CNN’s Abby Phillip is speaking out about the joys of motherhood following the birth of her first child last month.
Phillip and her husband of 10 years, Marcus Richardson, welcomed their daughter, Naomi Angelina, on Aug. 16, theGrio previously reported. Phillip explained at the time that her baby’s first name means “pleasant one.” She also noted that her bundle of joy “is already living up to it and spoiling her mom and dad as a blissfully calm baby.”
In this week’s issue of PEOPLE, Phillip says she plans to take her full maternity leave so she can enjoy every moment of bonding with her child.
“You only get your first one once, so I’m going to take that time, spend it with her and nurture her until she watches me go back to work and learns that mommy has a job,” says Phillip.
Phillip shared news of her pregnancy during a sit-down interview with Gayle King for The Cut’s March 2021 cover.
“It has only made me become more in awe of what we as women are able to endure. It was tough: battling morning sickness while balancing a demanding job. But it has been a reminder of what I am capable of — and what so many women do every day,” Phillip said in The Cut profile.
She also told King about the close bond she has with her husband and how he has always been supportive of her career.
“From the beginning, Marcus knew he was dating a journalist who was attached to her phone and working seven [days] a week. He always took that in stride. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into our relationship,” she tells PEOPLE, adding, “I don’t want motherhood to change me too much.”
“I’m a believer in bringing your child along with your life,” added Phillip. “I want to keep doing the things that I normally do, working and traveling, seeing friends and going out and having a glass of wine.”
Announcing her daughter’s birth last month, Phillip told PEOPLE in a statement, “Marcus and I are so happy to announce that the Naomi Angelina Richardson arrived bright and early on Monday morning perfectly happy, healthy and ready to eat. Mom and baby are feeling great. Her first name means ‘pleasant one’ and she is already living up to it and spoiling her mom and dad as a blissfully calm baby. Her middle name Angelina is a tribute to my beloved maternal grandmother who passed away in 2014.”
Phillip shared her PEOPLE feature on Instagram along with the caption, “So excited to share my conversation with @people about my pregnancy journey and being Naomi’s mom in the newest issue out on Newsstands on Friday.”
She also added a link to “some behind the scenes footage” from the interview — see the post below.
Earlier this year, Phillip officially became the new anchor of CNN’s Inside Politics Sunday.
A political correspondent on the network, Phillip spent much of last year covering the 2020 presidential election. She quickly went viral on social media with her sharp political commentary while viewers awaited the results of the election.
Following the birth of her daughter, the Harvard grad says being a mom is now “the most important responsibility that I have.”
This article contains additional reporting from theGRIO’s Stephanie Guerilus.
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