Heavy/Getty Maks Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd couldn't help but cry when their son was born.
Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy welcomed their second child in June 2023. The “Dancing With the Stars” pro gave birth to baby Rio on June 18, 2023, after having a few days of uncomfortable pain and some early contractions.
One week after Rio’s arrival, Murgatroyd and Chmerkovskiy shared his birth story along with some footage from labor and delivery. In the video, both Murgatroyd and Chmerkovskiy completely break down in tears shortly after seeing their baby for the first time. Clearly overcome with emotion, the couple look at one another and both started crying.
“What a wild ride!!! With a midnight car race into the hospital not knowing if @maksimc will make it or not, to the many hours of laboring down Mr Rio until he was in the perfect place to push him out with 4 pushes… …he’s here and he’s HEAVEN,” Murgatroyd captioned an Instagram post.
The Chmerkovskiys are now a family of four; Rio joins older brother Shai, 6.
Here’s what you need to know:
Peta Murgatroyd Was Thankful That Maks Chmerkovskiy Made it Home in Time for the Baby’s Birth
As Murgatroyd expressed on her Instagram Stories, she was worried that her husband wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time for the baby’s birth. Chmerkovskiy has been performing in Napa, California, with his brother, and they have shows Thursday through Sunday every week. However, as soon as Chmerkovskiy got word that Murgatroyd was in labor, he drove home and was able to bring his wife to the hospital.
“Thank god @maksimc made it in time,” Murgatroyd wrote in the caption of her post, adding that he made it from Napa Valley to West Hollywood in less than five hours.
Shortly after the couple arrived at the hospital, Rio was born — and the emotional moments of his birth were overwhelming from both mom and dad. Fans reacted to the birth story in the comments section of the post.
“Literally crying for you, a stranger, but you have just done such a beautiful job sharing your story and your thoughts. So so very happy for you and love the light you and your husband put into the world,” one person wrote.
“The way you look at your hubby before he cuts the cord….priceless, precious, and life changing. Wishing you a lifetime of joy and happiness,” someone else added.
Peta Murgatroyd & Maks Chmerkovskiy Have Been Trying to Have Another Baby for Years
Welcoming Rio was extra special for Murgatroyd and Chmerkovskiy who previously opened up about their struggles to conceive. In an interview with People magazine in June 2022, the couple revealed they had been through three miscarriages over the past couple of years.
“I never thought that two healthy, athletic people could be in a predicament like this. It’s a lot to process,” Chmerkovskiy told the outlet.
“I try to do my best in supporting Peta. I’m a changed man because of this experience. I think that if you look around, you will find that most of your friends have had issues [trying to conceive]. I realized that this is more common and this is not being talked about,” he added.
From there, Murgatroyd decided to share her IVF journey on social media, but the first round wasn’t successful. In January 2023, however, she revealed that she was pregnant — and that it happened naturally.
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