Cardi B On Her Pregnancy and Why She Kept It Hidden

Cardi B’s debut album Invasion of Privacy dropped on Friday, going Gold in under twenty-four hours. It’s another jaw dropping accomplishment from the 25-year-old Bronx native, not that anybody is surprised by Bardi’s latest triumph. Despite her astounding professional success – or perhaps because of her success – Cardi has had to deal with nonstop rumors surrounding her personal life. Over the past few months, fans have been speculating that the ‘Bodak Yellow’ rapper is pregnant with her first child, however, she remained tightlipped as the rumors continued to spread. That all changed when Cardi B performed on Saturday Night Live this past weekend, finally debuting her baby bump to the world. Cardi sat down with The Breakfast Club this morning, giving her first in-depth interview about her pregnancy, revealing why she kept it under wraps until now.

Now that Invasion of Privacy is out it seems that Cardi is finally ready to open up about her pregnancy. One of the reasons she waited to make the announcement is that she just doesn’t “like talking about it. I don’t know why. It makes me feel weird. It makes me vulnerable. I don’t like when my mom touches my stomach. It just makes me feel weird.”

Cardi admitted that her pregnancy wasn’t planned and that debuting her bump was “a release, but it was also nerve racking” because she was worried about what people would say. “I know a lot of people invested in me,” Cardi said, explaining that knowing people were relying on her was why she kept hustling over the past five months. “I’m pregnant, but I have a game plan,” Cardi said.  

Charlamagne asked Cardi if she felt any regret about letting people know about her pregnancy, but she said it was actually a liberating experience. “I feel free. People were going to find out anyway,” Cardi explained. Just because she’s happy her secret is out, though, doesn’t mean she’s thrilled with experiencing her pregnancy in the public eye. “If I could have [chosen] a different way, I wouldn’t let anybody know. I don’t want people to make me feel like a blessing should be a regret. I don’t want the negative energy on my baby.”

Because of the backlash she receives online – pretty much whenever she does anything – Cardi said she won’t be posting pictures of her baby for “a hot minute” and that she has to “mentally prepare” herself for that milestone. While Cardi is serious about protecting her child’s privacy – she revealed she’s even stopped posting pictures of her family members on social media for the same reason – she joked around about how “all babies come out looking weird…they look like a shaved cat.”

While the past few months have been exciting as Cardi's star continued to rise, she admits it’s been pretty difficult at times behind the scenes. Not only has she been grinding on her album, she’s been dealing with double standards in the music industry. For men, there’s no worry about when they decide to have kids. Cardi B, on the other hand, has been criticized for getting pregnant in the middle of her breakout moment. Her fiancé Offset, of course, hasn’t had to face the same scrutiny.  This doesn't sit well with Cardi. “I’m a woman, why can’t I have both?” Cardi said.

Cardi has even had to deal with people speculating about whether or not she considered getting an abortion. She touched on this during her interview, saying that she “kinda, sorta” considered having one, but at the end of the day she “didn’t want to deal with the whole abortion thing. I’m a grown woman. I’m a 25-year-old woman. I’m a millionaire. I’m prepared for this.”

She addressed whether she will still be performing at Coachella and going on tour with Bruno Mars next September, as well. Cardi is all set to perform at Coachella. She’s flying out to L.A. on Wednesday for rehearsals. She also revealed she’s currently planning on only taking about three weeks of maternity leave, so, we can expect to see her on the road for the Bruno Mars tour next September. “I’m hungry for things. I have to prove myself. A baby won’t stop me.” It’s obvious that Cardi B’s hustle knows no bounds.

As for when she’s planning on tying the knot with Offset, Cardi says that won’t be happening for a while. “It’s hard to plan wedding when we’re both working. I’m going on tour. He’s going tour,” she said. “And I’m knocked up! I can’t imagine a wedding where I’m not drinking.”

It’s great to see Bardi in such a great place, both professionally and personally. While she admits that her pregnancy was unexpected, it’s clear that she’s ready for this next chapter in her life. Congratulations on everything, Cardi!