“I got a call from my doctor, and she said my pregnancy test results had come back positive. I was in shock. The words I kept saying were, ‘you’re kidding’. That was my expression because I just couldn’t believe it.”
For Toke Makinwa, December brought a divine interruption in the midst of Detty December preparations that would rewrite the very fabric of her existence. Her first child was on the way.
The timing felt almost orchestrated. Having recently celebrated her 40th birthday, Makinwa had entered what she describes as a weightless state, unencumbered by the heavy expectations that had shadowed previous years. “I had just celebrated my 40th birthday, and simply wanted to have a great Christmas. I wasn’t thinking of anything in particular, nor was I burdened by anything.”
Yet this pregnancy was the culmination of a desire that had carved itself deep into her heart over the years. “The journey has been nothing short of fascinating. I have been wanting to do this for a couple of years, but it has been quite unsuccessful. And this time, when I was told that it was positive, I just ran around my room,” she beamed. “When I got myself together, I took a deep breath and started to think, ‘Oh my God! I’m having a baby. I can’t believe it.’ I felt a wave of excitement and happiness all at once.”
After finding out, Makinwa faced a unique challenge. Detty December was just around the corner, and those around her would surely notice if she skipped the usual festivities. Still, she chose to celebrate with friends and colleagues while establishing firm boundaries to protect her health.
“I think the most persistent emotion I have felt through it all is gratitude. Even on the bad days.”
“I participated in Detty December, and honestly, it was difficult, not because I wasn’t drinking, but because everyone kept trying to offer me shots,” she chuckled. “My morning sickness hadn’t kicked in, and I hadn’t started showing. Whenever we went out, they would pass drinks around, and if anyone asked why I wasn’t drinking, I’d say I was trying to stay in shape. I think so many people were ready to call my bluff because who tries to stay in shape during Christmas? I dodged every single shot glass that I could find. And I still managed to have a good time. It felt exciting to keep the secret, though.”
The metamorphosis from hope to embodied truth didn’t arrive with the test results, but through the undeniable language of her transforming body. For Makinwa, pregnancy became tangible in the raw, uncompromising demands it placed upon her professional life.
“I think the reality of being pregnant set in when the morning sickness started. I accepted a movie production in November 2024, and filming started this January. We filmed till February, and I was sick the entire time,” she muses. “Even with that, I had to show up on set and still be at my ultimate best. Anyone who knows me knows my work ethic. I didn’t want anyone to suspect a thing either. So, having to show up on set and film late into the night with morning sickness waiting for me was rough. My assistants and team know how tough it was. Between the sets, locations and costumes, it was vigorous. But I pulled through. I’m a trooper.”
Here was a woman who had built a thriving career on excellence, suddenly navigating the beautiful chaos of creation within, while maintaining the polished exterior that millions had come to expect.
Makinwa refuses to glamourise the experience. “I’m going to be very real here. You can sit here and listen to me, and I can glamourise pregnancy. I can say, ‘Oh my God, it’s amazing. It’s a gift. It’s a journey.’ — and it is. But the hormones are real. The emotions are raging. And there are days that feel like, ‘whoa, I don’t even know what to feel today.’”
But beneath the waves of nausea and sleepless nights, one emotion rose above all others: gratitude. “I think the most persistent emotion I have felt through it all is gratitude. Even on the bad days. This is because I know what it is to want something so bad, and to take that which you’ve been blessed with for granted,” she says. “I wasn’t going to let the morning sickness, fear, or body changes literally override my feelings of gratitude. That I get to be a mum, just overwhelms me beyond anything else; nothing else matters.”
In an age where privacy is a luxury and public figures live under constant scrutiny, Makinwa’s decision to guard her pregnancy became an act of revolutionary self-care. By curating her social interactions and managing external pressures, she maintained focus on her well-being.
“I didn’t want to focus solely on counting the days and weeks of my pregnancy because it can be nerve wrecking, right? Today, the baby’s the size of a bean. Next week, it’s a carrot,” she jokes. “And because I’m 40 and pregnant for the first time, I didn’t want to give room for the dark side of things, especially with my first kid. So, I worked until I started showing, and I think that was right for me.”
“I wasn’t showing for the longest time. And then one day, I woke up, and my belly had popped out. Before that, I thought I could pull off the AMVCAs, but I had to pull out just three weeks before because my belly was now showing. Everyone in my team was thrown into a frenzy. Veekee James had even been asked to make a dress, and I could no longer attend. Someone even suggested that I wear a corset for the show.”
The lengths she went to navigate her public pregnancy were extraordinary. “I remember having to attend a colleague and friend’s father’s funeral. Thank God I flew in a private group. Kate Henshaw probably thought I was going off my rocker because I kept taking off my corset on the plane. I would only wear it whenever we landed. It worked, but it was hectic because you’re trying not to squash your belly and keep it supported while in public.”
A turning point arrived around the five-month mark. When Makinwa could no longer hide her body, she faced a choice that would define her new chapter.
