Nneka Ihim, star of The Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP), has announced that she is pregnant with her first child, but the journey to this moment has been bittersweet. Nneka and her husband, Dr. Ikenna Ihim, are expecting a baby in May, but their joy is tempered by the heartache of losing one of their twins during pregnancy.
The 37-year-old Bravo star shared her pregnancy news on January 22, revealing that after two years of trying to conceive, including three rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF), she discovered she was expecting twins. However, during her eight-week checkup, Nneka was devastated to learn that one of the twins had lost its heartbeat.
“I walked into the appointment and found out that one of the twins no longer had a heartbeat. That was incredibly hard,” Nneka recalled. “The moment I left the doctor’s office, I just burst into tears.”
The next few days were some of the most difficult for Nneka, who described feeling “incomplete” after losing one of the babies. Despite the emotional pain, she expressed gratitude for the pregnancy and is determined to remain optimistic. “There’s trauma within the celebration,” she admitted. “But at the same time, we’ve been through so much, and God has blessed us with this pregnancy, so we’re trying to stay hopeful.”
Now more than halfway through her pregnancy, Nneka shares that her remaining baby is “very healthy and very strong” according to her doctors, and she feels “more stable.”
Nneka, who joined RHOP in season 8, had been open about her fertility struggles on the show, which included two rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI) before she and Ikenna turned to IVF. After multiple setbacks, including considering surrogacy, the couple decided to try IVF once more in September 2024 with “zero expectations.” This time, it was successful.
Reflecting on her IVF experience, Nneka shared that the key to her success was releasing pressure and adopting a more relaxed mindset. “I was having a lot of anxiety before, but this round, I didn’t put any pressure on myself,” she explained. “I went to Paris with my friends and just took it easy. Then, I found out I was pregnant.”
Despite the loss of one twin, Nneka has felt supported throughout the process by Ikenna, who is thrilled about becoming a father. “He’s so elated. He can’t wait for this child to arrive,” she gushed. “It’s a dream come true for both of us.”
Looking ahead, Nneka is still in disbelief over her pregnancy, admitting that even planning her baby shower feels surreal. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself. It’s so shocking and unbelievable,” she said. “Even now, as I plan my baby shower, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is really happening for me.’”
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