Pete Buttigieg, the former presidential candidate, made an appearance on the Flagrant podcast on April 23, engaging in a candid discussion with hosts Andrew Schulz, Akaash Singh, AlexxMedia, and Mark Gagnon about his life as a father.
Welcoming the Twins
In August 2021, Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, joyously welcomed their fraternal twins, Joseph August “Gus”and Penelope Rose, into their family. Buttigieg recalled receiving the life-changing news while traveling for work, marking the beginning of their parenting journey.
“I was at work, traveling. I got a phone call. Chasten called me, and the next day, we were in a rural Midwestern hospital, holding them in our arms, and they were like one-day-old… We didn’t know anything about the racial identity of the kids until they started to look mixed-race, which they are,”Buttigieg shared.
Navigating Parenthood with Mixed-Race Children
When asked about the challenges of raising mixed-race children, Buttigieg expressed his self-doubts and concerns, acknowledging that he is continually searching for ways to be a supportive father.
“You’re always asking yourself, how can I be a good dad for kids who have a different racial identity than I do? There are circumstances where there’s nothing I can do to help them navigate that. And I need to connect them up to mentors and people in their lives. This is not a colorblind society,” Buttigieg noted.
Health Challenges Faced by the Twins
In a heartfelt Medium post titled “One Year In: Parenting Has Taught Us About Vulnerability and Gratitude,”released on August 27, 2022, Buttigieg reflected on the difficulties they faced early in their parenting journey. The twins were born prematurely and faced a series of health challenges that necessitated constant care.
“The twins’ early health needs often called for constant, active care. Penelope developed severe reflux, terrifying us when she would stop breathing and turn purple in a matter of seconds,” Buttigieg revealed.
As they adapted to parenthood, Buttigieg recalled how both twins fell ill one fateful day, exacerbating their already heightened concerns.
“By October, we had started to feel more confident and comfortable with all the routines (and the surprises) of parenting. Then one day, the kids got a cold. Soon it was a cough. Then Penelope started to have trouble breathing. Over FaceTime, our doctor expressed concern about the way her belly was retracting under her ribs as she worked to take in air,” he recounted.
In a particularly stressful moment, Buttigieg shared how Chasten rushed Penelope to the emergency room while he tended to Gus, who also subsequently fell ill.
“Chasten drove her to the Emergency Room while I stayed home with Gus. His skin took on a mottled look, and by the next day he was admitted to the hospital too,” Buttigieg explained.
Personal Milestones
Pete Buttigieg and Chasten Buttigieg’s love story began with their marriage in 2018, a union that has embraced the joys and trials of family life.
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