Katya Santos undergoes IVF to have another baby
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Aside from getting married, Katya Santos' engagement to her non-showbiz fiancé, Paolo Pilar, has another purpose.
It can be recalled that Katya and Paolo got engaged in January 2024 during their vacation in Japan.
At the press conference about her upcoming movie titled Sunny last Friday, March 22, the actress said they have not yet started planning their wedding.
“Wala pa [detalye],” Katya told entertainment media, including GMANetwork.com.
She continued, “Inuuna kasi naming magka-baby. Right now, I'm in the process of IVF [in vitro fertilization], we started last year. Siyempre, with my age, I'm already 42, so we prioritize na mag-baby muna. Honestly, wala pa talaga, hindi pa talaga namin naiisip yung kasal kasi nga hindi lang namin napag-uusapan.
“Itong engagement ring na 'to, my partner lang really wanted to assure me--dahil mahirap yung pinagdadaanan namin sa IVF--na nandito siya, whaterver happens, magpapakasal kami and build a new family. Yun lang naman ang reason talaga. Of course, siyempre, para makasal talaga. But mostly because of IVF kasi grabe talaga yung pinagdadanan namin, sobrang hirap.”
Katya reiterated that she and her fiancé wanted to have a baby soon.
“Gusto ko pa talaga ngayong magkaroon ng baby kasi yung daughter ko is already 10 years old. Siyempre, naghahanap na siya ng kapatid.
“At least dalawa lang, so isa pa. Isa na lang para meron din kaming baby together. Lalaki o babae, kahit ano, basta dalawa. Kasi, ang hirap na rin ipilit kasi nga 42 na ako, so baka hindi ko na rin kayanin ang ilan pa. Kung mabuo yung dalawa, kambal siya.
“Yun ang pinagpe-pray namin. Hopefully, we're praying na mabuo silang dalawa o kahit isa sa kanila ay mabuhay.”
Health conditions
Katya said she never thought she would have a problem getting pregnant again until she went for a check-up.
She related, “Matagal na kaming nagta-try magka-baby kaya lang hindi lang talaga religiously trying, hindi kami nagpapa-check. Iniisip ko lang kasi before 40 wala naman akong problem, nagka-baby naman na ako.
“Then, noong nagpa-check na ako, okay, doon na lumabas lahat. Doon ko na-realize na hindi por que wala kang nararamdaman, e, wala kang problema. Kasi, I know I'm perfectly healthy, wala naman akong ginagawa, nag-e-exercise ako, healthy living.
“But then again, kapag sa babae pala, dapat regularly nagpapa-check. So, we found out that I have myoma… ang daming underlying issues. Then, medyo mababa na yung ovarian reserve ng egg that's why we opted for an emergency IVF. Simula noong na-check yun hanggang ngayon, nag-a-IVF kami.”
Among the health issues Katya mentioned were myoma and endometriosis, which they needed to address first before continuing the procedure.
“We had already five harvests, meron na kaming dalawang embryo. Hopefully, this July, i-implant na siya.
“But kasi, kailangan muna ako operahan for the myoma and endometriosis. Ang dami, e, kasi alam n'yo naman ang babae kapag nag-turn na ng 40 lumalabas na yung mga sakit.
“Sabi ko nga, wala naman akong nararamdamang sakit. But naayos naman, so hopefully, by July, tapusin ko lang yung isang show ko na gagawin, implant na namin.”
IVF journey
Going through in vitro fertilization is not an easy process. Katya described it as emotionally and mentally draining.
“Siguro kailangan matibay ka kasi noong nag-start kami, ano kasi siya, emotionally and mentally draining,”Katya said.
She then went on to tell her experience since they started undergoing fertility treatment.
“Isipin mo, mag-inject ka para maging maganda ang quality ng eggs mo. 'Tapos, magha-harvest ka, mag-anesthesia, may ipapasok sa 'yo. Parang kung iisipin mo, yung katawan mo napo-force sa bagay na hindi siya natural, di ba? Kasi, pinipilit mong mag-produce ng eggs, e. 'Tapos, pipilitin mong kunin.
“So, ang effect niya sa katawan mo, tataba-papayat, tataba-papayat. Emotionally, iiyak. Sa ibang friends ko, nagiging monster sila. Buti nga ako naha-handle ko yung talagang galit. Iyakin lang talaga ako. Very sensitive ko ngayon. Kasi nga, hormones, e. 'Tapos, emotionally, yung feeling na magiging successful ba?
“Alam naman natin na itong mga bagay na ito, hindi siya 100 percent guaranteed. So, hindi natin ito kontrolado. Hindi na 'to kontrolado ng doctors, e. Si God na lang talaga ang makapagsasabi kung talagang bibigyan ka niya. So, yung stressed na nape-pressure ako, na parang, 'Shucks, sana successful.'”
To keep her mind away from stressful thoughts, Katya started to follow a healthy lifestyle.
“Nilalabanan ko siya in a way na nagpapaka-healthy ako. I stopped drinking, I stopped going out, nautulog ako nang maaga, nagigising ako nang maaga, I exercise every day--yoga, kasi low-impact lang ang kaya mong gawin.
“Hjndi naman sobrang strict [ang diet] pero ako, pinili ko na lang na mas maraming gulay. Like, smoothies sa gabi, salad, bawas sa meat, bawas sa toxic food kasi nakaka-toxic sila sa eggs, e. Coffee, masama rin siya, so in-stop ko rin. Anything caffeinated. Softdrinks. Sugar, number one sa nakakasira ng eggs.
“Ang daming kailangang i-sacrifice. If gusto mo talagang magka-baby, itigil mo na.”
Costly procedure
Aside from its emotional effect, Katya admitted that the treatment is very expensive.
“Yun pa ang isa, financially, it's super duper draining kasi costly siya, e,” she said.
“Depende ito sa bawat babae. Like ako, since low ovarian reserve na ako, I needed to inject higher dosage of medicines. So, yung isa lang will cost you… yung isang box na isang injection costs PhP17,000. Isang injection lang siya sa akin at gagawin mo siya ng 12 days.
“Sa 12 days, hindi lang naman isang gamot ang ini-inject mo, apat na gamot 'yan. So, ang prices ng mga gamot, may PhP17,000, may PhP14,000, may PhP8,000, may ganyan. Minsan yung isang gamot nagkukulang sa akin, so kailangan ko ng additional. Napapamahal ako sa gamot.
“Let's say, sa 12 days na gamot ko pa lang, umaabot na ako ng PhP300,000 plus. 'Tapos, harvest mo, PhP200,000 kasi isama mo na ang doctor's fee at yung sa hospital. So, every harvest namin, gumagastos kami ng halos mga PhP500,000. Puwera pa yung mga check-up mo every other day kasi imo-monitor ka nila, yung gamot mo, yung tests mo.
“Pero may mga clinics naman na mas mura. Kaya lang ito kasi yung naibigay sa aking doctor and magaling naman talaga. Nakakapanlambot yung gastos than anything else.”
Because of this whole process, Katya realized, “Ganun siya ka-stressful. Umiiyak ako minsan kasi ang hirap pala. Ang hirap pala ng pakiramdam na nahihirapan kang mabuntis ngayon, sa age ko na 42.”
She also left a message to younger women who want to get pregnant later on in their life: In-advise-an ko ang mga bata na kung wala ka pang planong mag-asawa, magbuntis, and you're 30, magpa-freeze ka ng eggs.”
Meanwhile, here are other celebrities who had kids through IVF:
