NBC News chief White House correspondent Kristen Welker welcomed her first child via surrogate in June of this year. Kristen and her husband, John Hughes, became the proud parents of a baby girl. Now, the journalist has opened up about her daughter’s birth story on Hoda Kotb’s new SiriusXm show “The Hoda Show.”
Kristen and John welcomed their daughter Margot Lane Welker Hughes on June 12th. The couple was very open about using a surrogate to grow their family. They shared that they have been trying to conceive on their own and eventually tried IVF treatments, which we unsuccessful. Ultimately, they opted to go the surrogacy route.
In Kristen’s interview with Hoda, who has experience welcoming children she did not carry herself, she opened up about the fears she had about becoming a mother. “In the weeks leading up to the birth and the delivery, I was a little nervous because I hadn’t carried her. I had this little seed of self-doubt. Will I have that maternal instinct? Will it kick in?”
Kristen shared that her OB/GYN suggested that she assist with the birth of her daughter by catching her. “At first I said, ‘Am I going to know what to do?'” She was assured by her doctor and midwife that she would. “And so, as she was being born, I stretch my hands out… and in that moment, Hoda, all of that self-doubt went away. And I all I felt was this bond and this overwhelming sense of love and connection that I’d never felt for another human being before.”
Kristen shared what it was like taking Margot home from the hospital. “I just talked to her the whole ride home. And we held hands… her little finger grasped onto my finger. It was incredible. I stared at her and I thought, ‘I can’t believe she’s mine. And I just hope I don’t ever let her down. I just want to give her the world.'”
Kristen continued the conversation by sharing the special bond she has with her surrogate. “I have a new appreciation for the word gratitude. The gratitude that I feel for her every day and that I felt for her in that moment that Margot was born is indescribable.” Before Margot was born, Kristen shared a letter she wrote to her daughter, discussing the journey of surrogacy and starting a family. “It’s OK to ask for help; in fact, it can be empowering. Families are made in all different ways, come in all different shapes and sizes, and all families should be celebrated. And, finally, while I didn’t carry you in my body, I have always carried you in my heart and I will be your mommy.”
Thank you so much to Kristen for being so open and honest about her journey to motherhood. We continue to wish her family lots of love as they grow together.
Kate Fann (she/her) is the BabyNames.com celebrity blogger, as well as an established content writer, aspiring author, and social media expert. She has been featured in online publications such as Bolde, ManoByte, Medium, The Social Observer, and more. Kate has ghostwritten numerous romance novels and is currently working on publishing her own works in the Young Adult genre.
Kate lives in East Tennessee with her husband Casey and her two sons, Quinn and Noah. When she's not writing or scrolling Instagram, Kate can be found tasting delicious wines, playing with make-up, baking yummy treats, or hiking the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
