Olympian Tara Lipinski Reflects on "Isolating" Journey With Pregnancy Loss, IVF Before Welcoming Daughter

Tara Lipinski is gliding through the early months of motherhood.

After all, the Olympic gold medalist and husband Todd Kapostasy are basking in life with their newborn daughter, Georgie, whom they welcomed via surrogate in October. But it's an experience Tara admitted they weren't sure they would ever have. 

"We went through a long, five-year journey and it was so difficult as I experienced so much pregnancy loss along the way," she shared on the Nov. 20 episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show. "Going through IVF and trying to get back more embryos to try pregnancy again. It really was like this mystery that never ended."

But after enduring this "long road," Tara is savoring every moment with her baby girl. "She's so precious, I can't believe it," she added. "It's shocking. Every day, I wake up to this surreal feeling that it's actually happened."

In fact, it was that difficult road to parenthood that inspired her and Todd's podcast, Unexpecting.

"I had all of these feelings," she explained. "I didn't know if they were normal or if other people were experiencing it ‘cause you just don't hear these stories as much. You hear about IVF or infertility, but you don't really know what the day-to-day life is—especially when it goes on for half a decade."

Now, with her baby girl, Tara is embracing all the milestones with Georgie to come. As for whether she hopes her little one will follow in her triple-looping skates?

"I feel like that's a lot of pressure! I feel like that's a lot," the 41-year-old noted. "Maybe I'll take her to the rink and then if she wants to skate, then I guess I'll have to skate with her. But hopefully, she finds something of her own that doesn't have to follow in mom's footsteps."

Tara and Todd, who wed in 2017, announced they were expecting their baby girl just a few weeks before confirming her arrival. At the time, the filmmaker recalled their reaction to learning they were finally about to be parents.

"We're on the deck of this house looking at the Pacific Ocean, and the sun is setting and we're like, 'We're pregnant with a kid after the heartbeat scan,'" he reflected on the Oct. 5 episode of Unexpecting. "It felt like this crazy—almost cliché end of a movie—where the sun was finally setting on our horrific fertility journey."

That same month, Tara spoke about her and Todd's decision to choose surrogacy. Calling her surrogate a "match made in heaven," she expressed hope that being vocal about their struggles would help those in similar situations.

"For me, as someone who has experienced pregnancy 4 times, I've felt more connected through this surrogacy pregnancy than any other," she wrote in an Oct. 19 Instagram post. "These positive stories should be spoken about and I hope more of these conversations happen because the amount of messages I've received from women feeling relieved or now optimistic about potential surrogacy has been overwhelming.

Keep reading to see other stars who've also shared their experiences with surrogacy.

The couple welcomed baby boy Wren Alexander Stephens in June 2023 after Chrissy gave birth to older children Luna, Miles and Esti. 

The Happy Endings duo welcomed their third child—a baby girl named Frances Rose—with help from an "angel" surrogate, Casey shared in January 2023. "A large factor of surrogacy was my postpartum depression that I had through both kids," she said. "It's actually a very strong choice to make when you're parenting other kids, and for myself."

"We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate," the singer and actress shared in January 2022. E! News later confirmed they named her Malti Marie Chopra Jonas.

In July 2022, The Kardashians star welcomed a baby boy, Tatum Thompson, via surrogate with the NBA player, though the pair split soon after their son was conceived.

The Pitch Perfect star welcomed a daughter named Royce Lillian in November 2022, writing at the time, "I can't even describe the love I have for her, she's a beautiful miracle!"

The couple, who wed in 2021, welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named Phoenix, via surrogate in January 2023. 

In March 2021, the actor and his wife announced the arrival of baby no. 6, a daughter named Lucia. A source close to the couple confirmed to E! News she was born via surrogate. 

The Bridesmaids star and her husband welcomed twins via surrogate in 2020. 

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star welcomed daughter Blaze Tucker via surrogate in Nov. 2019.

Following two high-risk pregnancies, The Kardashians star and the rapper, who have since divorced, enlisted the help of a gestational carrier to welcome daughter Chicago West in January 2018 and and a baby boy, Psalm West, in May 2019.

The Bring It On star and the retired NBA player welcomed a healthy baby girl, Kaavia, via surrogate on Nov. 7, 2018. "Our miracle baby arrived last night via surrogate and 11/7 will forever be etched in our hearts as the most loveliest of all the lovely days," the actress shared.

The Watch What Happens Live host became a first-time dad with the arrival of his son, Benjamin Allen in February 2019. "I'm in love," he wrote on Instagram, adding, "And speechless. And eternally grateful to an incredible surrogate. And I'm a dad. Wow." Three years later, daughter Lucy joined their family.

The supermodel and Erik Asla welcomed their first child, York Banks Asla, via a surrogate in 2016.

The actor and husband David Burtka welcomed their twins Gideon and Harper via a surrogate in 2010.

The couple welcomed daughter Faith in December 2010 via a surrogate. She joined the pair's first child together, daughter Sunday Rose, and Kidman's eldest children with ex Tom Cruise, Connor and Isabella.

The Sex and the City star and the Ferris Bueller's Day Off alum welcomed twins Tabitha and Loretta in 2009. They joined big brother James.

The legendary British singer and hubby David Furnish welcomed sons Zachary and Elijah via surrogate in 2010 and 2013, respectively. 

The Tonight Show host and wife Nancy Juvonen welcomed two daughters, Winnie and Frances, via a surrogate in 2013 and 2014.

The Pitch Perfect star and husband Max Handelman welcomed two sons, Felix and Magnus, via a surrogate in 2011 and 2012.

In 2015, the notoriously private Charlie's Angel actress announced the birth of her son, Rockwell Lloyd Liu, via surrogate. 

The Latin performer became a father to twins Matteo and Valentino in 2008. 

The Fast & Furious star and then-husband Andrew Form welcomed two sons, Julian and Rowan, via a surrogate in 2013 and 2016.

The Grey's Anatomy star and husband Chris Ivery revealed in 2014 they recently welcomed daughter Sienna via surrogate. The actress gave birth to their first child, daughter Stella, in 2009, and the couple welcomed a third child, son Eli, in 2016.

The Glee creator and husband David Miller welcomed sons, Logan and Ford via a surrogate in 2012 and 2014, and son Griffin joined their family in 2020.

In 2015, a year after suffering a miscarriage, The Bachelor star and Lorenzo Lamas' daughter Shayne Lamas and husband Nik Richie welcomed their second child, son Lyon, via a surrogate —the reality star's stepmother, Shawna Craig. The child joined big sister Press Dahl.

After battling fertility struggles for years, the actress and husband Carter Oosterhouse welcomed daughter Flora via surrogate in December 2016.

The Married...With Children star and husband Kurt Sutter welcomed daughter Esme Louise in 2007 via a surrogate. 

The Real Housewives of Miami star struggled with infertility before she and husband Lenny Hochstein welcomed their first child, son Logan, via a surrogate in 2015. Just a few years later, daughter Elle joined their family.