USWNT's Carli Lloyd gives birth to first baby with Brian Hollins

Former professional footballer Carli Lloyd and her husband, Brian HollinsThey have welcomed their first child, a girl.

“Harper Anne Hollins October 18, 2024,” Lloyd, 42, captioned photos of her lovely newborn. via Instagram on Wednesday, October 23.” I am so grateful for this incredible blessing in our lives. By far the hardest thing I have ever endured, but also the best thing I have ever done!”

Lloyd, who thanked the “amazing team” who helped deliver her daughter, continued: “We can't get enough of this little peanut. We love you so much and will do everything we can to give you the tools you need in life to be a good human being!

Lloyd's Instagram slideshow included snaps of baby Harper wearing a “Hiya World” onesie, as well as hospital photos of her and Hollins, 40, enjoying their first moments as parents.

The former United States women's national soccer team player announced her pregnancy via Instagram in May. “Child Hollins is coming in October 2024!” Lloyd wrote at the time. “It's been a rollercoaster ride to get to this point. We are beyond excited to be parents! I couldn't have gotten through this without my wonderful husband, Brian. “It really kept me going.”

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Lloyd added that the couple, who married in November 2016, were “very grateful” for the “support” of their family and friends. They also shared that their doctor's office will “always have a special place” in their hearts.

“Currently my story is a happy one, but I know there are other women who face challenges in their pregnancy journey,” she continued. “I see you and I understand your pain. My hope is that more women will talk about this issue because their stories helped me.”

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Lloyd shared her “desire for more resources, funding, and education about fertility treatments,” concluding, “There is a lot to do and I hope I can do my part to help!”

At that time, Lloyd explained her journey to fertility in a Women's Health article. “I was very naive to think that we wouldn't have any problems getting pregnant,” she explained. “And that's how it started. The informal no matter what happens, turns into disappointment month after month. “I was starting to feel like this was a race against the clock: my 40-year biological clock.”

Lloyd confessed that she initially felt “embarrassed” and “embarrassed” to undergo in vitro fertilization after struggling to conceive.

“But as time went on, I realized that we are all human and that many women are going through similar struggles,” she said. “There is a stigma that comes with needing help or needing to undergo fertility treatments.”

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After two rounds of IVF, Lloyd approached her third time with a “totally different” mindset. Once she found out she was pregnant, she and Hollins felt “for the first time, in a long time” at “peace.”

Lloyd acknowledged that “it wasn't an easy journey,” but he realized that “that's true of most things in life that are worthwhile.”

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It's been a difficult road to parenthood for many famous parents, including Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. After IVF didn't work on the first try, Teigen wondered if she had done something wrong. “You just look for anyone to blame, especially yourself,” Teigen explained to New York magazine's The Lower in April. […]

“I have been told that nothing I have achieved or faced in my football life will be as great as being a mother,” she concluded. “I know this will change me forever and I am so excited for the journey.”

Lloyd previously won gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and was a FIFA Women's World Cup champion in 2015 and 2019. She announced her retirement from the national team after the 2020 Olympics, playing her last international match with the USWNT in October 2021 and his final professional soccer game with the NJ/NY Gotham FC team in November 2021.