Celebrity Parents 'Married at First Sight' 's Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner Announce Pregnancy Six Months After Losing Their Son Married at First Sight stars Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner are expecting a baby after losing their son last year By Melody Chiu Melody Chiu Instagram Twitter Melody Chiu is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. She has been with the brand since 2009, editing, writing and reporting across all entertainment verticals. She oversees PEOPLE's music and events coverage and has written cover stories on Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Melissa McCarthy, Blake Shelton and Sandra Oh. The Los Angeles native graduated from the University of Southern California and has appeared on Extra!, The Talk, Access Hollywood and Good Morning America. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 31, 2017 10:00 PM Share Tweet Pin Email 2017 is starting off on a high note for Married at First Sight‘s Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner — the reality stars are expecting a baby later this year. “Doug and I have been praying and not so patiently waiting to have our rainbow baby since we lost our first born, Johnathan Edward, in July 2016,” Otis, who is due in August, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “We are feeling so blessed and truly thankful for this little miracle growing inside of me. Being a mother has been a long awaited dream of mine. It goes without saying that Doug is going to be the best daddy ever. We cannot wait to meet Baby Hehner this coming summer!” “Jamie is excited about the baby now and wants to openly show her excitement now,” a source tells PEOPLE of the couple’s decision to announce the pregnancy early. “They want to empower women to share their good news earlier than the politically correct 3-month marker. They want their story to inspire others to not be scared to come out with their news even in the first trimester, and not have society dictate a safe time to make baby announcements.” Courtesy Otis Hehner Family Last July, Otis, 30 — who found out she was pregnant again on her first baby’s December due date — and Hehner, 33, shared the devastating news on social media that they had lost their son at four months along. “Our Baby Hehner was just too beautiful for earth. I love him so much — ALWAYS will — and can’t wait to meet him in heaven one day. Please pray for us,” Otis captioned a somber Instagram post. At the time, a close friend told PEOPLE the couple’s “love” would get them through the tragedy. “Jamie is the strongest woman I know,” said the friend. “And Doug has remained her rock through everything.” Before losing her son last year, Otis opened up to PEOPLE about her excitement for motherhood. “I just envision the mother-daughter relationship,” she said. “I’m just so eager for that, but I hear little boys tend to be mama’s boys, so I’ll take that too!”