Shuttertock; Courtesy of Kristen Welker/Instagram
Kristen Welker’s Daughter Margot Is Her Little Blessing! Meet the ‘Today’ Alum’s Child
Parenthood has been a dream come true for former Today anchor Kristen Welker! She is constantly gushing over her daughter, Margot Lane Welker Hughes, whom she welcomed in June 2021 via surrogate. She and her husband, John Hughes, were so happy to become parents to their first child. They revealed they were expanding their family again years later.
Who Is Kristen Welker’s Daughter Margot Lane Welker Hughes?
After officially becoming an anchor on Weekend Today in January 2020, Kristen gained the support of fans after she shared details about her struggles with infertility. The NBC correspondent, who wed her husband in 2017, underwent several rounds of IVF before finding out she was unable to conceive.
“I consulted with four different doctors,” she explained in a September 2021 interview with People. “The lowest moment was when that fourth doctor called me and said, ‘We’ve run all the tests. We’ve looked at everything. We just don’t think that you are going to be able to carry a child.’ I thought, ‘How is this ever going to happen?'”
Despite the devastating news, the couple were hopeful that their dream of becoming parents would come true. In 2019, they were matched with a surrogate. In April 2021, they were elated to announce they were expecting a baby girl via surrogate during an episode of Today.
With some encouragement from her doctor, Kristen decided to assist in the birth of her little one, catching her as she made her way into the world and being the first one to hold her.
The TV personality shared what it was like to meet her kiddo for the first time in an interview with Hoda Kotb in October 2021.
“And so, as she was being born, I stretch my hands out … and in that moment, Hoda, all of that self-doubt went away,” she said about helping deliver the baby. “And all I felt was this bond and this overwhelming sense of love and connection that I’d never felt for another human being before.”
Since becoming a mom, the Pennsylvania native has enjoyed making memories with her little one and sharing her precious milestones through photos. The doting mom and dad celebrated their adorable daughter’s birthday with a sweet Instagram post in June 2022.
“Happy 1st Birthday, Margot Lane!” Kristen penned. “Celebrating you this weekend has been the greatest joy. You amaze me every day. Your dada and I couldn’t love you more. We’re so grateful for our family who made this an unforgettable weekend and for Uncle Ed who gave us the best new kicks! We’re also thinking of Grandpa Hughes, who we lost this year, but who was thankfully able to meet baby Margot.”
Kristen Welker Is Expecting Her Second Child
Kristen and John announced they were expecting their second child during an appearance on Today in May 2024. “This is an extraordinary moment — there’s no doubt about that,” she told People while awaiting the arrival of her baby boy.
“Margot has been telling her classmates that Mama and Dada are getting her a baby brother for her birthday,” Kristen added. “She’s very proud of the fact that her baby brother will be sleeping in her old crib, and she’s even come up with a name for him: ‘Lolo.'”
They told Margot over the holidays that she was going to become a big sister by using a book.
“The book explained that she was going to be a big sister [but] it took a couple of weeks to get through … but now, she has just been so excited and we are thrilled about that,” Kristen shared. “She’ll say things like, ‘Baby brother coming tonight?’
