Francesca Farago has been candid about conceiving her and partner Jesse Sullivan’s twins via IVF — and she’s being just as open about her pregnancy journey.
Farago, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly that pregnancy has been “an adventure” and there have already been “so many things” about the experience that she “was not expecting.”
“It’s kind of scary,” Farago, the creator of Farago the Label, said. “I just have anxiety all the time that something’s going to go wrong, but I love being pregnant. I love feeling my belly grow and every time we see the babies it just feels surreal that it’s happening.”
Farago and Sullivan, 34, began dating in 2022 and got engaged in April 2023. One year later, they announced Farago was pregnant with twins after the couple documented their IVF journey via their respective social media accounts. Sullivan is already a dad to teenager Arlo, whom he welcomed in high school with a previous partner.
While the duo has been open about their experience of conceiving twins, Farago admitted the biggest “misconception” people have is that they are “not biologically related to the child.” Sullivan is transgender, and the couple used a sperm donor, the identity of whom they will keep private until after their children are born.
“I think a lot of people automatically go to saying that we’re just adoptive parents and the baby needs their biological parents and that I’m not actually a mother and Jesse’s not actually a father if we’re not biologically related to the child. I think that’s the comment that we get the most,” Farago, who did not disclose whose egg they used to create their embryos, explained. “That’s really just people just are so ignorant and don’t realize queer couples exist and they have existed and adoptive families exist.”
She continued, “I think people just love to nitpick and find anything to be rude about. But the worst comment I’ve gotten was people were basically saying that if I use Jesse’s eggs and I’m just a surrogate, I’m not even the mother and why would I give birth to a baby that’s not even mine? And I’m like, what are you?”
Farago hopes documenting her and Sullivan’s journey will show others that the experience can be “normal” for all couples.
“Even couples that are infertile — there are many men that can’t produce sperm and there are women that naturally can’t produce eggs. So there are straight, heterosexual relationships that also have to use a donor and it’s still very much their baby, and those people wouldn’t be getting comments that we’re getting,” Farago said. It’s just because we’re queer and people love to give unwarranted opinions on the relationship.”
Farago said she’s been laying off a lot of social media platforms to get away from the negativity, which hasn’t stopped her from soaking in every minute of her pregnancy. While speaking with Us, Farago was 15 weeks pregnant and said “the biggest surprise has been feeling the movement” of her babies.
“You hear about it and you hear people talk about it and Jesse’s talked about it, but when it’s actually happening to you, it’s just the most surreal feeling,” she gushed. “And I think the scariest part is there are so many things that can go wrong and so many things that you have to be aware of that I had no idea.”
She initially thought she would be “in the clear” after the first trimester once there is a lower risk for miscarriage, but she added, “With twins and with IVF, the scary zone is until you’re 35 weeks. Until then, there are still so many things that can go wrong. So, it’s just been a lot and it’s scary, but I have to just remember to be positive and that everything’s going to be OK.”
As far as how she stays positive and excited about expanding their family, Farago loves shopping for her little ones. Considering she founded her brand Farago the Label, a sustainable swimwear brand using ethically sourced, 100 percent biodegradable nylon fabrics, it comes as no surprise that fashion makes her happy.
“I think looking at baby clothes makes me feel very content and happy and very excited,” she said. “And then just thinking about them actually being here … That’s just what I’ve been focusing on is the future and then all the cute baby clothes because baby clothes are so cute. Every time I see a picture of baby clothes, I die on the inside and I just can’t wait because we get to dress two babies, so we get to put them in little matching outfits and there are little teddy bear outfits and it’s just insanely cute.”
Pregnancy has had its ups and downs, and Farago has also been experiencing some interesting — and sweet — cravings.
“The first trimester all I could eat was fruit and bread and cereal. I was craving Honey Nut Cheerios and Reese’s Puffs,” she said. “I was craving it and I haven’t had those since I was seven, so that was the weird craving was random cereal. But now I’m kind of getting back to my regular diet, but I’m definitely big into sweets. I’m always wanting something sweet.”
Like most first-time moms, Farago is hoping to “do a good job” once her little ones arrive and is “excited” for her mama bear “instincts” to kick in.
She added, “I think I’m just going to naturally mold into it and know what to do instinctually.”
Reporting by Christina Garibaldi
