<p id=”par-1_44″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/gabrielle-union/”>Gabrielle Union</a> and Dwyane Wade have <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-long-have-dwyane-wade-and-gabrielle-union-been-married-and-how-many-children-do-they-have.html/”>been married for years now</a> and have a household full of kids. Although the <em>Bring It On </em>star certainly seems content with her life, it might not be what she envisioned it to be in her younger years.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-dwyane-wade-s-kids-changed-gabrielle-union-s-views-on-motherhood”>How Dwyane Wade’s kids changed Gabrielle Union’s views on motherhood</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Kids-Gabrielle-Union.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Gabrielle Union posing at the Out100 Gala wearing a brown dress.” class=”wp-image-3788499″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Gabrielle Union | Olivia Wong/WireImage</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_100″>Union and Wade famously met each other at a party in 2007. However, they didn’t start publicly dating each other until 2009. But as things became serious between the two, Union found herself becoming a mom by default thanks to Wade’s family. The former NBA star already had two children, Zaire and Zaya Wade, from his <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/what-happened-to-dwyane-wades-first-marriage-to-siohvaughn-funches-wade.html/”>ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches</a>. He also had another son, Xavier, whom he shared with Reality TV star Aja Metoyer. Wade had his child with Metoyer while he and Union were on break. This only made things more complicated between Wade and Union when they reunited.</p>
<p id=”par-3_25″>Becoming a stepmom took some adjusting to for the <em>Bad Boys 2 </em>star. Especially when motherhood was a role Union didn’t see herself fitting into.</p>
<p id=”par-4_46″>“I saw motherhood and parenthood with very realistic eyes,” Union said in a 2018 interview with <a href=”https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/relationships-love/a25444336/gabrielle-union-dwyane-wade-oprah-interview/”>Oprah Daily</a>. “It looked hard. I wanted a life of flitting around the country and lack of responsibility and all that. Parenthood is about sacrifice, being consistent, and being present.”</p>
<p id=”par-5_17″>But Union grew to embrace becoming a parent when Wade had access to his kids full time.</p>
<p id=”par-6_20″>“Then he got full custody. I signed up for the boys quicker than I signed up for him,” she said.</p>
<p id=”par-7_24″>Union and Wade would eventually have a child of their own. They gave birth to their daughter Kaavia James in 2018 through a surrogate.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-gabrielle-union-had-to-face-another-big-fear-when-her-daughter-was-born”>Gabrielle Union had to face another big fear when her daughter was born</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio” id=”emb-2″><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”>
<iframe title=”What Made Gabrielle Union Change Her Mind About Having Kids | SuperSoul Sunday | OWN” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/lR4N5vq159E?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p id=”par-8_77″>Union had a difficult time giving birth to her first biological daughter Kaavia. When trying to conceive her, the <em>Being Mary Jane </em>star endured several miscarriages. Additionally, she underwent fertility treatment that often had devastating side effects. So much so that Wade even urged his wife to discontinue her medication at one point. The emotional toll of her failed pregnancies was even more challenging than the physical, as Union eventually even began to question her own self-worth.</p>
<p id=”par-9_52″>“I could not let go of this idea of creating this life within me that I could feel, that tied me to him, and that the world could be a part of,” she said. “I’m not letting myself and all these people down. I need to be pregnant for everybody, including myself.”</p>
<p id=”par-10_61″>She later discovered that she had a physical condition called adenomyosis, which was making it extremely difficult for her to conceive. In the wake of this new information, Union decided to turn to surrogacy after doing more research on the topic. But after she and Wade finally gave birth to Kaavia, Union discovered she had another insecurity she had to overcome.</p>
<p id=”par-11_51″>“I was afraid of being a bad mom, of not living up to the great moms that I grew up with,” Union once said in an interview with <a href=”https://www.eonline.com/news/1376412/gabrielle-union-shares-how-she-conquered-her-fear-of-being-a-bad-mom”>E! News</a>. “I didn’t want my lack of understanding or knowledge on every single thing to leave this gaping hole in her life.”</p>
<p id=”par-12_22″>But her concerns waned after spending more time with her daughter and speaking to parents in similar positions that she was in.</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio” id=”emb-3″><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”>
<iframe title=”Gabrielle Union on Kaavia’s Internet Fame and Her ‘Nightmare’ with Retired Dwyane Wade” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/-NZx7YTxXyU?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dwyane-wade-recalls-telling-gabrielle-union-he-fathered-a-child-during-their-relationship.html/”>
Dwyane Wade Recalls Telling Gabrielle Union He Fathered a Child During Their Relationship </a>
</p>
</div>
<p id=”par-13_20″>“As I got more confidence, I’m like, ‘Oh, we’re all winging it? We’re just doing the best we can,’” Union remembered.</p>
<p id=”par-14_20″>She highlighted a two-week trip she took to Africa with Kaavia that also helped boost her self-esteem as a mother.</p>
<p id=”par-15_24″>“It gave me even more confidence to trust that, maybe, I’m solid at this,” Union added. “And I’m raising happy, healthy, free Black girls.”</p>
<p id=”par-16_78″>Kaavia isn’t the only child Union spends quality time with. She’s often seen with her stepchildren as well. Not too long ago, she and Wade proudly showed off how much their daughter Zaya had grown <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/gabrielle-union-dwyane-wade-proudly-celebrate-zaya-wade-out100-gala.html/”>at the Out100 Gala</a>. And thanks to her experiences with Wade and her newfound family, Union’s views on motherhood did a complete 180. She went from not wanting to be a parent, to being happier than she’d ever been as a mom. </p>