Dancing with the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold has revealed that pregnancy was a big factor in choosing not to compete on the show's 31st season.
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Lindsay and her husband Sam Cusick announced on October 24 they're expecting their second child together.
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While Lindsay said she "didn't know" she was pregnant with Baby No. 2 when she opted out of joining the Dancing with the Stars cast on Disney+, trying to get pregnant played a big role in her decision to sit Season 31 out.
"That was definitely a big factor," Lindsay, 28, recently told Us Weekly.
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"We've been trying to actively get pregnant, and that's very hard to do when you and your husband cannot live in the same state. So, that was a big part of it."
Lindsay and Sam live in Utah while Dancing with the Stars films in Los Angeles, CA.
The spouses are also already parents of a daughter Sage, now 23 months, who was born in November 2020.
Lindsay explained that Sage was another reason why she chose to sit Dancing with the Stars out.
"It's a big sacrifice to separate our family and break up our family for that period of time, and where Sage is at in her life and her growth and what she's learning, I just feel like she's so rapidly changing," Lindsay shared.
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"I just believe that she needs Mom and Dad together. She needs that family, and that's just what felt right."
While Dancing with the Stars is exciting and competitive this season, Lindsay said she's "very grateful" everything worked out the way it did.
"That was a very, like, reassuring moment for me that, 'Okay, this is what we were supposed to do,'" Lindsay said.
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And the pro dancer apparently feels like she's still a part of the show, given she's a loyal fan who's been watching from home and rooting for her favorites.
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"I'm sitting on my couch, eating my dinner, just a total fan," Lindsay gushed.
"So many good people this season. I have to say I am so extremely impressed by [Charli D'Amelio]. Every single week she has exceeded what I thought she could do."
Lindsay noted how she's "really proud" of Charli, who is partnered with returning pro Mark Ballas, for "really going the extra mile."
Lindsay told Women's Health Magazine late last month that she and Sam "couldn't be happier" about their baby on the way.
"It's been, honestly, just so overwhelmingly awesome," gushed Lindsay, who is due in early May 2023. "I'm really excited to be able to share this with the world."
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Lindsay said she knows Sage is "going to be the best big sister."
Lindsay had struggled to conceive her second child, which she was open about with her followers on Instagram, and so she told E! News in a separate interview that being pregnant towards the end of her first trimester "still feels a little bit surreal."
"It's just kind of crazy, but we are so, so happy," Lindsay said, clarifying how she and Sam had been "trying for a while" to expand their family.
Lindsay revealed in a YouTube video how she and Sam had started trying for another baby in January and now she's almost done with her first trimester, which included "nausea and exhaustion."
Lindsay also shared how a big gender reveal will be coming soon -- but she and Sam "don't care either way" -- and she's "most excited" to watch Sage become a big sister.
"I only know sisters. I didn't have any brothers growing up... But my husband has a younger sister and they are so close. So both ways I think would be so fun," Lindsay said.
"So I do hope for [a sister for] Sage, but I do think a brother would be really fun for her as well."
Lindsay announced she was pregnant with her first child in May 2020, just one month before she and Samuel celebrated five years of marriage.
Lindsay and Samuel were high school sweethearts who tied the knot at the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, UT, in June 2015. Approximately 150 guests reportedly attended their reception at the Sleepy Ridge estate.
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Fellow Dancing with the Stars pros Jenna Johnson and Emma Slater were among her bridesmaids in her wedding, with Witney Carson serving as her maid of honor.
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Lindsay did not compete on Dancing with the Stars' 29th season because she was pregnant at the time, but she returned to the show for Season 30 and danced with The Bachelor alum Matt James.
Lindsay joined Dancing with the Stars as a pro partner for Season 16 and has competed in 10 seasons overall.