Brooke Shields’ Daughter Rowan Says She 'Wouldn’t Be Here Without IVF': ‘I Was Frozen for 2 Years’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

In this week’s PEOPLE,Brooke Shieldsand her daughters, Rowan, 21, and Grier, 18, reflect on what they’ve learned from one another in an interview filled with candid moments, laughter and a few of Mom’s tears, as she prepares for anempty nest.One thing her daughters admire is her candor about in vitro fertilization (IVF) and postpartum depression, which she wrote about in her 2005 book,Down Came the Rain.At the time, she was one of the first high-profile women to share her struggle with feelings of sadness and hopelessness following the birth of her oldest, Rowan, whom she had via IVF.“My mom went through a lot and IVF too,” says Rowan, now a college senior. “I wouldn’t be here without IVF. I was frozen for two years and I think Mom talking about it with us from an early age, we are now aware. That’s an important conversation for young women.”“I don’t want my mother to ever go through anything bad,” she adds, “but when the book came out, it changed a lot of women’s lives. There was a beneficial outcome for something so horrible and she now has a stronger connection with me because of what she went through.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Brooke Shields and her family in Southhampton in 2009.courtesy brooke shieldsAs the beloved star, now 59, shares, “I wrote it because no one was talking about it and another thing is – these are two women who may or may not have children but if they did, there’s a potential it could happen. It’s just a tool — to help them know if something is off, that it’s common and should be addressed. Nothing is wrong with them. It’s not their fault, so that is what I wanted to impart to them later in their life.”“In my generation, we were told career, career," Shields, the founder CEO ofCommence, her hair care line for women over 40, continues, “and that takes time and years and then you get to a place, you’re in your thirties and all of a sudden, you can start having trouble and so I always ask people, ‘Have you frozen your eggs?’ That’s also an important conversation for young women.”Michael SchwartzQuips Rowan, ”She said the other night, she looked at me and said, ‘Your graduation gift is freezing your eggs,’ and I’m just like, ‘Mom…..”For more on our exclusive interview with Brooke Shields and her daughters, pick up this week’s PEOPLE cover story, on newsstands Friday.

In this week’s PEOPLE,Brooke Shieldsand her daughters, Rowan, 21, and Grier, 18, reflect on what they’ve learned from one another in an interview filled with candid moments, laughter and a few of Mom’s tears, as she prepares for anempty nest.

One thing her daughters admire is her candor about in vitro fertilization (IVF) and postpartum depression, which she wrote about in her 2005 book,Down Came the Rain.At the time, she was one of the first high-profile women to share her struggle with feelings of sadness and hopelessness following the birth of her oldest, Rowan, whom she had via IVF.

“My mom went through a lot and IVF too,” says Rowan, now a college senior. “I wouldn’t be here without IVF. I was frozen for two years and I think Mom talking about it with us from an early age, we are now aware. That’s an important conversation for young women.”

“I don’t want my mother to ever go through anything bad,” she adds, “but when the book came out, it changed a lot of women’s lives. There was a beneficial outcome for something so horrible and she now has a stronger connection with me because of what she went through.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Brooke Shields and her family in Southhampton in 2009.courtesy brooke shields

courtesy brooke shields

As the beloved star, now 59, shares, “I wrote it because no one was talking about it and another thing is – these are two women who may or may not have children but if they did, there’s a potential it could happen. It’s just a tool — to help them know if something is off, that it’s common and should be addressed. Nothing is wrong with them. It’s not their fault, so that is what I wanted to impart to them later in their life.”

“In my generation, we were told career, career,” Shields, the founder CEO ofCommence, her hair care line for women over 40, continues, “and that takes time and years and then you get to a place, you’re in your thirties and all of a sudden, you can start having trouble and so I always ask people, ‘Have you frozen your eggs?’ That’s also an important conversation for young women.”

Michael Schwartz

Quips Rowan, ”She said the other night, she looked at me and said, ‘Your graduation gift is freezing your eggs,’ and I’m just like, ‘Mom…..”

For more on our exclusive interview with Brooke Shields and her daughters, pick up this week’s PEOPLE cover story, on newsstands Friday.

source: people.com