Abby and Matt Howard just shared something huge with their followers: they’re expecting another baby, only six months after losing their unborn daughter. For anyone who’s followed them, this news hits hard. It’s joyful, yes, but also full of that quiet strength you only see after someone’s been through the worst and somehow found hope again.
Abby and Matt Howard’s happy news: A new chapter after devastating loss
Matt and Abby are growing their family. On March 24, they posted a photo on Instagram, both of them kissing, grinning, and holding sonogram pictures. “baby #4. grateful beyond measure,” the caption read. They already have two little boys, Griffin (3) and August (2).The pregnancy news comes six months after they said Abby experienced pregnancy loss with a baby girl. Half a year ago, they shared that Abby lost a pregnancy at 17 weeks. Per People, and their Instagram post, the doctor couldn’t find a heartbeat during what was supposed to be a routine checkup. Later, they learned their daughter, Emerson Nicole, had a “genetic condition that took her life.”“The news felt unimaginable,” they wrote, sharing a photo of their hands clasped tight. “The grief is absolutely devastating. But we feel so much gratitude for the time that we did get to have with her. And we still have hope. Hope has continued to show up for us in so many ways.”In the months that followed, Abby opened up about what grief looked like for her. She called it the “most devastating thing” she’s ever faced. But pain, guilt, anger, sadness, all of those taught her something she never saw coming. In a video last November, Abby said, “About a week ago, when I was just driving in the car, I came to this conclusion that has changed almost everything for me.” For her, grief is the price of love. She said, “I’m grieving so hard because I loved so hard.” And she gets that not everyone sees loss this way. It’s personal.On February 28, what would have been Emerson’s due date, the couple posted again. “In another version of today, maybe we were holding you for the very first time. But that’s not today. Today we are grieving you: our daughter and baby sister. We grieve because we love (so so much) and for the rest of our lives we will carry your love with us. Happy due date sweet Emerson Nicole.”There’s even more behind the name they chose. On their ‘Unplanned’ podcast, Abby shared that she had a stillborn sister, a year older than her, named Emily Nicole. “And so we named Emerson, they share that middle name, which was really meaningful for us. Our nurse, that was literally an angel to us when we delivered her, her name was Nicole, too. So it just felt so appropriate, so right for our family. But picking out that name after knowing her heart wasn’t beating... that’s something no parent wants to go through.”
Abby and Matt Howard: Who are they?
For the unversed, Matt and Abby Howard are part of a wave of creators who built their audience by just being real. They started out by letting people into their lives, talking about marriage, parenting, and all the messy, honest stuff in between. TikTok, YouTube, their podcast; wherever they show up, it’s the same vibe: open, unfiltered, inviting people in.When they lost Emerson, they could’ve just gone dark. Instead, they brought everyone along for the ride, even when it got raw and painful. They talked about the loss, the heartbreak, and everything else that comes with it. And now, as they share this new chapter, it’s clear their willingness to be vulnerable is what makes people root for them.
