Lady Gaga's long-held dream of becoming a mother has been a difficult journey, with sources close to the singer describing her path as physically and emotionally challenging. "Stefanie's had a hard road to travel physically," one source told Page Six, referencing the singer's real name, Stefanie Germanotta. "There have been moments of giddiness and moments of despair. It has been so sad. It’s a real tale of hard times, both physical and emotional, en route to this happy ending."
Gaga, 40, has openly shared her struggles with various health issues over the years. In 2013, she underwent surgery for a broken hip, which she described as a "tear on the inside of my joint and a huge breakage." She noted that continuing to perform could have led to needing a full hip replacement and a year or more of recovery.
Her 2017 documentary, "Gaga: Five Foot Two," shed light on her ongoing battle with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition causing widespread pain and fatigue. Despite the pain, Gaga has spoken about her ability to push through when performing, fueled by the adrenaline of her music and fans.
In 2021, Gaga revealed in the Apple TV+ docuseries "The Me You Can't See" that she experienced a breakdown years after being raped at 19, an assault that resulted in a pregnancy. She recalled that even during a career high, such as her Oscar win for "A Star Is Born" in 2019, she was experiencing a "total psychotic break," stating, "For a couple years, I was not the same girl." She explained that the physical sensations of pain were similar to those she felt after the assault, despite medical scans finding no physical cause, attributing it to the body's memory of trauma.
Despite these challenges, Gaga expressed her strong desire for motherhood. In an October 2025 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," she stated, "What I really want is to be a mom. That’s my next starring role, I hope."
Gaga was recently photographed in Los Angeles cradling her new baby with fiancé Michael Polansky, 42. The couple has been together since late 2019. Information regarding the baby's name, sex, and whether the pregnancy was carried by a surrogate has not yet been publicly disclosed. Pals indicated that Gaga was actively trying to conceive as far back as 2024.