Million Dollar Listing New York's Steve Gold Explains Why Keeping His Girlfriend's Pregnancy a Secret Was So Important

Everyone was shocked when Steve Gold welcomed his first child with girlfriend Luiza Gawlowska in June: They never publicly revealed she was pregnant. The Million Dollar Listing New York agent said he kept their secret because in the Jewish religion, it's tradition to do so.

"You know, we told my family toward the end of the first trimester, so, like, my closest friends and family knew from pretty much when you know it's real," he told Entertainment Tonight. "We weren't public about our relationship, and then it'd be weird to kind of announce that. And also, I'm very superstitious. In the Jewish religion, we actually don't, one, talk about those things and mention it. It was just kind of asking for bad energy to come into your life. And we didn't even set up a nursery!"

Lyss Stern, CEO of Divamoms, mom of three and best-selling author of Motherhood Is A B#tch has a lot to say about the Jewish superstitions pre-baby. She says she was much more superstitious herself of her first two pregnancies than her last one. In fact, her friends made her a baby sprinkle (smaller shower) for her baby girl. 

"Many couples do not have baby showers or buy things for their baby ahead of time because they are concerned with superstition, or the 'evil eye.' The evil eye has deep roots in the Jewish tradition — it’s the idea that celebrating something we anticipate before it happens, such as a shower before a baby is born, might cause something bad to happen to the mother or baby," she explains. "I wear an evil eye necklace around my neck and my kids all had red ribbons in their strollers and cribs to ward off any evil eyes. I am personally very superstitious when it comes to certain things, especially my family."

She says another Jewish superstition is not to say Mazel Tov until the baby is born healthy.

"Although many Jewish couples choose not to have baby showers or buy things for their baby ahead of the birth because of this superstition, there are certain things expectant parents need to purchase before the baby arrives, such as a car seat, which you need to take the baby home from the birth setting," Stern explains. "A lot of couples will only buy these necessities but not open them until the birth, and some won’t buy anything at all until the baby arrives. Some parents don’t decorate the baby's room until the baby comes home healthy. It all depends on the parents. Today some are not as superstitious as others. I think you do what works for you and your partner. No judgment!"