'Dancing With the Stars' pro Sharna Burgess and her partner, actor Brian Austin Green, have made a controversial decision regarding baby no. 2.
Dancing With the Stars pro Sharna Burgess made a bold declaration on her May 6 appearance on the Money Rehab podcast. When asked about if she's ready for a second baby with partner Brian Austin Green, Burgess gave an enthusiastic yes, but also added that she thinks they are going to make what some consider a controversial choice — she wants to have a girl, so she wants to do gender selection via IVF (invitro fertilization).
The reason is that Green has five children, and they are all boys. Since a baby's sex is determined by the father, they might need a medical assist in this area.
"We need some estrogen up in this home, we need some girl power for sure, which is also what I would be hoping for this next time around," said Burgess. "Honestly, I think we'll do gender selection and do IVF because he's five for five on boys. Who's gonna take a chance on that? … He just makes boys. He's meant to create the starting lineup of a football team."
The reason this is a little controversial is that it is prohibited in many countries, according to the Reproductive Medicine Associates. The United States and Mexico are the only countries that explicitly allow sex selection without restrictions. The RMA also raises a host of ethical concerns, including the slippery slope of customized babies based on personal preferences.
Burgess also revealed that she hopes to be pregnant by the end of the year because she's not getting any younger — she turns 40 in June. The podcast was recorded in late 2024, so when she says "next year," she means 2025.
"I'm going to put out there — we've talked about it — that hopefully the end of next year, we're looking at getting pregnant. Because I'll also be 40 and even though my eggs are fine and whatever, medicine's wonderful, but still — I want to be as young as I possibly can be, so I'm hoping somewhere near the end of next year we're looking at getting pregnant," said the dancer.
But whether baby No. 2 is on the way or not, Burgess had some sage advice for podcast host Nicole Lapin, who was pregnant with her first child when they recorded the podcast episode.
"[Being a first-time mom] is the greatest, best, most enjoyable, beautiful, and also the most excruciating period of your life. It will change you to your core in ways you could never possibly imagine," said Burgess, adding, "Suddenly that little one is gonna come out of you and you've unlocked a whole world of information that you didn't know you knew. It's like a whole other part of you opens up that always existed; it was just waiting. Like a video game, next level unlocked."
She also encouraged Lapin to "trust [her] instincts" and try to ignore all of the outside noise that will be trying to tell her how to parent her child.
"You know that baby on a cellular level. You are connected. You just know. Even as a new mom, where you feel like you are just fumbling the ball all the time and you don't know what's going on, you know. Usually, that first instinct that you have is it. Act on it. Just trust yourself," said Burgess.
Burgess and Green have been together since 2020; they welcomed son Zane in June 2022 and got engaged in September 2023. Green has one son, Kassius, 23, with ex Vanessa Marcil, and three sons from his marriage to actress Megan Fox: Noah, 12, Bodhi, 11, and Journey, 8.
