Nestled in between her day to day posts, Paris Hilton announced to the world that she’s a new mom, by posting a picture holding her newborn sons hand.

“You are already loved beyond words 💙”

Six simple words accompanied the photo to make up her announcement. Within hours, over a million and a half of her fans liked her post, many posting congratulations to her and her husband, Carter Reum.

During an interview with PEOPLE, Paris Hilton shared that she and Reum began the IVF process during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the world shut down, the would-be parents felt it was perfect timing. Usually for two-thirds of the year Hilton would be on a plane flying all over. This downtime gave the opportunity to freeze her eggs so they would be ready when she was. Once the couple celebrated their one year anniversary, they were ready.

PEOPLE confirmed that the couple welcomed their first baby together, a son, via surrogate.

Paris Hilton dreamed of becoming a mom

“It’s always been my dream to be a mother and I’m so happy that Carter and I found each other,” the new mom tells PEOPLE exclusively. “We are so excited to start our family together and our hearts are exploding with love for our baby boy.”

We’re so happy for the new parents. Congratulations!

IVF Procedure

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a well-established, safe, and effective treatment option for many women facing infertility. Fertilization occurs outside of the body in a laboratory dish (in vitro). An egg retrieval removes mature eggs from the ovaries. They are then placed in vitro with sperm that has been specially prepared. Several days later, the resulting embryos are transferred back directly into the uterus.

Gestational Surrogacy

In gestational surrogacy, IVF is done for the intended parents, but the resulting embryo is transferred to the uterus of a gestational carrier (or surrogate), a woman who is usually unrelated to the intended parents. When successful, the gestational carrier conceives and carries the pregnancy to term. After delivery, the baby is given back to the intended parents, who are the true biological parents.

Individuals and couples can choose surrogacy for a multitude of reasons. Although it’s a straightforward choice for gay couples, many intended parents may find it takes a lot of emotional processing before proceeding to use a surrogate. For women who have struggled for years and have tried everything, using a surrogate can be a relief.