“This child chose me, not the other way around. I wasn’t going to let this be another thing that the world endlessly dissects.”
“By the five-month mark, there was a bulge. At that point, I knew this [work] had to go. I had to choose this over everything else. We had to turn down so much work. I know my management is rolling their eyes right now,” she jokes. “It hasn’t been an easy journey, but it’s been totally worth it.”
Her reasoning transcends career ambition. “I didn’t want this to be another career move. I’ve been working non-stop for 13 years. I just wanted to take the time to let the reality of having a baby sink in, from my body’s changing to my mind. I wanted it to be memorable, so that when it’s over, I can look back fondly at it.”
“I’ve shared so much of my life publicly. I am the famous one, but this baby is not. I had to ask myself if I wanted to simply roll with the punches and let this become just another topic for everyone to have opinions about. However, I decided that I did not want to be mentally drained on this journey,” she reflects. “It was my moment, and I wanted to enjoy every bit of it.”
In protecting her pregnancy from public dissection, Makinwa was protecting something far more precious — the pure, unfiltered experience of becoming a mother, unmarked by external judgment.
“This child chose me, not the other way around. I wasn’t going to let this be another thing that the world endlessly dissects,” she says. “There have been times I would post a picture, and in the comments, people leave remarks like ‘when are you going to have a child?’, ‘You’re getting older.’ These things have a way of making you feel the pressure that the world wants you to feel. And I didn’t want that during my pregnancy.”
At 40, Toke Makinwa stands as a beacon for women who refuse to be confined by arbitrary biological clocks or societal expectations. Her pregnancy becomes a powerful testament to the evolution of modern motherhood — where timing serves the woman’s readiness, not convention’s demands.
“I don’t want to speak for everyone, but my pregnancy has been a breeze. Maybe it’s because it’s my first pregnancy. I believe that age is really just a number. If you check around the world, more women are having children later in life. I absolutely love this for us, because women are finally choosing whether they want to be mothers.”
“I like that I’ve always been a pioneer of a different kind of conversation and community. Nowadays, there are more women building their careers before becoming mothers. Growing up in Africa, by the time you graduate, your parents are already hounding you to get married and start a family. There’s nothing wrong with that, and honestly, kudos to all the women who have had incredible journeys like that. I’m proud of them. But there are also people like me who it [motherhood] didn’t happen as early for. And I’m grateful for the time to discover myself.”
Against the backdrop of a Nigerian society that often lays out a clear path — school, work, marriage, and children — she stands for those who choose to deviate.
Makinwa has come to understand her journey not as a series of delays, but as masterfully orchestrated preparation. “I had the opportunity to work on becoming who I am, build my career, and become the businesswoman and powerhouse media personality that I am. Now, it’s time for me to give my energy to this precious gift,” she says. “Sometimes, when God keeps us in the waiting room, we think He’s wicked. My journey has taught me that He’s a God who will put His own reputation on the line to save you. I wasn’t ready 10 years ago or even five years ago. This is happening at the best time, and I see why. 10 years ago, my career was my baby.”
“Medical science is helping women have babies in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. This lets you chase the career and life you want for yourself, and when you’re ready, you try for a child”
Her advice is practical: “What I will say to women who want to have children, and feel like they want to chase their careers first is to freeze your eggs. Medical science is helping women have babies in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. This lets you chase the career and life you want for yourself, and when you’re ready, you try for a child.”
Egg freezing has seen a significant surge in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the fastest-growing fertility treatments. Women are born with millions of eggs, but by age 30, less than 15% may remain, and fertility begins to decline. This makes timing critical: the younger you are, the better your chances of success.
“I do understand that it [freezing your eggs] isn’t exactly cheap. But I think it’s worth the sacrifice. After all, we often make sacrifices for other things. I think it’s best to do it and get it out of the way. That way, there’s no pressure. You can wake up at 40, decide that you’re ready to be a mother, and there’s a bank of eggs waiting for you. If marriage has already happened to you at that time, then you can do it with your partner. It’s a great choice. You can get ahead of it, live your life, and when you’re ready, become a mum.”
Last year, Makinwa’s birthday praise and thanksgiving went viral, offering the world a window into her deeply foundational Christian faith. For her, this journey was never just a biological process — it was a divine dialogue.
“I’ve always been a spiritual person. I think this period was God pulling me back and saying, ‘you’re not going to do this your way. This is my gift. You’re going to do it my way.’ And in this silence and the stillness, I have found a high and deeper relationship with my creator.”
Her prayer life during this time intensified. She laughed, “I literally haven’t prayed as much as I’ve prayed this year. I’m sure when I arrived to pray every other evening, God was like, ‘I’ve heard you from yesterday, it is enough.’”
Makinwa recalls a profound spiritual encounter while filming in August 2024. After years of trying to have a baby without success, she had fallen into deep depression. “I didn’t even want to celebrate my birthday,” she remembers. “I thought to myself, ‘I’m not doing it, it is done.’ I’m not praying anymore. I would tell God, ‘When we see, we see. ’ I decided I had had enough.”
