Actress Lake Bell, the TV wife on Bless This Mess, opened up to podcast host, Dax Shephard (who plays her hubs on BTM) about Lake’s scary experience giving birth at home. The podcast, called Armchair Expert, is a fun, inside look at the messiness of people’s lives. Guests join Dax in his (super posh) attic for a sit-down, tell-all chat where they can talk about everything to acting to politics to…home births.
Bell described the frightening experiences she had delivering her babies at home. In 2014, her daughter Nova was born at home but it was far from serene.
“It was very scary. She was on my chest, and she wasn’t breathing,” Bell told Shepard. “The midwife gave her three lifesaving breaths on my chest and my husband was there. She came to life and we saw it.”
Talk about nerve-rattling.
In 2017, Bell gave birth to her son, Osgood at home as well but this time the situation was more intense.
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“The same thing happened,” Bell shared on the podcast. “I was at home and he had the [umbilical] cord wrapped around and he was on my chest. He was not coming to. Now you’re in really f**king life and death. Your child is there, and the entire room is trying to resuscitate him, and they can’t.”
She went onto explain the paramedics soon arrived and were able to cut the umbilical cord and revive baby Osgood. He spent eleven days in the NICU at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angelas, CA. The family worried about severe complications and were told that Ozzy (his adorable nickname) could have cerebral palsy or that he may never walk or talk. Fortunately, and thankfully, Ozzy has since recovered just fine and has even hit his milestones early.
For moms thinking about having a home birth, rest assured that if you are not a high-risk pregnancy, and you have the right planning and support systems in place then you can have a safe birth at home.
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Stories like Bell’s may leave many expecting moms to wonder if home births are even safe. According to a report by Reuters, midwife-attended births saw 13 infant deaths per 10,000 births compared to 6 deaths per 10,000 births in hospitals.
The American Pregnancy Association recommends that expecting mothers who want to have a home birth should create a plan that includes both a midwifery team and also an obstetrician. They even give a great detailed outline showing who is a good candidate for a home birth and who is not. With proper monitoring and planning, healthy low-risk expecting mothers can look forward to a safe birth at home.
Be sure to reach out to your trusted medical doctor for advice before planning a home birth.
