After 5 miscarriages, US actress welcomes baby girl using late husband's frozen sperm — 10 years after his death
Despite the several miscarriages she experienced, the celebrity had the courage to try one more time
The journey to motherhood for American actress Laura Orrico (@thelauraorrico) started later than she had expected. At 49 years old, she welcomed her first baby girl, Aviana "Ava" Rose, on February 5, at 6:09 p.m. Oricco knew that she was a little older than most mothers and called it her "last shot" at getting pregnant, but the surprising fact is she did it all alone. Orrico's husband, Ryan, passed away 10 years ago due to complications from a brain tumor. However, before he died, they decided to freeze his sperm, according to the recommendations of his neurosurgeon. Thanks to the expert medical advice, Orrico used her late husband's sperm to conceive their baby girl.
However, Orrico's journey to motherhood is not as straightforward as it seems. Orrico and Ryan met in 1999 during their early 20s. Three years later, he proposed to her during a Christmas Eve party in front of both of their families, and they married two years later. They were both at their prime and excelled in their respective careers until Ryan was diagnosed with a brain tumor. They decided to try for a baby using intrauterine insemination (IUI) and were successful on the fourth attempt. However, Orrico had a miscarriage that broke her heart.
During a chemo break, they decided to try naturally, and she became pregnant but miscarried again. "We didn't even know it. We didn't know I was pregnant. We didn't know it was a miscarriage," she told PEOPLE. Then they went forward with IVF, which was successful, but she miscarried once more. Over a span of seven years, she miscarried four times and said that they had exhausted all forms of treatment.
While both Orrico and her husband had hope, Ryan was getting sicker, and the tumor had grown resistant. He was 39 when the doctors suggested hospice, but Orrico wanted to take care of him at home. He passed away 13 days later after he was brought home in 2015.
After Ryan's death, Orrico got into a serious relationship with someone else and got pregnant naturally, but miscarried for the fifth time. After three more failed relationships, Orrico decided she could not wait any longer and wanted to use Ryan's frozen sperm. His family was super supportive of her decision, and she got pregnant immediately. "That was always my biggest fear was being alone or ending up alone or doing this alone, and I actually don't feel alone," she said.
Orrico is absolutely elated with her new baby girl. She has a circle of supportive family members and friends who check up on her and baby Ava from time to time. She is adjusting well and learning more about her baby's "little cues." Orrico, who went through the pain of losing her partner and several miscarriages, has advice for women who have been struggling with pregnancy. She said, "Never give up on your dreams. Life is short, and you have to live it to the fullest. Surround yourself with a good support system and move forward with your goals, as only you can control your future."
Laura Orrico's pregnancy falls under the "advanced maternal age" category of pregnant women. She was 48 when she conceived baby Ava and was 49 years old when she delivered. Advanced maternal age is used to describe pregnant women who are above 35 years old. At this age, there are higher chances of pregnancy complications, and Orrico did say that her pregnancy was "high risk."
According to a NCHS data report, the number of births in the US has increased 1% from 2023 to 2024, but the general fertility rate has declined by 1%. While birth rates declined for women between 15 and 34 years old, they remained unchanged for women between 35 and 29 and actually rose for women between 40 and 44 years old.
People congratulated Orrico on her new baby and were impressed by her strength and resilience. Despite the several miscarriages she experienced, she had the courage to try one more time. Netizens commented on the fact that Orrico's baby will be well-loved by her late husband's parents. @ChannelWithSilvia wrote, "Ryan's parents are going to be so supportive of Laura. What a great way to be with their grandchild actively for the rest of their life, too. The baby is already well-loved with a team of people in her life." @angela-i2b8e, another mother with a late pregnancy commented, "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine. I had my first and only child 2 months shy of my 48th birthday. Better late than never, I wish you all the best. May God be with you and your baby."
You can follow Laura Orrico (@thelauraorrico) on Instagram for more updates.
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