‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Bella Robertson Details Infertility Struggles: ‘It’s Been a Crazy Journey’

The 22-year-old reality star married Jacob Mayo in 2021.

(L-R) Will Robertson, Rebecca Robertson, Bella Robertson, John Luke Robertson, Sadie Robertson, Korie Robertson and Willie Robertson attend an Evening By Sherri Hill fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2014 at Trump Tower on Sept. 9, 2013, in New York City. Monica Schipper/Getty Images

“Duck Dynasty” star Bella Robertson Mayo spoke candidly on her sister’s podcast about her experience with unexplained infertility after stopping birth control.

The youngest daughter of Willie and Korie Robertson shared her journey to start a family during a recent episode of her older sister Sadie Robertson Huff’s “WHOA That’s Good” podcast, published on June 25.

The 22-year-old television personality revealed that she and her husband, Jacob Mayo, began trying to conceive shortly after tying the knot in June 2021.

“About six months into our marriage, we knew that we weren’t quite ready to have kids, but we knew we would want to soon,” she said.

Robertson Mayo said the birth control she was using at the time had a disclaimer noting that there could be a delay in getting pregnant for up to six months after stopping the contraception.

“So we were like, this kind of feels like the right time to get off of it,” she said. “We made that change and got off the birth control, and six months came around—nothing. Another six months came around—nothing. It was so shocking.”

Research shows both short- and long-term birth control users may experience a delay in fertility.

A 2005 study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility also found that consuming oral contraceptives for more than two years before getting pregnant could increase the chance of having a miscarriage.

Moreover, studies have linked birth control use to a greater risk of other health issues, including cardiovascular disease and breast and cervical cancers, as well as mental health concerns, such as depression and even suicide.

Robertson Mayo, who also appeared in the spinoff series “Duck Dynasty: The Revival,” said doctors still have not been able to determine the cause of her infertility struggles.

“It’s been a crazy journey. We’ve tried fertility treatments, we’ve had exploratory surgery, we’ve done a lot of things to hopefully try to find answers—but we just haven’t found any yet,” she said.

“I guess it would be marked as unexplained infertility. At this point, we still haven’t figured out what’s going on, but we’ve done everything under the sun.”

She noted that she’s made several lifestyle changes, including eating healthier and taking vitamins.

Despite the uncertainty, Robertson Mayo said she and her husband have learned to lean on their faith as they navigate their challenging path to parenthood.

“I think in not finding answers, we found a lot of faith and a lot of strength in Christ,” she said.