Hayley Erbert Admits Motherhood Is Filled with Both 'Joy and Heartache' After Welcoming First Baby with Derek Hough
Hayley Erbert Admits Motherhood Is Filled with Both 'Joy and Heartache' After Welcoming First Baby with Derek Hough
Desiree AnelloSat, April 11, 2026 at 3:52 PM UTC
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Derek Hough, Hayley Erbert and their daughter EverleyCredit: Hayley Erbert/Instagram (2) -
Hayley Erbert Hough opened up about the highs and lows of motherhood in a candid Instagram post
She and husband Derek Hough welcomed their first baby, a daughter named Everley Capri Hough, in December 2025
"My heart is constantly bursting open, while also breaking into a million pieces," the new mom said
Hayley Erbert Hough is speaking candidly about the “dichotomy of motherhood.”
Three months after she welcomed her first baby, a daughter named Everley Capri, with husband Derek Hough, the professional dancer, 31, reflected on the highs and lows of life since she became a mother.
“My love. My girl. My world♥️,” Hayley wrote on Instagram, sharing several photos of her cuddling her baby girl on a picnic blanket. “Motherhood is even more complex and contradicting than I could have ever imagined."
"It feels like living in two places at once. Where joy and heartache can both be true, all of the time," she continued. "My heart is constantly bursting open, while also breaking into a million pieces."
"I find myself celebrating every little bit of your growth, while quietly grieving the version of you that existed just moments before," added Hayley.
Then emphasizing that she can’t wait to experience all of Everley’s “firsts” as she grows older, Hayley admitted, however, that she wishes she could “freeze time” to avoid having any “lasts.”
“It’s the most beautiful contradiction,” she explained. “This pull between holding on and letting go, between wanting time to slow down and knowing it never will."
“If this is the dichotomy of motherhood, then I’ll try my best to meet it with open arms. Soaking in every little detail, every version of you, every fleeting moment we have together, Hayley concluded her post. "I love being your mom. I love you beyond, Everley. I have truly never felt a love like this. 🫀."
In the comments section of Hayley's candid Instagram post, Derek, 40, responded, “😢❤️ My girls.”
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Hayley and the Dancing with the Stars judge announced they were expecting their first baby together through an Instagram video in July 2025.
"We can’t believe the biggest thing to happen to us could be so small ♥️," the couple, who wed in August 2023, captioned their joint post.
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Derek Hough, Hayley Erbert and their daughter EverleyCredit: Hayley Erbert/Instagram
Hayley and Derek announced that they welcomed their baby later that December, sharing a black-and-white photo of their hands cupped around their daughter's feet.
"December 29, 2025 Everley Capri Hough 🤍," the couple wrote in the post's caption. "Every step of our lives has led us to you. Our hearts have been cracked wide open and our world is forever changed."
Before her daughter's birth, Hayley expressed what a “miracle” her pregnancy was when she marked the two-year anniversary of when she was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma and underwent an emergency craniectomy.
"Two years ago today, I was given a second chance at life through life-saving brain surgery," she wrote on Instagram. "In these two years, I’ve gone through every human emotion imaginable, the kind that cracks you open and the kind that puts you back together."
"What a miracle it is that two years ago I was fighting for my life,” Hayley added. “And now, here I am creating life. 🤍."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
