Moms and Dads

Mav Gonzales Shares Emotional Birth Story as She Welcomes Daughter Maya

by Alexa Villano
May 25, 2026

Mav and her husband Matthew Valeña are now officially parents

Mav Gonzales and Matthew Valeña have officially stepped into a new chapter: parenthood.

On Monday, May 25, Mav announced that she and Matthew welcomed their daughter, Maya.

Sharing her birth story online, the GMA News reporter recalled how unexpectedly labor began. What started as a routine prenatal checkup quickly became the day they would meet their baby girl.

“My water bag had broken during an internal exam. I was giving birth anytime now,” Mav wrote. “I called Matt to get us admitted. He was also so confused and shocked, but he did the best a first-time dad could do.”

Meeting Maya

Mav described labor as manageable at first—but Maya had other plans.

Despite trying different positions to help move labor along, Maya wasn’t descending as expected. Eventually, Mav was given an epidural to help relax her muscles after her doctor noted that her bladder was already at risk.

“He gave me an epidural to relax the muscles,” she shared. “Worst experience of my life—not being able to feel or move my legs.”

Maya was eventually delivered with the help of a vacuum extraction. Mav later learned that Maya’s umbilical cord was unusually short, making delivery even more challenging.

Once Maya arrived, Mav said the experience quickly became overwhelming physically. Feeling nauseous, she asked the nurse to hand Maya to Matthew for skin-to-skin contact while she recovered.

In between vomiting and drifting in and out of consciousness, one image stayed with her.

“I saw Matt on the couch in his jeans and silly hair cover. Holding our daughter. He smiled at me,” she wrote.

“I remember praying, ‘God please don’t let me die. Not now that I just got my family.’”

After receiving a blood transfusion, stitches, and time to recover, Mav was finally able to hold Maya for the first time.

“A body warmer, several stitches and blood transfusions after, I finally got to hold the greatest blessing Matt and I have ever received—a 7.5-lb chubby-cheeked baby Maya.”

The values they hope to pass on

Long before Maya arrived, Mav and Matthew had already spent time thinking about the kind of parents they hoped to become.

In an earlier conversation with Modern Parenting, Matthew shared that one of his biggest hopes is to raise Maya with love that feels unconditional—not transactional.

“I don’t want her growing up believing she owes us something just because we raised her,” he said.

For Mav, the vision is rooted in both independence and intention.

“I want to set up my kid for success, and I want to set up myself for success too,” she told Modern Parenting. “So when we’re all older, she can live her life however she wants.”

It’s a perspective many modern parents can relate to: wanting to build a strong foundation while still making room for a child to grow into her own person.

The couple first announced they were expecting last year. Now, with Maya finally here, that future they’ve been imagining begins.

Congratulations to Mav, Matthew, and baby Maya.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Maya Gonzales announce the birth of baby Maya?

Mav Gonzales announced the arrival of her daughter Maya on Monday, May 25, sharing details of her labor and delivery experience online.

What did Mav Gonzales say about her labor experience?

Mav shared that labor began unexpectedly during a routine prenatal checkup when her water broke during an internal exam. She later underwent an epidural and delivered Maya with the help of a vacuum extraction.