‘The View’ Co-Host Meghan McCain Welcomes Baby Girl With Husband Ben Domenech

The View co-host Meghan McCain and her husband, The Federalist co-founder Ben Domenech, welcomed their first child on Monday night. McCain, 35, gave birth to a daughter named Liberty Sage McCain Domenech. Her representative told PEOPLE mother and baby are “happy and healthy.”

McCain and Domenech announced they were expecting in March. Although McCain has continued to appear on The View, she kept her pregnancy journey private to help protect her baby’s privacy. In May, McCain said she did not want her unborn baby to be the subject of attacks from trolls who make negative comments about her father, the late Arizona Sen. John McCain. The former Fox News contributor said she understood that this was an “unorthodox decision” for someone so frequently on television, but the couple decided it was for the best.

“I believe children have a right to privacy and hope you will all understand as we navigate this as much as possible going forward without sacrificing our comfort or safety,” McCain wrote at the time. “A bunch of inhumane jackasses have really ruined so much for so many on social media and I learned a lot of hard lessons about cruelty that comes with being open and vulnerable about my personal life during my Dad’s cancer fight. It is a shame.”

Following that statement, McCain mostly stuck to it, rarely providing updates on her pregnancy. On Sept. 18, she shared a brief update but focused mainly on her topknot hairstyle. “Topknot Friday! 2.5 weeks until my due date and trying to keep myself looking as stylish as humanly possible while feeling like Shamu,” she wrote.

In August, McCain shared a long statement in her Instagram Story, once again defending her decision to keep her pregnancy journey private and not even sharing photos of her baby bump. “Normally I just let it go because it comes with the territory of being an outspoken conservative woman on TV — but I’ve felt intensely protective and private over this time in my life and the privacy of my child,” she wrote, notes PEOPLE. “I hope all the wonderful people who are so supportive and kind understand!”

Earlier this month, The View executive producer Brian Teta told Deadline McCain will not have a formal replacement when she begins her maternity leave. Instead, there will be a round of surprise guest hosts. The producers want to “have every viewport accounted for, including the conservative side,” he said.