Nneka Ihim is pregnant with her and husband Dr. Ikenna Ihim’s first baby, but it’s a “bittersweet” celebration.
The Real Housewives of Potomac star, 37, announced her pregnancy on Wednesday, January 22, revealing she is due in May. While Nneka told People she’s “always wanted to be a mom” her road to a successful pregnancy wasn’t easy.
Nneka explained that after trying to get pregnant for two years, including three rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF), she learned she was having twins.
The Bravo star had two embryos, a boy and a girl, implanted at the same time but at her eight-week checkup, Nneka was told she lost one of the babies.
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“We showed up for an appointment and one of the twins no longer had a heartbeat,” Nneka recalled. “So that was really, really hard. I mean, the second I walked out of my doctor’s office, I burst into tears.”
The next four days were the hardest, Nneka explained, noting she “felt incomplete” once she was no longer carrying twins.
“There’s trauma within the celebration,” she confessed. “But at the same time, we’ve been through this for so long and God has finally blessed us with this pregnancy, so we’re trying to be very optimistic here.”
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More than halfway through her pregnancy, Nneka said she feels “more stable” and her baby is “very healthy and very strong,” according to her doctors.
Nneka made her RHOP debut during season 8 in 2023. From the start she took fans on her fertility journey, which included two rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI) before she turned to IVF. (She exited the Bravo show after one season.)
The ups and downs led Nneka and her husband, whom she wed in August 2021, to consider surrogacy and additional options. In September 2024, the couple decided to try IVF one more time with “zero expectations” and it was successful.
“Up until that point, I was having a lot of anxiety but that round, I just didn’t put any pressure on myself,” Nneka recalled to People. “I was in a very mellow mindset; much more carefree. I even went to Paris with my friends. And next thing I knew, I found out the good news: I was pregnant.”
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Although Nneka is still dealing with the loss of one of one pregnancy, she said she’s had an “incredible” support system in Ikenna, 40, and is ready to be a parent.
“He’s just so elated. He cannot wait for this child to come,” she gushed of her husband. “It’s a dream come true for both of us.”
Nneka revealed, “I sometimes still have to pinch myself, it’s so surreal and shocking.” She added that even the fun stuff doesn’t feel real. “Even now I’m trying to plan my baby shower and I’m just like, ‘Wow, this is really happening for me,’” she said.
