Exclusive Interview
‘Baylen Out Loud’: Baylen Dupree on Family Plans Amid Endometriosis Journey
What To Know
- Baylen Dupree opened up about her endometriosis journey in an interview with Swooon.
- Ahead of her wedding, the condition has been a major talking point in her relationship.
- Baylen stars in Baylen Out Loud on TLC, which is currently airing Season 3.
“There’s a lot going on with me,” Baylen Dupree-Dooley confessed. “So to be able to bring awareness to all of it is so important.”
Wedding planning isn’t the only focus of Baylen Out Loud Season 3. Following Tuesday night’s episode, “‘Til Death Do Us Part,” Baylen sat down with Swooon to open up about having endometriosis, explaining, “There’s a lot of vulnerability going on in Season 3.”
During Episode 6, Baylen’s sister, Sammi Dupree, checked in with her about her fiancé Colin Dooley‘s “baby fever kick” ahead of their wedding. In response, Baylen revealed that she and Colin had put that conversation to bed for now. “Where I’m at right now with my tics isn’t really where I want to be when we start having kids. But there’s way more than my tics behind the scenes. Endometriosis can really mess up the ability to have kids,” she said.
While Baylen had previously opened up about having endometriosis, which Mayo Clinic defines as “an often-painful condition in which tissue that is similar to the inner lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus,” she got candid with Swooon about her endometriosis journey, advocacy, and how the condition could affect her and Colin when it comes to starting a family, as 30-50% of people with endometriosis are infertile.
TLC
While Baylen got “officially unofficially diagnosed” when she was in eighth grade, entering a new chapter of her life with Colin has reopened the conversation surrounding her condition. “Basically getting married and wanting to start a family,” Baylen explained, “If you know anything about endo, it’s kind of hard to have kids, so it’s one of the things that we were scared to go down the path of finding out. But the more information you have, the more that guides you through the process. If I had any advice to give to anybody, it’s just go to the doctor. Get answers.”
That said, the Baylen Out Loud star will be the first to admit that the process of getting a diagnosis is scary. “I was scared, I was petrified, I thought I was going to puke and sh*t myself before the appointment, like because it’s like so much nerves and so [many] things. It’s a huge condition that a lot of people just don’t understand. Doctors still don’t understand it.”
On Baylen Out Loud, Baylen revealed that she still doesn’t have an official diagnosis, despite having all the symptoms. “They kind of told me that I have all the symptoms to have endometriosis, but I can’t get an official diagnosis until I get surgery, which I haven’t had,” Baylen explained.
“My journey with it, without getting a proper diagnosis, and trying to get a proper diagnosis, [has been] difficult and long, and a lot of people don’t understand the strategic process that it takes to go through that,” she told Swooon. “I’m really glad that I’m sharing the process of what it’s like to have endo and the pain that I go through.”
As many found Baylen through her Tourette’s Syndrome advocacy on TikTok before she went on to star in her own TLC series, it’s no surprise that she is proud to advocate for people living with endometriosis as well. “Just because I have a lot of conditions, and with those conditions, I struggle a lot,” she explained, “[Having endometriosis] is another avenue for me to bring awareness, too.”
Baylen’s final word of advice? Seek treatment that makes you feel safe and seen. She shared, “I feel like it’s also very, very important, if you’re going to a gyno — it’s just personal preference —I love to see a woman.” Baylen laughed, confessing, “I feel like she knows more about what’s going on, that’s all I’m going to say.”
Baylen Out Loud, Season 3, Tuesdays at 8/7c, TLC
