Lindsay Hubbard is opening up about her recently confirmed pregnancy.

During a post-reveal interview, the Summer House star, 37, dished on when she learned her baby news, revealed her and her mystery boyfriend‘s reaction to the surprise pregnancy, and reflected on how far she’s come since her August 2023 split from Carl Radke, 39, while also speaking of the universe’s plan for her life.

“To think where I was this time last year is insane to me,” Lindsay told PEOPLE on July 5. “Looking back on it, it’s just so clear to me that the universe had a plan … The journey is really just crazy. All of a sudden, for a girl who’s always wanted to be a mom, there I was at 37 years old, staring down the barrel of being single and questioning when dreams of having a family would happen. And then this incredible man comes back into my life and next thing you know, I’m pregnant. It’s like the universe was saying, ‘See? This is the time. This [is] the guy. Now you’re ready.’ I feel like my prayers were answered.”

Following Lindsay’s split from Carl, she rekindled a past romance with her current boyfriend, who she described as a doctor who works in biotech investing. And just a “few months” into their relationship, she found out she was expecting.

“As shocking as that was, having a really clear [pregnancy test] result just helped alleviate the unknown,” Lindsay recalled. “Those next steps are a little scary, but at least they’re easier just knowing one way or another what you’re working with.”

After her positive pregnancy test, Lindsay visited her OB-GYN for blood work to test her human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels, and she received the results en route to a wedding in Mexico.

“My boyfriend wasn’t with me, so that was a little hard,” she admitted. “That’s not something you want to tell someone in a text message or a phone call, so I went through the wedding weekend and then told him when I got back.”

Looking back at their whirlwind romance, Lindsay said things moved quickly between her and her boyfriend.

“Obviously, it was a surprise and a shock at first because we were not trying or even planning, but we had some honest conversations and it just felt so right for both of us,” Lindsay shared. “We have a very loving, caring and healthy relationship. I finally feel like I met my match with him.”

“He’s just so excited to be a dad and proud to be having a child with me,” she continued. “It just means the world to have someone like him by my side. And yes, it is a lot of pressure on a new relationship, but I think because he’s the right man because we are so bonded and connected and communicate very effectively with each other that it hasn’t felt like work.”

According to Lindsay, she’s made “terrible mistakes” in the past due to her concerns regarding her biological clock. But now that she’s expecting, “it just all feels so right.”

That said, Lindsay is experiencing the typical fears involved in becoming a mom for the first time.

“No one is ever truly ready when they’re having their first baby — mom friends of mine tell me that all the time, even those that were trying. It’s a learning curve!” Lindsay reasoned. “But again, the timing for me is right. Everything that led up to this point, I can draw upon those experiences, and I think they’ll help me be a better mom because of them.”

In conclusion, Lindsay said that despite being blindsided by a heartbreaking split from Carl last year, she feels everything happened for a reason.

“I never gave up on love and I never gave up on the idea that I’d be a mom,” she stated. “And that’s how I’ve always been: I just never allowed any past heartbreak to make me feel jaded about these dreams I’ve had. And that’s why I think [the] universe took care of me; because I always believed it would happen.”

On Friday, just one day after confirming her baby news, Lindsay returned to her Instagram page with a series of baby bump photos and a message to her fans and followers.

“I woke up this morning feeling so blessed and grateful for this journey … But most of all, I’m relieved and excited to finally be able to celebrate openly, and with the world,” she wrote. “It has been extremely difficult to hide my excitement in secrecy, and now that I’m able to share my happiness and joy, I feel like a weight has been lifted (even though I’m actually gaining weight by the day lol)! Our little cub is already so so loved! Thank you for all of the sweet comments, love, and support! We are truly over the moon right now!”

Summer House season nine is currently in production.