The 26-year-old reality star, who shares her children with husband Zac, says this birth was “the most painful but empowering experience” of her life.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jennifer Affleck and her husband have welcomed their third child.
The now-mother-of-three revealed the news on Wednesday, sharing a sweet photo of her and husband, Zac Affleck, with their baby girl — named Penelope Phyliss Affleck — on Instagram.
She captioned the post thanking the people that surrounded her during what she called “the most painful” — but also “empowering” — birth she’s ever had.
“Baby Penelope is here 🤍 & she is perfect,” she wrote.
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“Going unmedicated was truly the most painful but empowering experience of my life. I could not have done it without Zac and my supportive doula,” she continued. “I’m so grateful and so happy that Penny is earth side now🤍”
Affleck previously opened up about the emotionally difficult pregnancy she was experiencing during season 2.
In the end of the first season, Jen and Zac were separated and going through a rough patch. At the start of Season 3, she took the pregnancy test and found out she was pregnant … news she initially did not take well.
“I started feeling depressed and anxious because my life has been really rocky and all over the place. So I am stressed out of my mind with the thought of me being pregnant,” she confessed on the show. “Because Zac and I aren’t on the best of terms. And I think the last thing we need is another baby.”
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“I’m just scared because I’m not the person I want to be before bringing in another child. I’m sad for this child because I don’t even know where my marriage is at,” she continued. “And so, I think, in this moment, I’ve kind of come to my breaking point.”
However, the couple since reconciled and prepared for the birth of their new baby.
In an interview with People back in February, Jen opened up how exhausting filming while pregnant can be and mentioned this was the her hardest pregnancy yet.
“Filming can be incredibly mentally draining, and adding pregnancy along with all the challenges I faced this last season was a big challenge,” she said at the time. “After dealing with the backlash from season 1 and stepping into season 2 with a lot of baggage, this pregnancy has been the toughest.”
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“It can be daunting to think about raising three babies while pursuing my career, but I want to show women and mothers that they can achieve anything they set their minds to, no matter how unrealistic it may seem,” she said.
For her post-partum plans, Jen was also recently confirmed as one of the contestants on Dancing with the Stars season 34 — with rehearsals starting in August.
Her co-star Whitney Leavitt will also join her on the new season.
