Congratulations are in order for comedian Katherine Ryan, who is pregnant with her fourth child, HELLO! can exclusively confirm.
The Canadian star, 41, is expecting with her husband Bobby Kootstra, with whom she has been in a civil partnership since 2019.
The new addition to Katherine's family will be a new baby sister or brother to her three older children – son Fred, three, daughter Fenna, two, with her husband Bobby, as well as 15-year-old Violet from a previous relationship.
© GettyKatherine's hopes for baby number four
Prior to announcing her pregnancy, Katherine has opened up about her hopes for a fourth child. "It’s not that surprising that over-40 women have fewer follicles than we once did," she said on the U+W TV show At Home With Katherine Ryan. "But we talk a lot about male fertility as well, which is on a steep decline. But I would still like a fourth baby.
© Instagram"We are so blessed to have the kids that we do have. Having children is not for everyone, but I personally really like making people. I think it’s a superpower, if you can do it," she added.
Katherine's fertility struggle
The star has also spoken openly about her fertility struggles. Last year, the star – who embarks on her Battleaxe comedy tour this month – revealed she had suffered three miscarriages in five years and said the pregnancy loss she experienced while on tour was one of the most "difficult" times.
© Instagram / @kathbum"We lost another pregnancy in September at the beginning of the tour, which was fine, and then it was difficult, and then it became fine again," she said on the Telling Everybody Everything podcast.
"I'm totally fine about it now. And not to be shrewd, but I looked in the calendar and I thought, oh, we would be due to have that baby in March, and I thought, that’s fine, I can do the Irish dates of my tour and land and I have a few specific dates off, I can make sure I have the baby on this specific day and then do the London dates of the Palladium with a small baby."
© ShutterstockShe also spoke of the medical intervention involved in the miscarriage. "I never find out at home, it’s always a surprise, and then I always have to have surgical intervention, meaning it does not resolve itself on its own," she said.
High standards
Speaking about the life she has given her children, Katherine previously surprised fans with her comments on raising a "nepo baby".
"I know that being a nepo baby can backfire, a lot of these children really struggle to ascend to what their parents have achieved and that can be a terrible feeling," she said. "And I think a lot of celebrity kids are really messed up.
"And I think a lot of celebrity kids are really messed up. However, I've decided to spoil my daughter as much as I can and give her really extravagant Valentine’s, I like fly her wherever she wants to go, I get her VIP tickets to anything that I can, because then I feel like she won't be impressed by someone's dusty son down the line."
