Sadie Robertson Opens Up About Battling COVID-19 While Pregnant, Reveals She's Chosen a Baby Name
From saying "I do" to a baby on the way, it's been a whirlwind year for Sadie Robertson.
In October, Robertson and husband Christian Huff revealed that they were going to be first-time parents — a joyous announcement that came nearly two months before they celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary.
"It’s been wild! Yes, it’s been crazy. Me and Christian got married last year, first of all, that was before COVID happened. So COVID happened, which changed the whole world. We were in Auburn while Christian was finishing school and then we moved because school got canceled. Moved back to Louisiana and then a few months later found out we were pregnant, so it’s been a whirlwind. But we are so excited," Robertson, 23, tells PEOPLE.
For the Duck Dynasty star, "pregnancy is the best," she says.
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But her first trimester wasn't absent from "some pretty crazy morning sickness, and you know, just the typical pregnancy feelings of just like, you’re exhausted, you’re starving. All those things," she explains. "All those things. But at the same time, it’s been so fun. I mean, it’s been so joyous and so amazing."
"I literally threw up every day for eight weeks straight, so that was crazy. This is my first week that I haven’t been sick, only one day. So that’s pretty funny," shares Robertson, who will welcome a baby girl, due in early May.
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She also battled COVID-19 early on in her pregnancy, a diagnosis she previously described as "a dark sickness."
"The hardest thing was I did get COVID while I was pregnant and I was so sick from that, and so sick still in the morning sickness, so that was a challenge. Seriously, my heart goes out to every single pregnant person with COVID and everybody with COVID. They were telling me at the hospital, they were like, ‘Man, people have to deliver with it.’ I can’t even imagine. So that was challenging in and of itself," says Robertson.
After battling COVID, "I definitely had aftereffects for a while," she says. "It took a while to recover, but now I’m good. I had just some stuff in my chest for like a long time, and I don’t know if anybody else experienced this, but I had like a very weird metal taste in my mouth for like a long time. So yeah, it’s so weird. It’s so strange. My sister lost her smell for like three months. So it is a very weird sickness, but we’re finally past it and we’re thankful for that."
Despite the physical and emotional symptoms that she experienced because of the virus, Robertson remained focused on the positive and her baby's well-being.
"But it was cool because I feel like that was the first time I really felt like I kind of became a mom because I was, I had to go to the hospital, I had to check on the baby. It was more for the baby and not for me," she says. "I think those were really cool moments, even just the blessing of having nine months to prepare and kind of put your heart in the place of this baby is about to come and I’m about to be a mom and starting in that preparation has been really cool."
"Overall, it’s been amazing," Robertson says of her pregnancy. "It just keeps me in awe and wonder and keeps me excited. I cannot wait to meet her."
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And while it's still months away until Robertson, 23, and Huff, 22, are due to meet their little bundle of joy, the couple has already picked a name for their daughter.
"We actually do have a baby name, but we are keeping it a secret. Christian and I, really before we even knew it was a girl or a boy, we decided on a girl and a boy name, and so as soon as we found out it was a girl, we knew her name. It’s been really sweet to get to call her by name and just know that. But we’re going to save that for the rest of the world for a little while," she explains.
As to why they're keeping the name under wraps for now? "Because once you name it that and they’re there, nobody can say anything," she says. "But before there’s opinions, so we’d rather just wait."
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This Christmas, Robertson and Huff will be celebrating with his family.
"This is my first year that I’ll actually be spending it with Christian’s family, which I’m really excited about. Part of marriage, we gotta change up the holidays, we gotta share. So I’m really pumped. It’s gonna be fun!" she says.
The Live: Remain Alive, Be Alive at a Specified Time, Have an Exciting Or Fulfilling Life author has also partnered with World Vision this holiday season, an organization she's passionate about and has been a long-time supporter of.
"I love World Vision. They just stand for so many amazing things and my family always tries to get behind people who are doing good things," says Robertson, who sponsors two children —"one is in Bangladesh and one is in Zambia" — through the organization.
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In partnership with World Vision, Robertson designed a handcrafted gift, a “Circle of Hope” wraparound ring, for the humanitarian agency's gift catalog. The adjustable, gold-toned brass ring is made by women artisans in India who receive fair wages, business development training, a safe work environment and opportunities to build long-term business relationships in their communities.
With a $50 donation to the World Vision Fund — which helps people rebuild in the wake of disasters and empowers entire communities to lift themselves out of poverty — the ring is free. And if a donation is made on Giving Tuesday (Dec. 1), it will be doubled.
"It’s really fun to partner with them. I love everything that they do. I wanted to go on a trip with them. We had a trip planned this year and then of course COVID hit and that did not work out," says Robertson, who was planning "to go somewhere in south America."
"And we were so excited and then had to cancel it. And then we postponed it to the spring and then I get pregnant, so we’re trying to figure out. One day I will make it! But I love what they do, I love what they stand for," she shares. "I can’t wait to actually do the work that they do on the ground."
