Maiqui Pineda’s Birthing Story: I Learned to Provide Myself More Grace

For many women, becoming a mother is imagined as the moment they finally meet their little one.

But we know that the journey to motherhood begins much earlier—in the hopes and fears, between morning sickness and food cravings, and, of course, in the discoveries and unexpected lessons that come with conception and pregnancy.

For new mom Maiqui Pineda Domingo, wife of TV host Robi Domingo, the experience has been deeply transformative, teaching her not only about the strength of her mind and body but also about the importance of patience, partnership, and giving herself grace.

Now nearly three months into motherhood, Maiqui has come to realize, “I'm learning to be more patient–with my baby, with my husband, and especially with myself. You know, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best mom I can be, but I've learned to at least like, maybe provide more grace and understanding toward myself.”

This is her story of becoming a mother—of learning that plans can change, that an autoimmune condition doesn’t have to put an end to one’s hopes of having a child, that strength can look different from what we expect, and that pregnancy and childbirth are not journeys taken alone, but with a partner.

“My pregnancy journey definitely wasn't a straight path,” Maiqui opened up to Smart Parenting.

She wore a crisp white blouse that complemented her fresh, post-pregnancy glow. With little to no makeup, she looked effortlessly radiant, and it was impossible not to notice how happy she was. Her face lit up with a warm smile, and she carried a welcoming energy that radiated positivity.

“You know, when we planned to get married, we wanted to start a family right away. But in 2023, when we were wedding planning, that's when I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called dermatomyositis.”

“So, it affected my lungs, my muscles, my skin, and, you know, at one point, I could barely even move, and I had a hard time breathing. But thankfully, I recovered and went into clinical remission in 2024.”

“But because of my condition and the medications and treatments that I was on, we had to, you know, put our plans to have a baby on hold until my doctors cleared me,” she explained.

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Maiqui shared this quote from Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ in a her 2024 blog about being in clinical remission. In the post, she described clinical remission as a state in which the “signs and symptoms of a disease are significantly reduced or undetectable, even though the disease may not be completely cured.”

In the same blog post, she shared her August 2024 tweet: “Putting it out there - I will get off my meds by the end of 2024!”

And boy, was she right.

Fast forward to June 2026, when Maiqui and Robi announced the arrival of their ‘newest housemate’ on Instagram, their baby boy Emmanuel.

Smart Parenting [SP]: How are you these days?

Maiqui Pineda Domingo [MPD]: I think we're doing okay–I mean, as best as we can, despite the sleepless nights and the fatigue. But Robi’s been with me, actually a lot since the birth, he’s had work, but he's also been able to make time to be with us. So, it really helps having him–at least the two of us can work together and take care of our baby.

SP: What changes have you noticed in yourself since giving birth?

MPD: Parenting is definitely a humbling experience. I'm constantly learning something new every day. Things change so often, like his moods, his routines, his needs. So, I'm learning to be more patient.

I think a big part of the newborn phase is breastfeeding. I've been exclusively breastfeeding since birth. The first six weeks were actually quite a lot, but I didn't realize that breastfeeding would take so much out of you as a person.

I mean, I just see things like that in movies and on TV. I hear from my family and friends who have kids, but they never really, I guess, share the full extent of it or you never really know until you experience it for yourself. And so, at some point, I didn't realize that I really feel like such a cow. Apparently, it's all we do pala, for like 24/7, to a point like, "Oh, my god, is this never going to end?"

I was like, "Wow,this this this is a lot." But you know, I know it's what's best for the baby, so I really tried my best to be patient with it and not put too much pressure on myself, like, "Oh, I have to do direct latch for the full six weeks."

SP: During your pregnancy, do you remember specific moments that made you especially happy or that you found particularly challenging?

MPD: Overall, I feel like it was a pretty uneventful pregnancy, which and when I say uneventful, that's a good thing: no major complications or issues. But, for my first trimester, that was really difficult. I had a lot of symptoms like nausea, fatigue, body aches, and I barely had an appetite. I wasn't eating so I was losing a lot of weight.

And then because of my condition, since I'm considered immunocompromised, I would often actually get sick. I was prone to getting sick.

Thankfully, I was able to feel better in the second trimester. And that's when I really started feeling like myself again. I started going out, like really making the most out of that time, traveling and being with friends.

I'm really just grateful that I was able to get through it. I generally enjoyed my pregnancy, like even the little moments—seeing our baby during every ultrasound, feeling the little kicks, you know, watching my belly grow and then celebrating it with a lot of family and friends. Robi and I have had so much love and support from all our family and friends.

SP: How far along were you when you gave birth?

MPD: I was in my 39th week. Because of my condition, my doctors wanted me to be extra cautious, so they didn't want me to go past the due date. They didn't even want me to actually reach the 40th week just because they wanted to be cautious if ever my body starts to get heavy or it starts taking a toll on my body. So we had to induce on the 39th week, if ever I didn't go into labor naturally.

