Marissa Blackstock, who is the wife of Reba McEntire‘s son Shelby Blackstock, is newly pregnant. But she didn’t share her news with a typical announcement: Rather, as a continuation of how open she’s always been about her fertility journey thus far.
On Threads, Blackstock shared the results of her first two beta hCG blood tests after her IVF (in vitro fertiliation) embryo transfer in late January.
Her first draw showed an hCG level of 160.3 mlU/ml, and a second rose to 265.8.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, any level above 25 mlU/ml indicates a positive pregnancy test. But those levels typically double every 48-72 hours, and Blackstock noted in her post that hers were rising a little more slowly than her medical team would like.
“Not the numbers we were hoping for to feel reassured (docs want it to double, only increase of 66 percent) but we’re still in viable numbers,” she explained. Five days later, she shared another hopeful pregnancy update: This time, about some symptoms she’s experiencing.
“Who was going to tell me about the vivid dreaming and heavy night sweats in early pregnancy?!” she wrote.
Is Reba McEntire’s Daughter-in-Law Pregnant? Marissa Blackstock’s Fertility Journey
- Shelby and Marissa Blackstock got married in 2022 and started trying for a baby not long after.
- After over a year of trying naturally without ever getting a positive pregnancy test, they enlisted Nashville’s top doctors and began medicated cycles.
- Eventually, they moved to IVF.
In November 2023, Blackstock shared an update, saying that her husband was “an incredibly supportive partner through all of this” and that “his strength and optimism have been my rock.”
Marissa Blackstock Has Experienced Pregnancy Loss
In December, the Blackstocks got a positive pregnancy test after an embryo transfer. But heartbreakingly, it ended in an early miscarriage.
Blackstock shared that news on social media, revealing that she experienced a chemical pregnancy in the days after her positive test.
“I know—it’s so early. But I wanted to acknowledge this for the people who have been excited for us,” she reflected. “The ones who’ve followed our journey, our family, our heartbreaks and our hopes. Life happens quietly sometimes, and it’s such a shame we don’t talk about it more. How can we support one another if we don’t know?”
Marissa Blackstock’s Miscarriage Followed a Year of Tragedy and Loss
In her post, Blackstock said that she had “carried more loss this year than I ever imagined I could.”
She mentioned her brother-in-law, Brandon Blackstock, who died in August 2025. Brandon was her husband’s brother, as well as Reba McEntire’s stepson from her marriage to Narvel Blackstock. Brandon was also the ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson, and he and Clarkson have two children.
Read More: Brandon Blackstock Dead at 48
Blackstock also lost her father in November, just one day before she got a positive pregnancy test.
But she also emphasized the hope that that pregnancy gave her, even though it didn’t last. “He still gave us something precious. He showed me that my body can do this,” she explained, speaking about the baby she lost in the miscarriage.
Marissa Blackstock Explains Where She + Shelby Blackstock Are In Their IVF Journey
In late January, before her latest transfer, Blackstock updated fans with a video post saying they were “pretty excited” going into their next try, knowing that a positive pregnancy test is possible.
“We’re very excited and hopeful. We’re not putting too much pressure on it, ’cause anything can happen,” she said.
The Blackstocks’ first IVF cycle resulted in three embryos, and their most recent transfer was the second of those.
“Unfortunately, if this little one doesn’t stick, we only have one more embryo to work with at this point before we have to go through another round of egg retrieval,” Blackstock said.
She also emphasized how grateful she is for fan support. “I wish I could thank every single person personally,” she noted. “Just know we feel it, and we’re so grateful. Infertility is hard, but we don’t feel alone.”
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Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
