Barbara Palvin’s personal battle with devastating health condition before first pregnancy
Model Barbara Palvin has announced her first pregnancy, just months after revealing she had to undergo surgery for a chronic condition.
Palvin, along with her husband of three years, Dylan Sprouse, made the surprise announcement at Cannes Film Festival 2026 in France.
The Victoria's Secret angel shared the news with a photo of her and Sprouse cradling her baby bump, along with another photo of a sonogram picture appearing to show a baby hand throwing the rock horns.
The couple's happy news comes almost a year after Palvin underwent surgery for a chronic health condition, which can impact fertility.
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She posted pictures of her in a hospital bed wearing a gown, as well as a picture of her stomach with dressings over what looks like keyhole or laparoscopic incisions, which are common with her type of surgery.
Palvin shared the news about her health with her fans, in case it could help someone else: "Just a little update and a few thoughts for those out there who could relate to what I’m about to share - for some years now, I’ve been dealing with the difficulties that can come with my periods."
"Fatigue, severe pain, heavy and irregular flow, sleepless nights on the bathroom floor," she shared, and like many women, she thought 'this was just how it works for me.'
Palvin said she recently sought out expert help and went to see an endometriosis specialist to see if that was the root of her problems.
"I’ve been going to checkups to my gynaecologist every year, I thought if I had endometriosis, I would have known about it by now, but as it turns out, endometriosis can’t be diagnosed with general examinations," she confessed.
Following her consultation, Palvin said she underwent surgery: "Since then I finally experienced a period that was easier, and now I know the difference."
She urged her followers to also seek help if they are experiencing similar issues: "If you suspect that you could have endometriosis, I encourage you to find it out. It helped me a lot, and I’m grateful I did it."
The model finished by writing: "Early diagnosis and treatment are very important to prevent long-term complications, and now I’m more mindful about my body to act fast if needed."
She also advised fans that's why she had been taking time out, in case they had been wondering where she had been: "That’s also why I took the past 3 months to rest and fully heal. I’m excited about this new chapter of my life and now ready to get back to work."
The model also opened up about the experience to E! News last year: "I had the surgery in June and it's like day and night, the difference is so crazy. Obviously, it's something that's still very under-researched."
"Dylan's been extremely supportive, and helped me through the whole recovery process and everything," she added.
Sprouse was spotted wearing an Endometriosis awareness pin to the VS fashion show, which Palvin was walking in.
"I brought this endometriosis awareness pin because Barbara just went through endo surgery, she was so strong to go through that herself," he told E! News.
He revealed that her social media post has already been helping many women: "Once she posted about it, turns out a ton of people reached out to her, a ton of women who had experienced the same things."
The proud husband said many people messaged saying "I didn't realize I had those symptoms until I got diagnosed [after] seeing you post about it."
Topics: Women's Health, Health, Celebrity, Pregnancy
Jen Thomas