is so nurturing.”
According to People, Da Brat had surgery to remove fibroids and polyps prior to an embryo transfer procedure. She also suffered a pregnancy loss prior to her current pregnancy.
The couple says they chose an anonymous donor and will chronicle the pregnancy in Season 3 of their WE TV series "Brat Loves Judy."
