Joshua Jackson opens up about why he and Jodie Turner-Smith opted for a home birth
Joshua Jackson is opening up about the reason he and his wife, Jodie Turner-Smith, opted for an at-home delivery for their now one-year-old daughter.
Jackson, who welcomed his first baby, Janie, with Smith last April, shared in an interview with Esquire that the two reached their decision of an at-home birth because it would best guarantee Smith's safety, support, and comfort throughout the process. For those undergoing labor amid the pandemic, he explained, many, including his wife, would be required to give birth alone to minimise Covid-19 transmission rates. The thought of leaving his wife alone as a Black woman under the mercy of the American health care system, all the while in a particularly vulnerable state, brought on a slew of anxieties for the actor. "The American medical system has a horrendous track record with Black women," he noted.
Further recalling their experience, he said, "She wanted to be in a place where she was as comfortable as possible, understandably. And I wanted her to be in a place where she felt like she was being heard at every step along the way, rather than having to go through that filter of being a Black woman interfacing with the American medical system."
He added, "[Labor] is lonely at times, and scary at times, and also transcendental and beautiful, and you want to have your partner there. I'm grateful for every second I got to be a part of bringing our daughter into this world. It's a magical experience—we don't talk enough about the positives."
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