‘RHOP’ star Candiace Dillard Bassett is expecting her first child with husband Chris Bassett

“The Real Housewives of Potomac” star Candiace Dillard Bassett is stepping into a new chapter – motherhood. Weeks after saying farewell to the “Housewives” franchise, Dillard Bassett revealed to Entertainment Tonight that she and her husband Chris Bassett are expecting.

“I am about 13 weeks, so just about into the second trimester,” she said, per Entertainment Tonight. “It’s been weird, but also really wonderful, I think, to keep it kind of to ourselves to this point. It’s just been kind of quietly just growing a bun.”

Just as the star was intentional about whom she shared the news with first, she was intentional about the environment her child would be coming into.

“I wanted the space around us and around our child to feel peaceful, and to feel free, and to feel positive,” she said, revealing that the pregnancy played a big part in her decision to leave “RHOP.” 

In addition to wanting to embark on the experience on their own, without any added pressure, Dillard Bassett explained that she wasn’t confident cultivating a safe space for her growing family “in the space that the show is in currently,” she told ET. 

Dillard Bassett and her husband began documenting their fertility journey on the show. After freezing embryos two years ago, the “Drive Back” singer started in vitro fertilization (IVF) in January with hopes of conceiving a child. 

“We waited and waited and waited all this time, so to finally hear that, after those two weeks, the process has worked after a year of doing the shots,” she said, recalling the moment her doctor confirmed her pregnancy. “I did two rounds of egg retrieval. To do the shots in your stomach, I had to do the shots in my bum bum every day — which was not always fun — and to finally have it all pay off was amazing.”

Though the reality show star is serving as a “bonus mom” to her hubby’s three children from his previous marriage, she debated if she was ready to have a child of her own. 

“I always wondered, like, how would I know when I was ready? And I always felt like a part of my anxiety was that I wasn’t sure that I would know, and when I knew, it was undeniable,” she said. “But then I got the itch.” 

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She added, “I kind of woke up and realized that I was never going to be 100% ready. I just had to trust the process and trust my doctors and stop being afraid and just do it. So once we decided together that we were going to do that together, it just was kind of all moving by faith from there.” 

Finding comfort in her husband’s experience raising both girls and boys, the expectant mom is excited about all the things that come with motherhood. Although they don’t know the baby’s gender yet, Dillard Bassett is prepared to support their child’s future desires, even if that pushes her out of her comfort zone. 

“It’s so cool that you literally have no idea what you’re getting [personality wise]” she said. “I’m excited to just support them in whatever they want to do.”

In addition to being her child’s biggest cheerleader and dressing them up, Dillard Bassett says she’s most excited to experience the mom community.

“It’s a space I’ve kind of been peering into from the outside, most of my friends and my cousins have kids. I’ve helped raise and change diapers and babysit all of my cousins’ kids, so it’s just gonna be fun to be a part of that community and, you know, to learn and grow as a member now.”