“Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker and her husband, John Hughes, are expecting their second child together.
“John and I are thrilled to announce that we are welcoming a second baby to our family with the help of another amazing surrogate!” Welker said Tuesday on NBC's “Today” show. “We hope our news offers hope to others who are trying to start their own families.”
The baby will be born on June 12 and will join his older sister Margot, who will turn 3 in June.
“Margot has told all her schoolmates that her parents are giving her a little brother for her birthday!” said Welker, 47, adding that his firstborn plans to name his brother Lolo. (The couple said they haven't chosen a name yet but have their “top contenders.”)
Welker, NBC's former chief White House correspondent, made history last September when she became the first Black woman to moderate the Sunday public affairs show long hosted by Chuck Todd. The journalist has been open about her struggle with infertility and her support for others facing similar circumstances. She welcomed Margot through surrogacy in 2021 and this time she is working with a surrogate named Angelica, who she describes as a “literal angel on earth.”
Welker and Hughes first shared their surrogacy story in 2021, which included in vitro fertilization treatments for two years and the discovery that their uterus was not thick enough to give birth. She has told her daughter about her “incredibly special trip to this land” and explained that “most moms carry their babies in their bellies, but mom has a boo, so she has a special friend to help you.” carries you, and Now she is pregnant with your little brother.”
The “NBC Nightly News” fill-in anchor and her husband said they were determined to give their daughter a sibling and began “working on a second baby” in 2022. The process, which she described as a “long journey,” was full of setbacks and heartbreak and included the loss of embryos. But Welker said she's proud that she and Hughes didn't give up: “He's always been my rock and I credit our love for getting us through those tough times.”
