Chrissy Teigen announces pregnancy after loss

Chrissy has announced that she has had another baby with her husband, John Legend. This is their fifth child after sadly losing their son Jack in October 2020.

Update - 29/6/23

“And to our Jack, we know both their angel kisses are from you.” 

This week, Chrissy and John announced the birth of their son Wren, who was welcomed via surrogacy. The news follows the birth of the couple's daughter Esti in January.

On Instagram, Chrissy wrote of her experience of pregnancy and surrogacy after loss: “After losing Jack, I didn’t think I’d be able to carry any more babies on my own. I’ve personally blocked out a lot of my mindset during that time, but one clear memory is being surrounded by people who wanted to make sure I wouldn’t go through that pain and loss again.”

“Just minutes before midnight on June 19th, I got to witness the most beautiful woman, my friend, our surrogate, give birth amidst a bit of chaos, but with strength and pure joy and love."

Today, Chrissy Teigen has shared that she is pregnant again after bravely sharing the devastating news in a social media post that she lost her son, Jack, after a complicated pregnancy back in October 2020.  

In her announcement on Instagram, Chrissy wrote “Every appointment I’ve said to myself, “ok if it’s healthy today I’ll announce” but then I breathe a sigh of relief to hear a heartbeat and decide I’m just too nervous still. I don’t think I’ll ever walk out of an appointment with more excitement than nerves but so far, everything is perfect and beautiful and I’m feeling hopeful and amazing."

Chrissy’s openness about losing her son almost 2 years ago was an important moment which broke the silence on baby loss on an international level, and also sadly highlighted just how much stigma still remains for families who lose a baby in pregnancy and birth. 

Chrissy used her media platform to share candid photos and honest reflections along her journey, which has helped many others within the baby loss community feel less alone. She’s also been open about her fertility struggles and IVF journey. 

Sadly though, we’ve also seen many media outlets referring to this pregnancy as Chrissy’s third child, to her being a mum of two, and to her being pregnant again with her third child after a miscarriage. This language shows a real lack of understanding about the impact of losing a baby at any stage in pregnancy. It also only recognises living children. We know that many people in our community feel like parents from the moment they find out they are pregnant. Reading language like this which doesn’t acknowledge previous babies and experiences is disappointing and can make families feel even more isolated in their grief. This is why it’s so important that babies like Jack are recognised and remembered.  

Here at Tommy’s, we know how important these conversations are to help acknowledge the love a parent feels for the baby they have lost and how easy it is to get things wrong when we don’t take time to sensitively talk about baby loss. Today’s news coverage has highlighted how crucial raising awareness of the way we speak about pregnancy and baby loss continues to be. We’ll keep moving forward in our mission to make sure every parent feels their experiences have been recognised and that support is there for those who need it. 

In Chrissy’s Instagram post announcing her news she also shares some of the difficult emotions families experience when they are pregnant after loss: “I don’t think I’ll every walk out of an appointment with more excitement than nerves but so far, everything is perfect and beautiful and I’m feeling hopeful and amazing.”

We know that being pregnant after loss can be an incredibly anxious time with a real mixture of emotions. If you are pregnant following loss, you may feel excited or relieved that you’re pregnant again, but also worried about how this pregnancy will progress. Some women may still be grieving for the baby they lost and feel guilty about feeling happy.

If you are struggling with pregnancy after loss, please know that any feelings you have are completely natural. Pregnancy can be a very emotional experience, and you’ve been through a very difficult time. 

Our Chief Executive Kath says

“Baby loss at any stage in pregnancy is one of the most devastating experiences any family can go through. It affects so many people - an estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in loss - yet for a long time the taboo surrounding it meant it was rarely discussed. Whether you choose to grieve publicly or privately, there’s no wrong way to react to a tragedy like miscarriage, but Chrissy’s openness about baby Jack almost two years ago was so important for helping break the silence and for helping others who have lost a baby feel like they are not alone. Parents like Chrissy sharing their journeys sends a really powerful message.

“We’re overjoyed to hear the wonderful news that Chrissy and John are expecting again. The anxiety of pregnancy after loss can be intense and we’d urge anyone out there who is experiencing such a huge range of emotions to reach out. You’re not alone in this, friends and family, doctors and midwives, all of us at organisations like Tommy’s, we’re here to support you on your journey.”

For support with pregnancy and parenting after loss: