U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth says she's pregnant and expecting a baby girl in early December.
"I am so thrilled that I'm gonna be a mother here in just-- four months," Rep. Duckworth said to NBC's TODAY, the first time the Illinois representative has talked about her pregnancy on camera.
The Iraq veteran and double amputee is a Democrat from Hoffman Estates.
Duckworth's announcement was part of a segment about four amputees from the Iraq War who have recently had babies or are pregnant.
Duckworth says the women were there for her during her greatest trauma, when she lost both legs after her helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004. The 46-year-old says the women will now be together for their "greatest joy."
"We went through many cycles of IUI and all the different varieties of IVF," Duckworth said. "Being in the job that I have, it was really hard to keep it, you know, very quiet."
Duckworth is running for re-election on Nov. 4. She faces Republican Larry Kaifesh of Carpentersville, a fellow veteran.
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