Reba McEntire’s Daughter-In-Law Opens Up About Her Difficult Infertility Journey
Reba McEntire’s son, Shelby, and his wife, Marissa, have been very vocal about their difficult journey to starting a family.
Shelby and Marissa got married at Walt Disney World in February 2022. Not long after, they decided to start trying to have a baby, but the process wasn’t as smooth as they’d hoped it would be.
In November of 2023, Marissa shared that the couple sought out “Nashville’s top OBGYN,” after trying naturally to have a baby for quite some time.
“Though it didn’t bring the news we hoped for, I’m reminded that success is about more than just results — it’s about gratitude for our health and each other,” she wrote at the time.
RELATED: Reba’s Daughter-In-Law Shares She Suffered A Miscarriage
Shelby & Marissa Begin Their IVF Journey
In July 2025, Marissa wrote a social media post seeking support as she explained her and Shelby were going through In Vitro fertilization (IVF) in hopes of having a baby in the near future. She asked for advice on her first day of taking the intense medications.
“This. Is. Awful,” she said in a Threads post at the time.
In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF, is a medical procedure used to help people conceive a child when they are having trouble getting pregnant naturally, according to the Mayo Clinic.
IVF involves retrieving eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in a laboratory. Once fertilization occurs, the resulting embryos are monitored, and the healthiest are implanted into the woman’s uterus. If successful, this leads to pregnancy.
While IVF has helped millions of people around the world have children, it can be physically, emotionally, and financially demanding.
The Couple Starts Their Second Round Of IVF
On December 5, 2025, Marissa shared that for the first time ever, she finally saw a positive pregnancy test. That excitement was distrupted, however, when just a few days later she experienced a miscarriage.
“I’ve carried more loss this year than I ever imagined I could. First my brother-in-law, then my dad… and now our little boy. Grief has a way of reshaping your world, and I’ve learned that to survive it, you have to search for even the faintest glimmer of meaning— the small silver thread that helps your heart keep going,” Marissa said at the time.
Despite that heartbreak, she said she still has “hope” for the future. Just one month later, Marissa announced they are heading into their second round of IVF.
“Second round of IVF 🤍 The love, messages, prayers, and support from friends and this community have been overwhelming in the best way. I wish I could thank every single person personally. Just know we feel it, and we’re so grateful. Infertility is hard, but we don’t feel alone. ✨,” she wrote on Wednesday (January 21).
Marissa explained that although the last round didn’t work out the way they hoped it would, her and Shelby are excited to move forward knowing she can get pregnant. She shared that her previous pregnancy was defined as a “chemical pregnancy” that just didn’t last.
“We’re pretty excited going into this,” Marissa said. “I know that my body can do it.”
We are wishing Shelby and Marissa the best of luck as they continue on this difficult journey!