SP: Was the plan to have a spontaneous vaginal delivery?

MPD: That was the plan. Since I didn't go into labor at any point before my 39th week, we went to the hospital on the first day of that week, ready to be induced.

When they gave me medication to help soften and open my cervix, my body reacted pretty strongly to it. I started having very painful contractions almost immediately, and they were coming really quickly. The intervals were maybe like a minute or two apart instead of the usual five or ten minutes.

It was happening super fast and super strong, and then I also started feeling very cold like I was shivering, and I also started feeling some pressure in my chest, which is the part that worried me because of my condition. I've had a history of lung issues.

So, we stopped the induction first and took a break. Then we tried again later for a second time, but unfortunately, the same thing happened. My cervix still wasn't progressing and the contractions kept getting stronger.

SP: Can you walk us through the experience? What do you remember most about those first moments when you finally met your baby?

MPD: So, there's my OB-GYN, my pulmonologist, and my rheumatologist, and they all came to the conclusion that a C-section was the safest option for both me and the baby.

And once that was decided, everything happened so quickly. I was rushed and prepped for the operating room, and honestly, it all felt like a blur.

And, you know, since I couldn't really see what was happening, I had Robi beside me, thankfully all throughout. He was guiding me, helping me, and making sure I'm okay and that everything was okay.

I think if I were to say that the most memorable moment of meeting the baby for the first time was really just–you know, in the C-section you're lying there, you're just staring at the ceiling and you can't see anything.

And so what I did was, I just wanted to wait until I heard the first cry. And then when I finally heard it, I felt this huge sense of relief and gratitude, like, "Okay, my baby is here. He's okay."

It's like, "Oh my gosh, this baby came out of me and now he's here." And he's so tiny and then you're looking at all these little details, trying to remember it as much as you can, considering there's anesthesia in your system, which you know is going to make you woozy.

But that's what I wanted to do. I just wanted to look at all the details—his fingers, his face, his eyes—and feel the warmth of his body against mine.

And it really was more of me being in awe, like, "Oh, wow. He's here. I carried this boy.”

SP: Was there a particular moment during labor or delivery when you felt especially emotional, scared, or maybe empowered? What helped you get through it?

MPD: Even during the C-section, I'm just there on the table. I'm still smiling because I somehow knew that I was surrounded by people I trusted.

And, you know, it was more about me focusing on the thought that, okay, my baby is coming. I'm about to meet my baby, so whatever happens, I will just power through it.

SP: How did your birth experience change the way you saw yourself—not just as a woman, but now as a mother?

MPD: Well, you know, it really made me realize how strong women are. I mean, pregnancy alone was already such a huge experience, and then to go through labor and delivery on top of that, it gave me an even deeper appreciation for all the moms out there.

And then, I know my pregnancy journey well, but at the time it was happening, I felt like, “Oh, this is so hard. It's so challenging. I'm struggling so much.”

And then, when you experience giving birth, you're like, "Oh, the pregnancy part was the easy part.”

And then when you experience the newborn phase, you’re like, "Oh, the pregnancy and birth were the easy parts.”

Yeah, it's getting harder. But then you also realize, “Oh, I'm getting stronger,” you know? It's making me stronger each phase I go through. And when I overcome one, I know I can overcome the next, and I'm willing to go through so much.

That's also what I’ve learned as a mother. It's like you're willing to go through whatever you need for your baby. And there's a certain kind of love, a different kind of love, that you discover.

And what you feel–it's hard to explain. Like, he's there, and you're just looking at him, and all you want to do is take care of him. You want to feed him, everything!

So, that's the kind of feeling and love that I didn't know was possible until I experienced it myself.

SP: What’s one thing you wish you had known or been told before giving birth—something other moms-to-be should know?

MPD: The one thing that really surprised me, which I didn't expect, was how much I would miss being pregnant.

So, I feel like I would tell moms-to-be to really enjoy those last few weeks, even, you know, the little uncomfortable moments.

Take the time to appreciate that closeness and that bond you have with your baby while they're still inside you.

You know, because once they're here, once they're out, everything changes so quickly, and I didn't realize that was something I’d miss. I wish I was able to close that chapter properly.

SP: Looking back on your pregnancy and birth journey, what would you say to yourself?

MPD: I would tell myself to just keep going and embrace it all. You know, there were definitely days when I felt like the struggles wouldn't end.

The pain, the worries, the sleepless nights, it's all part of the journey and it does get better. I felt like it was really never-ending, to the point that, you know, it was already affecting me mentally. But now that I look back, I'm like, “Oh, I think I can go through it all over again.”

Now, I realize it's all part of the journey and it does get better. You're a lot stronger than you think, and one day, you'll look back and realize that you were capable of so much more than you thought. 

Like Maiqui Pineda, actress Valeen Montenegro has her own story to tell about welcoming her little one into the world.