One year ago, on December 20, actress Katherine Heigl gave birth to her son, Joshua Bishop Kelley Jr. Now, to mark his first birthday, the 27 Dresses star has posted an intimate photo of her baby bump from the day she welcomed her son into the world, and explained for the first time his difficult and traumatic birth.
In a series of photos posted to Instagram, Katherine, who is married to musician Josh Kelly, is seen in one snap standing topless by a window, looking out at snow-covered surrounds while cradling her breasts and beautiful bump in the couple’s Utah home.
The actress posted the intimate photo, take by her musician husband Josh Kelly, to Instagram on her son’s 1st birthday.
“At 9am one year ago today I had @joshbkelley take this photo of me so I could remember how incredibly pregnant I was right before we left for the hospital and my 12pm scheduled caesarean,” penned the 39-year-old mum-of-three.
The Greys Anatomy alum followed the photo of her bump with a collection of personal pictures from the day of her son’s delivery while explaining that her baby was not breathing when he was delivered by C-section.
Katherine explained that her son was not breathing when he was born by C-section.
“Joshua Jr had been in the breech position for over a month and had still not moved an inch a week before his due date so I made the decision to have a cesarean and was incredibly nervous and a little scared this time last year.”
“I had never been hospitalised or had ever had any kind of surgery and had no idea what to expect. The second photo is right before I went in for surgery. Trying to look cool, calm and collected! They numbed me up, gave me some morphine and opened me up.”
“My doctor struggled to get him out because he was really wedged in there and not quite ready to leave the womb. When she finally pulled him out at exactly 12:33pm he didn’t start breathing and they worked quickly to get oxygen in him and start his tiny lungs. @joshbkelley was standing with them when he finally took his first breath.”
Baby Joshua Jr and his dad, Josh Kelly.
“That day, as I slowly came out of the morphine haze and clutched my tiny man to me I thanked the heavens for his breath, his life and for making me a mother three times over. As evening settled in Josh and I got cozy in my hospital room, found one of my all-time favourites Sweet Home Alabama on the TV and just relished in our perfect newborn son. He was so tiny and new, so fragile and tender. “
“As I lay him down to sleep that first night in his very appropriate ‘welcome to the world’ sleep sack I thought the moment would last forever. Yet here we are, a whole year later and it’s only the photos that remind me my brute of a boy was ever so new and small! Now he’s 26 pounds of rolling, tumbling, grasping, giggling, shouting, curious, jolly energy! He is everything and more than I could have hoped for and he has brought our family even more joy, love, laughter, abundance, bliss and yes, exhaustion and exasperation too!”
Katherine revealed that after the difficult birth, the couple and their new bub settled down to watch the film Sweet Home Alabama.
The final snap in the series is a recent picture of little Joshua and his mum looking very happy with festive decorations behind them.
“It’s been a hell of a year and I could not be more grateful for it or him! Happy Birthday to my little man! Maybe I can make this next year go a little slower!” she concluded.
One year later, little Joshua and his mum celebrate his birthday with happy smiles.
Joshua is the starlet’s first biological child. She is also mum, through adoption to daughter’s four-year-old Adalaide and eight-year-old Naleigh, and has previously said she would love to expand her family.