“I literally haven’t prayed as much as I’ve prayed this year. I’m sure when I arrived to pray every other evening, I’m sure God was like, ‘I’ve heard you from yesterday, it is enough.’”
Then, in the quiet of night, a divine whisper broke through the silence. “I woke up and it was like I was having a conversation with someone in my sleep,” she recalls. “And I heard the words, ‘Time is a concept that I own. You are not gonna wrestle this one out of me.’ And that was all I needed to pack my tears, pack myself out of bed and throw myself back into my relationship with God.”
During her pregnancy, certain biblical verses became her anchors. “The verse that stuck out for me from the beginning was, ‘Perfect love drives out fear.’ Every time fear crept in, I meditated on that. I became a fan of New Season Prophetic Prayers (NSPPD). Their 7 am fire prayers? I’m there everyday,” she laughs. “It was very comforting because there were weeks I was completely overwhelmed, and then a word would come. It would feel like it was just for me. I began to trust that the God who started a good work is faithful to see it through.”
When thinking about the future, her excitement about sharing her faith is palpable. “I definitely want to raise a godly child. I’m excited for the opportunity to introduce my child to God. I cannot wait to sit back and just watch their eyes light up in excitement.”
In a moment of delightful vulnerability, Makinwa reveals her initial preference for a boy — and how the universe had other plans.
“I actually thought I was going to be a boy mum,” she admits. “My friends know. I just wanted a son I could play soccer with. But, as they say, we make plans and God laughs.”
When destiny revealed itself in the form of a daughter, everything shifted. “I remember when I found out, I couldn’t even remember why I had wanted a boy,” she recalls, chuckling. “It just made so much sense. She’s the baby girl of the original ‘baby girl for life.’ My first child just had to be a girl, of course! We get to do all the mummy-and-me cute stuff together.”
As she contemplates raising a daughter in today’s world, her parenting philosophy reveals both protective instincts and hard-won wisdom. “I would definitely love to guide her through life. But I think it’s important to let her have her own experiences,” she says. “You want to have honest conversations with them about the world they’re living in, and the people who exist in it with them. I’m going to raise my child to be confident and vocal. She will know that she always has a friend in me.”
“I couldn’t have imagined going through this by myself. Even when you feel like you’re the toughest soldier, you need people. And you don’t realise how much you need them until you do.”
Rather than prescriptive rules about her daughter’s future privacy, Makinwa chooses flexibility. “If she’s comfortable being in the media and taking pictures, then why not? I like taking pictures. But if she doesn’t want to be involved, she’s totally free to be her own person. It’s fine if she doesn’t want that life.”
Her vision for balancing career and motherhood reflects modern reality: not perfect separation, but beautiful integration. “I already have work waiting for me,” she says. “I’m sure I’ll have to take my daughter to work. I’m definitely going to get a nanny. My child gets to come to work with mummy when she can and when it’s convenient. When she can’t, I would be quick to turn down whatever it is, and prioritise her because that’s why I’m here.”
Makinwa’s pregnancy journey offers a beautiful counter-narrative of community and support. “I couldn’t have done this without the support of family and close friends,” she reflects. “I couldn’t have imagined going through this by myself. Even when you feel like you’re the toughest soldier, you need people. And you don’t realise how much you need them until you do.”
Perhaps nowhere is the strength of her inner circle more evident than in their collective commitment to protecting her privacy. “I’m so blessed to have the best team,” she reflects. “They made sure my privacy was respected. Everyone treated this like it was their own blessing. It was almost like an unspoken understanding, like we had all been waiting for this moment. So, everyone just adjusted easily.”
“I believe absolutely in the power of divine timing.”
What emerges most beautifully is her understanding that this pregnancy represents the culmination of a shared journey. “It’s so beautiful and humbling,” she reflects. “I first met this community as a radio girl, and they’ve been with me through everything. That’s the launch of my vlog, the TV show, writing my book, and my divorce. They’ve grown with me, and now they get to see me become a mum. It’s the most beautiful feeling ever.”
“This is our baby. My community has known me from the beginning. This is definitely our child, and I’m so happy that we get to do this together as well.”
Toke Makinwa’s pregnancy journey stands as a testament to the power of patience, the beauty of divine timing, and the profound transformation that occurs when a woman fully embraces her season of becoming.
“I believe absolutely in the power of divine timing,” she shares. “I’m not rushing my life anymore. I’ve come to accept that God is the vine, and I’m only a branch. Whatever He wants to do, He will do. I have no part in how it’s going to happen.”
The prophecy she spoke over herself has become the anthem of her transformation. “It’s funny how towards the end of last year, I would say, ‘I want 2025 to be the kind of year that ends with me saying, what a difference a year can make.’ That’s exactly what has happened in my life, and the journey so far has been exactly what I just explained. What a difference a year can make indeed.”
In her story, we find not just one woman’s path to motherhood, but a blueprint for living authentically, loving deeply, and trusting completely in the perfect unfolding of our lives.
