Maria Menounos Reflects on 'Special Moment' Welcoming 1st Child via Surrogate
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It has been a long and hard journey for Maria Menounos to become a parent, but thankfully, the day is finally here!
The TV personality and her husband, Keven Undergaro, just welcomed their first child via surrogate, a daughter named Athena Alexandra, on June 23.
Menounos, who has survived both a brain tumor and pancreatic cancer, opened up to Us Weekly about her daughter's birth, saying, "It was the most special moment of my life."
She went on, "The doctor literally grabbed her and hiked her onto me. I sat with her on my chest, and Keven and I kept looking at each other like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was just pure joy.”
“It was like Christmas morning times a million," added Undergaro.
The 45-year-old and her husband dealt with infertility and IVF before Menounos underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, and after that, her doctor advised against carrying a baby.
In 2020, a surrogate fell through and the couple began losing hope of having a child, until early 2023, when they shared the great news that they were expecting.
Menounos called Athena their "miracle baby," before describing life as a new parent as "Better than I could’ve ever imagined. It’s euphoric."
"For so long, I’ve felt something’s been missing. I’d go to kids’ birthday parties, and I’d be a little sad because I wanted my own family. And now I feel so grounded, like I finally know where I belong," she continued.
The Heal Squad podcast host credits Kim Kardashian with helping them find a surrogate, revealing that she was also the first to know that they were pregnant.
As for whether or not the couple will have any more children after Athena, Menounos said, "I want 50 more. I have one good embryo left. We’ll see, it would have to be fast. The joy that Athena has brought to this house — I want more of that. It feels so good."
Menounos and Undergaro have been together for about 25 years—her parents briefly disowned her when she first started dating Undergaro in 1998 because he wasn't Greek—tying the knot in 2017, and the two are enjoying the next phase of their life as new parents.
Next: Maria Menounos Reveals Secret Health Battle While Expecting First Child
