Nneka Ihim, former star of The Real Housewives of Potomac, has shared the heartfelt news that she and her husband, Dr. Ikenna Ihim, are expecting their first child.
The couple’s baby is due in May, marking a joyous milestone in Nneka’s journey to motherhood, which she openly shared during her time on RHOP Season 8.
Speaking to PEOPLE, the 37-year-old reflected on her excitement:
“It’s so exciting. I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and for so long, it felt like the vision of having the family I desired wasn’t possible. But now my dreams of building a family are coming true, and it just feels so special.”
Nneka also shared her amazement at the experience, saying:
“I sometimes still have to pinch myself, it’s so surreal and shocking. Even now, I’m trying to plan my baby shower and I’m just like, ‘Wow, this is really happening for me.’”
However, the road to this joyous moment has not been without heartbreak.
Nneka revealed that she was initially pregnant with twins after undergoing IVF, but one of the embryos—a baby girl—tragically did not survive.
She shared her emotional journey:
“We showed up for an appointment, and one of the twins no longer had a heartbeat. So that was really, really hard. The second I walked out of my doctor’s office, I burst into tears.”
In the weeks following, Nneka found it challenging to process the loss, admitting:
“I wasn’t really eating, wasn’t drinking, wasn’t doing what I needed to do to care for the one that I still had. Because to me, it just felt like I wasn’t pregnant anymore.”
Now, with the support of her husband and her medical team, Nneka is focusing on the health and strength of her surviving baby:
“There’s trauma within the celebration. But at the same time, we’ve been through this for so long, and God has finally blessed us with this pregnancy. My doctor says the one we have now is very healthy and very strong.”
With more than half of her pregnancy completed, Nneka is leaning on faith and optimism:
“After losing the twin, it’d be very easy to sit here every day like, ‘Is there a heartbeat? Is everything going to be okay?’ But I just have to have faith that’s not going to happen.”
Nneka’s journey is a testament to resilience and hope, and fans are sure to be sending love and positivity her way as she and her husband prepare for their bundle of joy.