Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Dani Soares Gives All the Details on Her Pregnancy

Some big news has come out of the world of Below Deck Sailing Yacht in recent weeks. Dani Soares announced that she is expecting her first child in a post on Instagram on April 24.

But surprisingly, things haven't really changed all that much for Dani since she gave this major update — well, as much as life can still be normal when you're currently appearing on a reality TV show, that is. Bravo Insider recently caught up with Dani while she was kicking off her work day as a beauty therapist in Sydney, Australia. "It's all good. I'm so lucky in the sense that I'm still working, as I say, today I'm having a 12-hour shift. And I'm still feeling OK to work," Dani said of how her pregnancy is going so far during an exclusive interview on May 5. "I can't complain, really."

With her due date approaching "very soon," Dani said that she is feeling "very scared." "I think just now [I'm starting] to realize that, yeah, there's actually gonna be a baby. And I'm actually gonna be responsible for its life [laughs]," Dani said. "I'm like, whoa, OK. So very scary, but very excited as well."

Dani is prepared on at least one front. She came up with her child's name right after finding out the sex of the baby "pretty early on" after completing a genetic test when she was 10 weeks pregnant. Dani confirmed that she is having a baby girl in a post on Instagram on May 12.

However, Dani is keeping many details of her pregnancy, including her exact due date, under wraps for now. "Because there [were] pictures out there and stuff, I had to reveal that I was pregnant. And it was so public. And people have so many opinions about it," she said. "So I just want to try and keep a little bit private."

Before going public with her pregnancy, Dani, of course, shared her happy news with those closest to her, including two of her Below Deck Sailing Yacht crew mates: Alli Dore and Natasha De Bourg. "We're so close," Dani said. "They've always been so supportive."

Fans have been just as supportive — for the most part. "Honestly, I've been receiving so much support. People have been so nice. I've had some weird messages, but, you know, that's always gonna happen," Dani shared. "But the vast majority is amazing people sharing their stories with me, and I appreciate that so much. And that really does make a difference. I'm happy it's out there now."

With Dani's announcement has come a curiosity among fans about who the father of her child is, something that she has also chosen not to disclose. "I find it really weird. 'Cause I'm like, if somebody tells me they're pregnant, right, somebody that I know, I wouldn't go like, 'Oh my god, where's the father?' So I find it really weird that people do that," Dani said. "I guess people have the right to say what they want. But I do find it really strange that they feel like that's OK to ask, you know?"

Dani, who is originally from Brazil, will be missing having her loved ones by her side when the baby comes. "I'm so sad about that because I really, really wanted to bring my mom, of course, but because of COVID and Australia being so closed off and Brazil being so bad with COVID right now, it's impossible for that to happen," she shared. "And I didn't really know anybody in Australia [laughs] when I moved here. Definitely not anybody in Sydney. So it's a challenge."

Thankfully, Dani's co-workers have rallied around her as she continues to get settled in this new country, which she relocated to in September after the Below Deck Sailing Yacht charter season came to a close. "But I'm very, very lucky the people from work, they are my small village, for sure," Dani said. "They've been very supportive."

Plus, there is one notable Sydney local who knows all about Below Deck and babies: Below Deck Mediterranean chief stew Hannah Ferrier, who welcomed her first child, daughter Ava, in October 2020. Dani said that she "100 percent" plans to reach out to Hannah. "We've been messaging a little bit. [She] even, like, defended me in one of the comments, which [was] so sweet. I read that in her voice, and I was like, I can definitely see her saying that [laughs]," Dani said. "But she is not in Sydney at the moment. She is on holiday. But as soon as she's back, we will definitely get together for a coffee and talk about, you know, I'm sure I will need loads of advice. So [laughs] I'm looking forward to it."

As Dani prepares to embark on motherhood, one can't help but look at moments this season when Dani expressed a desire to settle down and start a new chapter in her life as eerily prescient. "I do believe the universe and energy and all that. And it's crazy how what you put out there, you end up getting it," she said. "You need to be very careful with your words [laughs]." 

She may have been at a crossroads this season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, but Dani has now found the right direction for her life. "I was in such a weird place at that stage. I lost my friend, and I was like, 'Oh, what's the meaning of life? What's the point?'" Dani recalled. "And now I have a reason. Now I have a reason why I'm here, and somebody that I will have to take care [of] for the rest of my life. It's pretty interesting."

Want more Below Deck Sailing Yacht? New episodes air every Monday at 9/8c or catch up on the Bravo app.