When Mikea Turner couldn’t find a reporting job after college, she broke into journalism by volunteering at Prince George’s Community Television. A month later, the station hired her as a freelancer. Three months later, she secured a full-time reporter role.
Several reporting jobs later, the FOX 5 DC Emmy Award-winning morning anchor and lifestyle host has covered everything from the 2017 U.S. Presidential inauguration to the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture across her 15-year career. She’s interviewed legends like Smokie Robinson and Wolfgang Puck, and has championed entrepreneurs, hosting them on a lifestyle cooking show called the LION Lunch Hour for two years.
Now, Turner is bringing that same determination and enthusiasm she’s carried with her throughout her career to her latest gig: motherhood. Turner and her husband, Brian, are welcoming their first child this May. Their baby boy will join the couple and Brian’s teenage daughter.
“Aside from minimal nausea, heightened fatigue and cravings like avocado egg and cheese croissant sandwiches and garlic Parmesan-crusted pepperoni and green pepper pizza, my pregnancy journey has been better than expected,” says Turner, who’s documented her love story with Brian, their wedding, and her pregnancy journey forher followers on social media. “I can’t wait to meet our little prince.”
Like other expectant moms, Turner has agonized over getting her baby registry just right, securing the right childbirth and parenting classes, and the nursery colors—likely gray, beige, and mint green. All the while, she’snavigated a flurry of new parent questions (How many boxes of newborn diapers do I need? Is it safe to get my nails done at the salon?) all while keeping up with her busy career.
Her demanding schedule of rising at 2:45 a.m. to deliver the news will require careful planning to balance TV with a baby. “We’ll definitely be relying a lot on our village, which includes both of the baby’s grandmas,” Turner says. Lessons learned from life as a “bonus mom” to Brian’s daughter have helped prepare her for motherhood.
A shared family calendar curbs overcommitting, and Turner has learned parenthood means sacrifice. “I’ve been able to find balance,” she says. “And yes, at times, say ‘no’to things that prevent me from spending quality time with family.” She’s also organically built a genuine, loving relationship with her stepdaughter by paying close attention to her interests, like soccer and skincare products.
“And when dinnertime rolls around,” Turner adds, “I’ve made it a point to spark real conversation with phones put away. Blended families can be complex, but fortunately my husband and her mother have a healthy and respectful co-parenting relationship.”
Part of balancing it all includes Turner’s advocacy in the ALS community. The neurodegenerative disease is a cause near and dear to her heart. Her best friend’s mother was diagnosed over a decade ago, and even after her passing, Turner helps to raise awareness and funds toward a cure, including featuring guests living with ALS.
She’s also added a new project to her life, one sparked by her pregnancy: a motherhood podcast for Fox 5. Turner, who’s the morning team’s newest mom, interviews health and wellness experts, local moms, and celebrities.
“It’s all about building a community, a place where moms can feel supported, empowered, and never alone,” she says. “Whether you’re a first-time mom or an empty-nester, it’s about women from all walks of life sharing experiences that have shaped, challenged, and stretched them.”
Through the podcast, which launched this spring, Turner especially wants to bring more awareness to postpartum depression. “I know people who’ve struggled with it, and I don’t think we talk about it enough.” She hopes to have actor Grace Byers, who recently opened up about her own postpartum journey, on the show.
For her own part, Turner says that like any first-time mom, she’s “just trying to figure it all out.” But she’s embracing the learning curve. “My husband and I are both so excited to go on this journey together,” she says.
Learn more at fox5dc.com or instagram.com/mikeaontv
She’s also added a new project to her life, one sparked by her pregnancy: a motherhood podcast for Fox 5.