Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has opened up for the first time about her uphill struggle to conceive her son.
The 35-year-old Fox News host said she and her husband, former New York Mets player Sean Gilmartin, decided to have a second child in the summer of 2021 after the birth of their daughter Blake, who is now three years old get years old.
The couple welcomed their second child, Nash, in December last year.
But it wasn’t an easy road to pregnancy for the mother of two.
Trump-era press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has shared her bitter battle to have her second child
The 35-year-old Fox News host shared that she and husband Sean Gilmartin, 32, have decided to have a second child in the summer of 2021
“My first pregnancy was fairly quick and we felt blessed that God had given us a beautiful daughter with relative ease. The second time was different,” Kayleigh wrote in an excerpt shared exclusively with from her new book, Serenity in the Storm: Living Through Chaos by Leaning on Christ.
“Several months passed and negative pregnancy tests abounded. As Spring 2022 approached, a part of me began to worry. Why didn’t I get pregnant? I tried to overcome worry by leaning on trust.’
After reading Mark Batterson’s draw The Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge, which was given to her by a friend, Kayleigh said she started “praying expectantly,” but it didn’t come easily.
“We tend to expect immediate results. That’s a natural human tendency, one I certainly fall into,” she said.
“When I tried to pray in anticipation, Satan did his best to infiltrate me with worry, doubt, and frustration.”
Her frustration came to a head on a Saturday in March when she was about to speak at the 2022 Extraordinary Women Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kayleigh said she was “overwhelmed with worry” about not being able to conceive while apparently surrounded by friends announcing they were pregnant.
But that frustration shifted at the Christian conference as she listened to gospel singer Mandisa, prayers and the music “resonating through the building,” she said, and she returned her attention to God.
Kayleigh pictured with Fox News presenters Ainsley Earhardt and Carley Shimkus
She said her daughter Blake was conceived easily compared to her second child Nash (pictured with Kayleigh).
She said several months passed and negative pregnancy tests were “sufficient.” Pictured on Fox News with her husband
Kayleigh served as White House press secretary from April 2020 to January 2021
The Trump-era press secretary also spoke of the support from family, friends and people she just met who were willing to help her through her difficult time, including a moment with Kathy Sparks Lesnoff, the CEO of Mosaic Pregnancy and Health Centers – a group that offers pregnancy resources to women in need.
She was a speaker at one of the organization’s events in Collinsville, Illinois, about two weeks after she was in Tulsa.
The sweet moment Kayleigh shared with Blake was that she was going to be a big sister
“I spoke to Kathy and her family about my desire to have a second child and without hesitation Kathy asked if she could pray for me. I agreed, and right there at our dining table, Kathy and I bowed our heads as she said a heartfelt prayer for God to bless me with a child,” Kayleigh said.
“The last time I said a prayer like that, God blessed the young woman with twins!” she shared with me at the end of our prayer. I smiled from ear to ear at the thought!’
When she returned home, Kayleigh and her husband, 32, were also praying together for a child, and “unbeknownst to her” her father’s Bible study was doing the same.
And then, three days later, Kayleigh said she “felt the urge” to take a pregnancy test.
“I had already taken about five or six this month. All were negative,” she wrote.
“Nevertheless, for some reason I felt the urge to take one this Tuesday morning, three days after our prayer. I suppose you could say I took the test this morning with anticipation.
She spoke about family, friends and strangers she had just met who were praying for her to conceive
Kayleigh also revealed the joyful moment as she broke the baby news to her husband, saying: “I put the two tests on the table and I saw two pink lines on each one. He wrapped me in a big hug.
Kayleigh is pictured here with then-White House adviser and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in 2020
“A few minutes after the test, I saw a faint double pink line that indicated pregnancy.
‘”Is that real?!” I wondered. I took a second just in case, and sure enough, two solid pink lines!’
Kayleigh also revealed the joyful moment as she broke the baby news to her husband.
“With a knowing smile on my face, I found Sean in the office working on his iPad and I scooted over to his desk,” she said.
“I put the two tests on the table and show two pink lines on each. He pulled me into a big hug. Our journey with our second child had only just begun.
“For Sean and I, our worries about getting pregnant only lasted a few months. Also, they came after we were blessed with our first child.
“For millions of women, pregnancy lasts well beyond a few months, and for some, despite praying with hopeful expectation and faith, as Sean and I have, pregnancy is simply not possible.
The mother-of-two announced the birth of her second child on Twitter in December last year
Kayleigh shared pictures of baby boy Nash, adding that she and husband Sean Gilmartin were “so thrilled to announce the birth of our son.”
She also shared this snap of daughter Blake, three, along with her brother
Kayleigh’s heartfelt memoir, Serenity in the Storm: Living Through Chaos by Leaning on Christ, is out May 2
“My heart breaks for these women and I can imagine the struggle can be incomprehensible.
“Why did God hear my prayers? I have no answer for that, for we will never fully know God’s mysteries while we are here on earth.’
Last December, the Fox News host, who co-hosts Outnumbered, announced the birth of Nash on Twitter.
The new mother-of-two wrote at the time: “@GilmartinSean & I are thrilled to announce the birth of our son Nash!
“What a truly joyful time. God has blessed us immensely.’
She shared a picture of Nash snuggled up against a blue blanket, as well as a picture of Sean snuggling her newborn and finally a picture of daughter Blake, three, alongside her brother.
Serenity in the Storm: Living Through Chaos by Leaning on Christ will be released on May 2nd.