Maria Menounos & Keven Undergaro Welcome First Child, Athena, Via Surrogate

After facing infertility challenges for several years, journalist Maria Menounos and her husband, Keven Undergaro, have finally welcomed their first child together.

The happy couple revealed in a recent interview that their daughter, Athena, who they refer to as a "miracle baby," was born on June 23 via a surrogate.

Menounos and her husband happily recalled meeting baby Athena for the first time and expressed their desire for more kids in the future.

Keep on reading to learn more.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Maria Menounos shared her heartwarming journey to motherhood, recalling the indescribable moment when she held her =baby girl for the very first time. "It was the most special moment of my life," Menounos stated. 

Menounos and her husband, Keven Undergaro, welcomed their daughter, Athena Alexandra, into their lives on June 23, thanks to the help of a surrogate. The actress vividly recalled, "The doctor literally grabbed her and hiked her onto me. I sat with her on my chest, and Keven and I kept looking at each other like, 'Oh, my God.' It was just pure joy." 

Undergaro joyfully added, "It was like Christmas morning times a million."

However, Menounos' path to motherhood was filled with immense challenges, spanning over a decade. Struggling with infertility issues, she underwent numerous IVF treatments, but her journey took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2017. After undergoing surgery to remove the tumor, her neurosurgeon advised against carrying a child, posing yet another hurdle.

In her chat with Us Weekly, Menounos revealed that after her first surrogacy fell through, a glimmer of hope arrived when her ' lawyer Andrew Vorzimer, connected her with Stephanie Levich from Family Match Consulting. "These angels — Andy and Stephanie and my doula, Lori Bregman — came together to help us," she shared. 

Menounos also credited Kim Kardashian for helping her through the process, stating, "I give her so much credit. She helped us get started and guided me through the fears and the process." She added, "I had really leaned on her a lot."

In February, the couple announced they were expecting, and the world learned about Athena's imminent arrival. "Athena is our miracle baby," Menounos declared to the publication. "I'm so grateful for her."

When asked how it feels to be a mom, Menounos gushed, "Better than I could've ever imagined. It's euphoric." She continued, "For so long, I've felt something's been missing. I'd go to kids' birthday parties, and I'd be a little sad because I wanted my own family. And now I feel so grounded like I finally know where I belong."

Sharing the thought process behind selecting the name Athena, Menounos shared that they had a list and knew they wanted a Greek name. After considering various options, they settled on Athena. "Athena is the goddess of war and wisdom, and Keven loved the power of that name, so that was it!" she explained, per Us Weekly.

Reflecting on her first few weeks at home with her new baby, Menounos shared that the entire household was "on happy crack." She continued, "My dad, her Abuelita, her baby nurse, all of us just, it's just so much love."

Amid the joy of welcoming their daughter, Athena, into their lives, Menounos also opened up about her 25-year marriage to Undergaro and how they're navigating changes in their new family dynamics. 

Although embracing the demands of parenthood, Menounos shared that she and Undergaro carve out quality time for each other and have had "one date night already."

She also revealed a change in her perspective, saying, "I think the biggest shift has been me going into my feminine side. In years past, when I was flying millions of miles a year, Keven was like, 'Maria, stop worrying; when we have a baby, you're just going to hike it to me, and I got it from there.' So that's what we thought the journey was going to be like, but our roles have really shifted." 

When asked if she wanted more kids, Menounos exclaimed, "Yes! I want 50 more." She added, "The joy that Athena has brought to this house — I want more of that. It feels so good. There have been a lot of rough times, but I know all of that is behind us, and all of the good stuff is ahead."