Leah Van Dale is expecting her first child with husband Matt Polinsky.
The WWE star announced her pregnancy exclusively to “Good Morning America” on Monday, sharing that she found out the exciting news in March.
“It’s just all been such a whirlwind,” she said. “I think because of my past, it was hard to get excited off the bat about this one, but I was cautiously optimistic. I try to have a good mindset, a positive mindset this time around, and it’s working. So I’m very happy about that.”
Van Dale, 35, who goes by the stage name Carmella, experienced two miscarriages last year in September and October. Nevertheless, she said this pregnancy has “been really good” so far, and she is due around November.
She added that her morning sickness, however, “has been crazy.”
“I’ve been nauseous. I’ve been so tired, more tired than I’ve ever been in my life,” she told “GMA.” “But I’ve never been so happy to feel so awful. I’ve been great, I mean mentally. It’s kind of this weird space where I’m excited, but also just a little apprehensive because of the miscarriages. It’s unfortunate that it robs you of the true excitement that should be there.”
Speaking about her initial response to her positive pregnancy test this time around, she added, “After the first [test], I’m like, ‘Oh, are we sure? Are we sure?’ … I mean, I took [additional tests] for weeks just to make sure they still said positive. So it’s really just been such a mind work to get my head around. But the fact that I’m here, I’m on the other side of it, I’m almost out of the first trimester at this point … it’s been quite a journey.”
Discussing her pregnancy cravings, she said that they include “all of the carbs.”
“Literally anything: pasta, pizza, mashed potatoes. And, actually, I’m craving cucumbers, a lot,” she added.
Van Dale tied the knot with her husband Polinsky, 39, in April 2022. Polinsky is already a father of three kids, whom he shares with ex-wife Amy Polinsky.
Speaking with “GMA” on Monday, Van Dale also discussed Polinsky’s excitement in welcoming their new addition to the family, saying he did not expect the news at all.
“He was completely shocked and surprised,” she said, adding, “He was so excited, and from the get-go when I told him, we both just really tried to have such a positive outlook on it.”
Van Dale added that her stepkids were also thrilled to learn about her pregnancy, even though she and Polinsky were a bit “apprehensive” to break the news to them in the beginning, worrying about how they might react, since she said “they’re all a little bit older.”
“They were so, so excited, and made us even more excited about having the baby. That’s just so amazing,” she said.