Serena Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, welcomed their daughter, Olympia, four years ago. They are now expanding their family and have shared the news with fans after telling their daughter.
This pregnancy is a happy occasion for the family who experienced some trauma during the birth of their first child.
Last week, Williams took to YouTube to share how her daughter reacted to the news that she was pregnant. She began the video by saying Olympia did not know she was pregnant and had said, "Mommy, you're fat." Williams joked that she tried not to take it too seriously, primarily because she was very focused on her fitness.
Williams announced her pregnancy at the 2023 MET Gala. The video on YouTube showed her behind-the-scenes getting ready for the event, where Williams, alongside her husband, later proudly bared her baby bump for the first time.
This is Williams' long-awaited second pregnancy after nearly losing her life after the birth of her first child, in 2017.
Why Did Williams Hide Her Pregnancy?
Despite being excited about their pregnancy, Ohanian and Williams kept news of their second baby a secret from the world — and their four-year-old daughter — for a while. They recently opened up about why they decided to do so.
The former olympian, who intended to debut her second pregnancy at the MET Gala, decided to keep it a secret from her daughter and only inform her just right before the MET Gala. She reasoned:
"She can't keep a secret."
How Did Olympia React to the News?
Williams knew she had to tell her daughter before telling the rest of the world, so she and her husband did it just before they began to get ready for the MET Gala.
Ohanian and Williams sat with their daughter between them on a sofa as they told her the news. Williams first asked Olympia if she had been praying for a little brother or sister, and the young girl shyly confirmed she was.
Then Williams told her daughter that she had seen a doctor and she wasn't getting fat. Instead, she was carrying Olympia's little sibling. Hearing this, an excited Olympia exclaimed:
When Ohanian and Williams confirmed they weren't joking, Olympia sprung out of her seat and into her mother's arms for a hug. Williams showed Olympia her belly, and the little girl responded by jumping up and running around the room.
Ohanian warned Olympia that she had to keep it a secret for one more day and, after that, she could tell everyone that she would be a big sister. He also told her she would need to help them when the baby arrived.
When Williams was finally ready to reveal the news to the rest of the world, she did so with a custom Gucci outfit and paired the look with many strings of pearls.
She wanted the moment to be iconic. It was important to her because one day, she intended to show her future daughter or son the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy announcement. She later said she thought it went well and that she had fun.
While the pregnancy is happy news for the family, Williams mentioned at the beginning of her video, when she showed a positive pregnancy test, that she hoped everything would continue to go well as she did not have a pleasant experience in the past.
What Happened During Williams' First Childbirth?
In 2018, shortly after Olympia was born, Williams wrote about her experience during pregnancy and childbirth. The now-retired professional tennis player started the piece by saying:
"I almost died after giving birth to my daughter, Olympia."
Although she suffered a challenging time following the birth of her daughter, Williams confirmed that she still felt grateful for everything she had been through and that she and her daughter were both later announced healthy.
After Williams went into labor, Olympia's heart rate dropped during contractions. Doctors told her she would need to have a C-section to deliver her daughter safely. However, the situation was not safe for Williams.
The former tennis star confirmed that her baby was born healthy, and the family was overjoyed, but 24 hours later, their world was rocked for six straight days. Williams has a history of pulmonary embolisms and admitted she lived in fear of the situation. Unfortunately, she suffered one after she gave birth to Olympia.
Williams knew she needed to alert the medical staff when she started experiencing shortness of breath. After that, she suffered many other health complications. The first health concern was her C-section wound opening because she was coughing intensely.
As a result, she had to return to surgery, where doctors found a hematoma in her abdomen. She went back into surgery so doctors could perform an operation that would prevent blood clots from traveling to her lungs.
Williams confirmed that when she was finally allowed to go home to her family, she spent her first six weeks as a mother in bed, recovering from the various health issues and operations she had been through.
The gold medalist said that without the help of the medical staff and their state-of-the-art equipment, she wouldn't have been able to survive so she was incredibly grateful for all the support she received.
Williams has since advocated for women worldwide to receive the same kind of help she received when they need it most. We wish Ohanian and Williams a healthy pregnancy and happy childbirth!
