Bringing Up Bates Star Josie Bates Announces She's Pregnant

After announcing the heartbreaking news that she had suffered a miscarriage in August, Bringing Up Bates star Josie Bates revealed she's pregnant and expecting a "rainbow baby" with her husband, Kelton Balka.

"We are SOO excited to become a family of four June 2021," Bates wrote in the caption of the Instagram post announcing her big news on Tuesday. "Our hearts are filled with gratitude, and we couldn't feel more blessed and more in love with the thought of being parents again!"

Bates and Balka are parents to a 1-year-old daughter, Willow, whom they welcomed into the world in July 2019. In September 2020, the 21-year-old UPtv reality star revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage that August. "Our hearts have been completely broken," Bates wrote in the Instagram post detailing their loss. "I've never experienced the type of pain and loss that I've had these past weeks."

She admitted in the caption of her new pregnancy announcement that 2020 was, understandably, very hard on their family, but they are now looking forward to welcoming their little "rainbow" this summer. It's easy to see the joy the family is feeling in Bates' Instagram photos, which show them posing with her ultrasound pictures, surrounded by rainbow confetti.

"Though there are still fears, concerns, and uncertainties, we are taking extra precautions and praying diligently for the safety of our new little one," she wrote in the caption of the post. "So far, we are all healthy and baby is developing perfectly. We are overjoyed to end 2020 with such happy news and beyond thrilled to become a family of four early summer!"

While there is so much happiness surrounding their announcement, Bates acknowledged in a post on her Instagram Story that seeing pregnancy announcements like these can be hard, especially after experiencing loss. "My heart goes out to you who are trying to start a family and are walking the incredibly hard road of infertility, and my heart breaks for those of you who are experiencing the pain and loss of miscarriage," she wrote. "I don't have the right or perfect words to say, but I am thinking of you and praying for you."

Since baby Balka is due in June, this means that Bates is likely just out of her first trimester of pregnancy. But it's unclear if the couple knows the sex of their baby or if they plan to be surprised in a few months. Bringing Up Bates fans will just have to follow Bates' Instagram account for more family updates.