Val Chmerkovskiy Shares A Powerful Message For Expecting Parents: 'Everybody Is On Their Own Path'

Val Chmerkovskiy is still basking in the euphoria of being a first-time dad!

The Ukrainian-American and his wife, Jenna Johnson, fulfilled their dream of being parents after struggling with infertility for two years on January 10,  2023. Although the professional dancers informed the world when their baby boy arrived, it took them nearly a month to share his face and name with their fans on social media. Chmerkovskiy followed the unveiling with a heartfelt message that impressed his followers, prompting an influx of supportive comments.

In their joint announcement post on the baby's arrival, Chmerkovskiy and Johnson told fans that their world "is forever changed." The news received a positive reception from followers and even celebs, including Tamar Braxton, who congratulated the new parents below the post.

In a follow-up update featuring the boy smiling as his mother placed her closed lips on his cheek, his father wrote, "pure love, absolute joy." The 36-year-old did not stop there, stepping into the post's comment section to drop a lengthy message for parents while appreciating supporters for the "kindness you have shown me, us."

Chmerkovskiy earnestly revealed that even though "this has been truly a special time" for him, he could not ignore mentioning that it "hasn't always been easy." He continued writing:

"So for all of the women and men that see this picture and potentially feel triggered or anxious, I wanted to remind you that we too struggled. We too waited, and tried, and failed many many times. And as much joy as this has been, it also has been extremely demanding and challenging."

The "Dancing with the Stars" contestant added none of the "baby poop or tears, or the countless negative pregnancy tests, the fights, the tears, the hard" experiences made "make for a cute instagram post." He then proceeded to remind hopeful parents that they "are not late, you are not wrong, there is nothing wrong with you" because:

"Everybody is on their own path at their own pace on their own time. I wanted to be honest about that because for a few years now I've been on the receiving end of "when are you gonna have kids already" "what are you waiting for" "sooo are you getting the father vibes now that you're an uncle" so irresponsible to ask but also understandable." 

Chmerkovskiy further divulged that he gave up sharing his pain online because it felt like "no one was really all that interested." Despite that, he was reaching out to "those still interested, still listening, for those that are still here."

Conclusively, the two-time World Latin Dance Champion shared that he remains grateful for the years of "kindness and support," with a lot of love in his heart for his son, Rome. "God bless you, and your beautiful family. Welcome Rome, to the messy and wild life. As I have observed so far, all journeys are perfect, and painful," one fan replied.

Another commenter said they could not be happier for Chmerkovskiy and Johnson, and a third penned, "congratulations to you and your family. Appreciate your authenticity." Additionally, a fourth fan was "thankful for the opportunity to follow your journey all these years! Thank you for being pure, honest, and wholesome!"

Reiterating the appreciation, a fifth fan commented, "thank you for sharing this and being so open with what you both have gone through. You are both amazing people!"

Last month, The Blast noted that Johnson paid tribute to her body weeks after she birthed her baby boy. The 28-year-old had taken to Instagram to share throwback photos of herself in the hospital after she went into labor.

While the images showed her hooked up to a machine, some of them featured her husband goofing around to take the pressure off her. The first time mother expressed the "excitement, fear, pure exhaustion, and love" she felt during labor and after, in the caption that also saw her partly writing:

"I've always appreciated my body and what it's been able to help me do and create within my craft… but nothing can prepare you for what a miraculous vessel it is and what it goes through during labor."

The ballroom dancer added that it had taken about 30 hours before she and Chmerkovskiy finally met their bundle of joy. Johnson maintained that she would be "forever grateful" for having "the best support system" around her at that point.