Tambra Cherie is a full-time interactive media personality. Poised and personable, she is a radio/TV personality, entertainment news correspondent, author, entrepreneur, spokesperson, host, and star of OWN’s Belle Collective. The hit Bravo series spotlights six successful and glamorous Southern women who make things happen in their tight-knit Jackson, Mississippi, community and beyond. In season four of the series, the audience will follow Cherie’s pregnancy journey, as she’s been open about living through fertility struggles that led to her having to have 39 uterine fibroids removed. By sharing her experience, Tambra lends her voice and story to how Black women are disproportionately affected by uterine fibroids.

While her motherhood journey has been turbulent, she and her partner, Demond, finally ended up pregnant during the season. Even though they were overjoyed by the hopeful news, there was still some anxiety around a healthy and sustaining pregnancy, given Cherie’s multiple fibroid surgeries, causing her to be at high risk. We spoke to Cherie about past fertility issues, how Black women experience higher rates of inequalities in reproductive healthcare, and her journey to becoming a mother to her beautiful baby daughter, London Simone. 

ESSENCE: Can you speak to us about your pregnancy journey? We know that you’ve suffered from 39 fibroids. 

Tambra Cherie: I made a personal decision actually to freeze my eggs and embryos. That was a personal decision. That was a decision I actually made after my second fibroid surgery. I was doing so much research regarding what was going on, the possibilities, how we could affect your fertility, and all of that. I didn’t have a doctor actually tell me to freeze my eggs or embryos. It was one of the best decisions I ever made to be honest. I had another fibroid after I had just had 39 fibroids removed. 

Can you talk to us about how difficult that process was for you, from the fibroids to the infertility, and then making that decision on your own to insert your embryos as well? 

It was a very difficult decision for me. Because, you know, I waited so long because I wanted the timing to be right. I was the girl I was trying to put my career first. I wanted my personal life to be at a certain level as well. I wanted all that but realized that’s never a perfect time. So it was a very hard decision to make. When I made that decision, they found out I had another fibroid. I had just had a procedure for pallet removal. I had to wait to get the results to make sure they were not cancerous. It’s all about timing. When I called my doctor to move forward, the timing was perfect for starting in the next two days. It was perfect. And that’s really kind of unheard of.

When you were going through these trials and tribulations, especially when you’ve had bouts of infertility and then the fibroids, how were you able to keep your faith that one day a baby would happen?

It’s about trusting God, and that’s how I went into these procedural sessions as well.  I went into it saying that if it’s meant for me, then this will happen. Because you know, you can be very disappointed. People don’t realize when you go through those surgeries, you go through so much, you know, it can take a mental strain on, it can be very stressful. I had to really rely on my faith. That’s the way I went into these surgeries. I was like, “God, I trust you. If it is meant for me, it will happen.”

I also watched what I put into my body, aware of what I was listening to and intentional my entire pregnancy. You know, those first few weeks when you do IVF are very crucial. I also had to be an advocate for myself. 

Who were your biggest advocates? From one of the episodes, it seemed that your doctors and your care teams were very supportive and happy for you.

I had an amazing fertility doctor that you actually see on Belle Collective; that’s who did my fibroid surgery. I had a team of doctors. I was going to the doctor every two weeks for my entire pregnancy until I started going every week. I realize everyone does have access to a supportive care team, but everyone deserves that.

Speak to me about the decision to share your pregnancy journey on reality television. 

I believe every platform has a purpose. I didn’t think that this would be something, you know, years ago that would be documented on television. But I had to realize it has a purpose. The most feedback I get is when we’re talking about fibroid and my pregnancy. women across the country who shared their stories with me, and they let me know that I’m helping them by sharing my journey and truth. My goal is always to help other people to inspire, motivate, and educate someone else.

How was it for you watching your journey back and seeing all that you’ve endured becoming a mother? Now that you have this beautiful baby girl.

It’s amazing watching your back now, but I am all about protecting your peace and your energy and doing what’s good for you. I just started watching Belle Collective, because I postpartum earlier. I just had the baby in November, so I still focused on health. So now, being able to watch the episodes, it’s surreal because my daughter is watching with me. She’s right there. 

I assume you’ll have conversations about your pregnancy journey when she gets older. How do you envision speaking to your daughter about the trials and tribulations you’ve been going through to conceive?

I didn’t even know what a fibroid was until I had it. That conversation was never had with me. We must break the cycle of discussing things we don’t usually discuss. I was not educated on what fibroids were, although I had women in my family who had fibroids who had had a hysterectomy. 

How can black women who are disproportionately affected by uterine fibroids begin to seek help and to speak up about their condition? 

There are actually more groups that are more and we see more groups that are more supportive now. We do see the narrative be more out there. And I love that, because I didn’t see that before. However, you still have to be an advocate for yourself. Advocate for your own health do not give up hope. There is help available; there is support available. I would say keep the faith. Pray about it. I can’t talk about this journey without including how much I prayed. Also, don’t be afraid to talk to other women who are going through some of the same things. When we speak up, you realize how many women have gone before you on this journey. So, I would tell people to stay very hopeful. It is possible.

How does it feel to be a new mother to a beautiful baby girl now? 

It’s absolutely amazing. It is a feeling, you know, unlike any other feeling I’ve ever had before. It’s just a great feeling.