Maria Menounos and her husband, Keven Undergaro, are officially expecting their first child together after a daunting 10-year journey that featured a lot of disappointment. The couple started trying for a child back in 2012 via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, but that process didn’t result in a baby.
After six years of false hope, Menounos and Undergaro weren’t ready to give up and decided to try a different route – surrogacy. They were inspired by their friend, Kim Kardashian, who welcomed her two youngest children – Chicago and Psalm – via surrogacy. Her advice was instrumental for Menounos.
The couple eventually matched with a surrogate, and things were going well as they continued the process for nearly two years, but everything came crashing to a halt in 2021 when they were told the surrogate was no longer a medical match for the couple – bringing them right back to square one.
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The good news was the couple still had two very good embryos because the doctor suggested doing a ‘mock cycle,’ which acts as a ‘trial run’ to ensure the process goes smoothly. Without the mock cycle, Maria Menounos likely wouldn’t have any embryos left and would’ve been forced to go a different route.
With two embryos, the couple decided to give it one last shot and were eventually matched with a new surrogate. “But I told [my doctors], ‘If it doesn’t work, I’m done. This is the last straw. If this doesn’t happen, it’s definitely not meant to be.’ I can’t go through this process again,” she told PEOPLE.
As fate would have it, Menounos and Undergaro recently learned that their surrogate now has a little nugget baking in the oven – they’re officially expecting! In a video she shared with PEOPLE, she’s watching a reel of the baby in the womb with her father, and you can tell just how excited she is.
“Just after a decade of trying everything, we are so grateful to the beautiful family helping us conceive our baby. Keven, my dad, and I are all beyond excited for this soul to come into our lives. What a blessing,” she said. After more than 25 years together and five years of marriage, they’ll finally get to raise a child!
Maria Menounos Also Shared the News With Ryan & Kelly
Maria Menounos has a lot to celebrate, so it’s no surprise to see her making her rounds as she shares the news with her fans, friends, and colleagues. In addition to speaking with PEOPLE, Menounos recently made an appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan and shared the incredible moment on her Instagram.
Menounos explained how she and her hubby had plans to travel later this year but had to change those plans ‘because… We’re having a baby!” The announcement was met with enormous applause as the audience screamed with excitement. “I had to share it here first because you guys are my family,” she said.
In the Instagram caption, she took a moment to thank some of the people who helped her along this journey – including Stephanie Levich, Family Match Consulting, Kim Kardashian, Andrew Vorzimer, Zoe Saldana, Kelly Ripa, Ryan Seacrest, Wendy Chang MD, and – most importantly – her late mother.
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“So grateful for the blessing in our lives. Cant believe I’m sharing this news without [my mother] in the physical , but I know she made it happen on the other side and is going to be with me every step of the way. Thank you all for your love! We are just so grateful!” she wrote in the caption.