Katie Lee Opens Up About Her Struggles with Infertility

Reminder: It's never okay to comment on a woman's body. Katie Lee, co-host of Food Network's The Kitchen, is reiterating that message after revealing that trolls have been blowing up her Instagram asking whether or not she's pregnant.

"I get comments saying I look like I've gained weight, so I must be pregnant," she recently shared in an IG post. "After one said that I looked 'thick in the waist' I finally responded that it's not ok to comment on a woman's body and you never know what someone is going through. There is so much pressure on women to look a certain way and while most mean well with baby questions, it can be hurtful."

Turns out, Lee has been trying to get pregnant for a year, but she's been struggling with infertility. She wanted to start a family right after she got married, but things didn't quite go as planned. "I couldn't wait to get pregnant! I naively thought it would be easy," she wrote. "I'm a healthy woman, I eat a balanced diet, exercise, I don't smoke. [My husband] Ryan is the same. But reproductive health is an entirely different ballgame." (See: Study Says the Number of Eggs In Your Ovaries Has Nothing to Do with Your Chances of Getting Pregnant)

Lee explained that after months of trying, she had to have surgery to "correct a problem." She then developed an infection and shingles, which is when doctors advised that she and her husband try in vitro fertilization (IVF).

"We just finished the intense process only to get zero healthy embryos," she wrote. "Not only is IVF physically exhausting, but the emotional toll is also unparalleled. We were filled with hope and excitement only to be crushed."

On top of being emotionally debilitating, Lee explained how hurtful it's been when body-shamers have commented on her weight. "When they say I look like I've gained weight, I have," she wrote. "I can't exercise as much and the hormones have made me bloated." (

Lee's honest and emotional post is an important reminder to keep unwarranted opinions to yourself because you never know what someone is dealing with beneath the surface.

Despite the negativity, Lee is hopeful that everything will work itself out in the end. "I know a family will happen for us, it is just going to be a different journey than we imagined," she wrote. "We will keep working towards it. Someday we will have our happy new beginning and I pray any of you experiencing the same will have yours too."