NBC Sports journalist Maria Taylor gives birth to her first child

Maria Taylor, an NBC sports journalist became a mom to her first child earlier this week.

As reported by PEOPLE, the new mom has welcomed a baby boy and named him Roman Ryan Taylor Hemphill.

In an exclusive interview to the outlet, the 36-year-old journalist said, “My journey to motherhood has not been a straight line. It has been long and difficult, and there were several times I thought I would never become a mom.”

"But when my son was placed on my chest, our hearts were overwhelmed with love and gratitude. I immediately knew I had given birth to my soulmate," she further noted, expressing the emotions she experienced after the birth of her son.

The former newscaster of ESPN announced her pregnancy through a post shared on her Instagram account on July 31, 2023.

She uploaded a carousel of images of her pregnancy photoshoot with husband, Jon Hemphill. The couple can be seen posing outdoors with pictures of their baby’s sonogram.

Taylor penned a lengthy note in her caption that read, "The last 3 years have been some of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging years of my life."

Providing insights on how difficult her IVF journey had been she revealed how her journey to becoming a mom had "been diverted by surgeries, multiple egg retrievals, and failed IVF cycles."

"There were times when I felt like my body was betraying me, that God didn’t want me to become a mom and that I ultimately didn’t deserve to be a mom. There were times when all I could do was cry and ask 'Why?' " her caption further stated.

Reflecting on her husband and friends’ support throughout her journey she said, "For every setback my husband was there reminding me to keep the faith. My friends and family held my hand and held me up as I traveled cross country for appointments."

"It’s still crazy to think that just a year ago I came into the NFL season with the news of a failed embryo transfer. Another hope dashed. And now this fall I come into a new season carrying the greatest gift of all. Our sweet Prince will be here soon and I can’t wait to be his mom!" she concluded.