Pregnant Hayley Erbert Gushes Over 'Incredible' Husband Derek Hough: 'He Really Stepped Into This Nurturing Role'

Hayley Erbert couldn't be more excited to welcome her first child into the world — and she knows her husband, Derek Hough, is more than ready to be a dad.

"He's been incredible. After I had my brain surgery almost two years ago, he really stepped into this nurturing role, which is really beautiful because it was always kind of me in that role. Seeing him like that just made me love him even more, and now during this time, the way he wants to learn about labor and delivery is incredible," the dancer, 31, who is teaming up with Wellness Pet Company to launch the Wellness Supper Club, with her cats, Palo, Lily and Otis, a simple celebration of rituals that make family time meaningful, exclusively tells OK!. "We have a doula, and we're meeting with her, and she's teaching him all of these things. The whole time I am like, 'He's just going to be the absolute best dad ever.' It just makes me more excited to get to the point where we have this baby in our arms now."

Since Hough, 40, comes from a large family, he's "beyond excited" to finally have a brood of his own. "We always knew we wanted to start a family, and it wasn't until Mark Ballas, who is his best friend, had his son. That's when we were like, 'It's even more real. We have to start right away! We need this baby.' Every time he sees his son, he lights up and is so excited. He is truly going to be the best dad ever," she continues.

For now, Erbert is cool, calm and collected ahead of giving birth. "I hear all the time that people say your anxiety will spike, and I haven't had that yet. I don't know if I will closer to birth, but it's been pretty calm and peaceful to me, and I just think I'm ready more than ever," she shares. "We are in full nesting mode, but there's still chaos! It's funny because this is always the busiest season of our lives, and it's so funny that we're also trying to prepare for a baby and the holidays!"

"It becomes a lot," the TV personality, who has a few dogs and cats at home, continues. "But what's amazing is that we get to be home, and honestly, it's been incredible to have them bond with me and the baby. It's really fun to see that and to see when the baby does come, what will transpire in their relationship. They are all so amazing. All of our animals are just the best! I'm excited to see who really takes the baby and who's kind of nervous when the baby comes. We'll see!"

Erbert adds that the cats are all up on her stomach, which is "really sweet."

Hough and Erbert, who first met back in 2014 when Hough and his sister Julianne Hough hired Erbert to go on tour with them, have had a rough few years after she underwent emergency brain surgery in December 2023. She first had a craniectomy to relieve pressure on her brain, followed by a cranioplasty to repair the skull defect.

Fortunately, the brunette beauty is on the up and up and basking in this new chapter. "They told me I may never walk again, talk again, dance again, and I was dancing four months post-op, which was honestly a little crazy," she admits. "It was the most healing thing for me to do, to know that I could step back into something I love."

Since Hayley is staying put for the holidays with her loved ones and pets, she is thrilled to team up with Wellness Pet Company to launch the Wellness Supper Club, with her cats, Palo, Lily and Otis, a simple celebration of rituals that make family time meaningful.

"It's been beyond organic for me because I have five pets at home. I have two dogs and three cats, so it was the perfect partnership to launch the Wellness Supper Club, especially because I truly believe all of our pets are part of our family. We are starting to grow our family even more with a human child coming, so it's exciting," she raves. "It's even more important to me to keep our animals a part of our lives because I know a child changes your life in the most beautiful way, but I want to make sure that our animals still feel the love and feel like they're a part of our lives. I feel like the best way to bond with your animal is through delicious food. Wellness has all of that for my pets, especially the cats. They've been loving the new food!"

This year for Thanksgiving, the couple is "staying local" and "taking it one day at a time" — with their pets, of course.

"This time of year is all about gathering and family, and obviously, are fur babies are part of the family," she notes. "So, having them have their own meals is truly so important, and what's really fun about it is with Wellness is that we had a little dinner party with me and the cats — and it's the most fun thing to have your cats have their own place at the dinner table. They love the Wellness food so much. I like to mix up the flavors and textures for them, and Wellness actually has over 100 foods to pick and choose from. As of right now, they love the shredded chicken and salmon recipe. They go wild over it!"

She adds, "I love that Wellness is able to support my cats so they can live happy lives, we can live happy lives, and we can have the best relationship. My cats love it, too!"