Olympian Michelle Kwan Gives Birth, Quietly Welcomes Baby No. 2 at Age 45: ‘Roller Coaster’
Michelle Kwan has added another future ice skater to her brood, giving birth to her second baby girl.
“Christmas came early ❤️,” Kwan, 45, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, December 11, surprising fans with the arrival of her daughter Della Rose. “My heart doubled in an instant the moment I held her in my arms, and watching my daughter walk into the hospital to meet her baby sister brought tears to my eyes.”
The Olympic silver medalist, who kept her pregnancy under wraps, noted she’s “always dreamt of having children” and when her eldest daughter, Kalista, was born in 2022 she was “already beyond grateful for a miracle that once felt impossible after years of trying.”
Kwan confessed that the road to baby No. 2 was “its own roller coaster” but with her “love” by her side, she made it through. (Kwan did not reveal who her love is.)
Many celebrities expanded their families in 2025. Bachelor Nation alum Krystal Nielson experienced “complications” while giving birth, but safely welcomed baby No. 2 with husband Miles Bowles in November. Hannah Ann Sluss joined the Bachelor mom club that same month after welcoming her first baby. And right before Thanksgiving, Ben Savage announced that he’s a […]
“After more than a decade of hoping, I still can’t quite believe this moment is real,” the retired ice skater shared. “As an Olympian, I’ve pushed my body to its limits and been amazed by its strength — but carrying another life has left me in even greater awe.”
Kwan recalled having “moments of frustration over how little I could control,” calling her second pregnancy “a humbling reminder that fertility is something none of us can fully predict.”
She concluded by sharing a sweet message to everyone praying to become parents — or lucky enough to already have children.
Courtesy of Michelle Kwan/Instagram
“To all the moms, moms-to-be, and the women and families dealing with infertility or praying to build a family — I know what you’re going through and I’m hoping you feel loved and supported in every way as you navigate this journey,” Kwan wrote.
Fellow U.S. Olympic ice skater Tara Lipinski was one of the first to celebrate Kwan’s newest bundle of joy, writing in the comments section, “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you and your family! ❤️.”
This isn’t the first time that Kwan — who was married to Coast Guard Lieutenant Clay Pell from 2013 to 2017 before he filed for divorce — has kept her pregnancy a secret.
She announced in January 2022 that her daughter Kalista Belle had arrived, bringing her “tears of happiness.”
Jerritt Clark/Getty Images Tara Lipinski and her husband, Todd Kapostasy, became parents with the arrival of their first baby via surrogate. “I dreamt about this for so long,” Lipinski, 41, told People after daughter Georgie’s birth, adding that the adjustment to having a newborn is “the best tired I’ve ever been.” Lipinski noted that she […]
“I’ve always wanted to be a mom and, to me, she’s a perfect miracle. I had a hard time picturing what she might look like, yet it seems like she’s been in my life forever,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “This has been a challenging journey to motherhood (not to mention a very long labor!!!) and I’m glad I never gave up.”
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The retired athlete explained that with the help of her family and fertility doctors she was able to make her dream come true. At the time, Kwan also gave her “love” a shout-out, saying she “could not live without” them.
Earlier this year, Kwan gave fans a glimpse at her life with eldest child Kalista as she became an official “ice skater” by taking her “first ‘real’ steps” on the ice.
In the April Instagram video, Kwan skated alongside her 3-year-old daughter as the toddler wore protective gear and appeared to be a natural. Kwan pointed out that Kalista took to the ice “two years earlier” than she did.
