Maksim Chmerkovskiy Reveals He Had to Take Newborn Son to Emergency Room

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Maksim Chmerkovskiy had a pretty big scare as a first-time father.

In January, Chmerkovskiy's fiancee, Peta Murgatroyd, gave birth to a son, Shai, and were happy to take him home. "He was a couple weeks old and we enjoyed that whole week. It was amazing, and then he got a fever and we had to go to the emergency room," the 37-year-old professional dancer recalled to ABC News.

"We were so, like, not prepared for the protocol [and] procedure that happened at the emergency rooms with infants that small," he continued. "Nobody really ever told us anything about that. It was a big shock to the mind and to the heart."


WATCH: Peta Murgatroyd Shares the Touching Meaning Behind Her Baby Boy Shai Aleksander's Unique Name

Chmerkovskiy said the incident was "a lot" for himself and Murgatroyd. "You start to see a little IV on a little baby and you're like, 'Oh my God, this is crazy,'" he said. "And then we had to travel and fly back to LA after this just happened."

The Dancing with the Stars pro admitted that parenthood has changed both himself and his fiancee. "It made us be that more diligent," Chmerkovskiy explained. "I'm such an overprotective, over-thinking, over-planning type of person. [But] you can't foresee some things; you can try your best."


WATCH: Maksim Chmerkovskiy Adorably Dances With Baby Shai in the Streets of L.A.

The pro dancer also shared why he waited to have a child. "I wanted to have tangible things to give him. I'm not talking money. I'm talking abilities," he shared. "[I wanted him] maybe not be raised in a one bedroom apartment like [my brother] Val and I were raised in. There's nothing wrong with that, but that's not what I wanted for my child."

"I had a very clear vision of how I want to become a father and that's exactly what I'm living now," Chmerkovskiy added. "Peta and I were talking about this before -- like we dreamt this and now this is happening."

The doting dad further noted, "We've gone through a lot of stuff with him already -- some drama and traumatic experiences. That's why I'm kind of like, 'Let's not take him on set.'"


EXCLUSIVE: Maksim and Val Chmerkovskiy Jokingly Reveal Their Plans to 'Use' Baby Shai for DWTS Votes

Murgatroyd did, however, have baby Shai with her while rehearsing for Dancing With the Stars with partner Nick Viall. Earlier this week, the 30-year-old dancer snapped some photos of her baby hanging out with Viall and his new fiancee, Vanessa Grimaldi.

"I have a great partner in Peta. If I'm lucky enough to stick around, hopefully it's going to be fun for America to watch her journey -- having just had a baby boy and coming back from that," Viall recently told ET. "Maks has been very gracious and kind. She's a goofball, I'm a goofball. I feel like our team chemistry is really good."

Check out the pics of The Bachelor star holding Murgatroyd and Chmerkovskiy's adorable son: