Tara Lipinski revealed that her surrogate suffered a miscarriage while she and husband Todd Kapostasy were pregnant with their second child.
“A few months ago, we lost our baby in the third trimester,” the Olympian began in an Instagram post on Friday.
“We have been on our second surrogacy journey for two years now,” Lipinski continued.
The former gymnast added that the surrogate who originally carried the couple’s daughter Georgie, 2, was “not medically cleared to give birth”.
“I grieved the end and we started over. From the long journey of finding a surrogate mother, to the setbacks with medical clearance, to the failed transfer, to this loss… it hasn’t been easy,” Lipinski said.
The “Traitor” alum, who has been open about her infertility journey over the years, admitted: “Loss in the third trimester was devastating. Something new to add to the long list of heartbreaks we’ve endured on this infertility journey.”
“Another memory that will be hard to erase. That promise will be etched in my heart forever, as will every step that follows once the pregnancy is that far along.”
Lipinski credits people telling their stories as the reason she shares what she’s going through – “especially when it’s hard 🤍.”
The athlete explained that it’s difficult to keep moving forward after moments like this, but “we did it once, we can do it again.”
Fans immediately flooded the comments section to support the reality star.
One follower wrote, “I’m so sorry. I’m praying for you 💔🙏🏻,” while another wrote, “Your kindness and strength in everything you do is so inspiring ❤️.”
Concluding the sweet message, another social media user said: “So sorry Tara 🤍 Sending you so much love (and I want to say strength, but you are one of the strongest warriors I know).”
In 2023, Lipinski and Kapostasi welcomed Georgie as a surrogate mother after five years of infertility treatment and multiple miscarriages.
“I’ve dreamed of this for a long time: crying babies, sleepless nights,” the gold medalist told People magazine at the time.
When the gestational carrier gave birth, Lipinski was in the delivery room and “were playing the Dave Matthews song ‘You and Me’…and I couldn’t stop sobbing.”
“Then the baby came out and I was so relieved,” the former figure skater said. “I felt like I could breathe again.”
Before her daughter was born, Lipinski suffered four miscarriages, six failed IVF transfers, and eight egg retrievals.
She was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis and underwent two major surgeries.
After her fourth miscarriage, the 1998 Olympic champion and filmmaker decided it was time to “consider other options.”
During an appearance on her and Kapostasy’s Unexpecting podcast in October 2023, the two discussed how they developed a “magical” relationship with their first surrogate mother, Mikayla.
As Lipinski said, “There was an instant connection and bond between us. I never expected it to feel this strong. It’s like two peas in a pod…We’re teammates at the deepest level.”
Last year, the podcaster opened up about her growing family, telling People that she and her husband “definitely want to bring a sibling to Georgie.”
