Pregnant Hilary Rhoda Wants to Be 'Sensitive' to Others Who Have Faced Fertility Struggles

Hilary Rhoda understands first hand the challenges many couples face while trying to conceive, and she wants others in a similar situation to know they’re not alone.

The 32-year-old model chatted recently with PEOPLE surrounding UNIQLO‘s S/S20 collection, revealing that while she is “so excited to be pregnant” and expecting her first baby with husband Sean Avery, it was important to her to be “sensitive” to others whose line to conception wasn’t a straight one.

“I was sensitive to the people out there who are trying to conceive or have experienced loss from miscarriages like I did, so I wanted to share that it wasn’t easy for us either,” Rhoda told PEOPLE.

The first-time mom-to-be announced her big news on Instagram last week, sharing a sweet photo of herself cradling her growing belly and writing, “It’s a boy 💙🌈 @imseanavery and I are having a baby and we’re so excited about this next chapter of life together.”

Rhoda also posted the photo on her Instagram Story, sharing that the road to baby has been paved with challenges.

“The last year has been quite a journey getting to this point, lots of ups & downs … but for those trying to conceive, all I can say is just keep going,” Rhoda wrote, adding a red heart emoji and further explaining that, “trying to conceive is a mindf— and might have almost ended our marriage once or twice.”

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RELATED: Sean Avery and Hilary Rhoda Are Married — See the Gorgeous Photos

Avery, 39, opened up about the difficulties he and Rhoda faced while trying to get pregnant on his podcast No F— Given, saying he “never thought this day would come” and that the two assumed they’d conceive easily considering they exercise daily and refrain from alcohol consumption.

However, their dreams were shattered when Rhoda had a miscarriage, and then another one just a few months later. But eventually, “The moment we took the noise, science and methods out of it — that’s how you make a baby in tough times,” the former pro hockey player added of their successful conception.

In her recent conversation with PEOPLE, Rhoda revealed that she “had a dream very early on in my pregnancy that it was a boy” — and of course, she turned out to be right!

But as far as what to call their son on the way, that’s still up in the air. “We have a list of names of course but nothing narrowed down just yet,” she said.

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What Rhoda loves the most about UNIQLO, she told PEOPLE, is “that it can be a one-stop shop for all that you need. It’s made very well and always feels comfortable.”

“I love the polka dot short-sleeve midi dress from the Ines de la Fressange collection,” she shared of one of her favorite pieces from the brand’s spring/summer collection. “It’s so chic and perfect for summer, and all you have to do is throw it on with some cute sandals.”

“I also loved the cropped ankle pants from the main collection,” Rhoda added. “I’d pair that with a white ribbed tank and a cool pair of sneakers.”

And how are her looks changing now that she has a baby bump to style? “I will definitely wear clothes that accentuate my bump!” the mother-to-be raved. “It will be fun to figure out new ways to style my outfits now.”